In essence, this would be no different from a legal or ethical point than finding out (regrettably) after the fact that when Yamamoto’s plane was shot down during World War II, that Tojo’s American relative was onboard the plane.
Simply put, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.
That said, it also opens up the pregnant question, what was he doing hanging out with a senior leader of al-Qaeda?
Good grief. Anwar al-Awlaki posted public videos for al-Qaeda and called for the killing of American civilians and soldiers. Anwar al-Awlaki wasn’t some fictional threat concocted in a vacuum.
Article 3 section 3 of the US Constitution:
“Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.”
From the article:
“Al-Awlaki had been involved in an abortive attack against the United States and was planning other attacks from his base in Yemen, the memo said. It said the authority to use lethal force abroad may apply in appropriate circumstances to a U.S. citizen who is part of the forces of an enemy organization.”
If a person (even a citizen) declares war against this country then they should expect to garner a drone. Just because a citizen declares war against America that does not offer any protection. And it should not. The Constitution, I believe, does not extend to Yemen where Awakai was living anyway. He was subject to Yemeni law, not American law. And the Yemenis wanted him dead.
Yes… you are both correct. And the son was not killed with his father.
The son, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki was not with his father when his father was killed on September 30, 2011. The son had been searching for his father but was killed on October 14, 2011 while sitting in cafe in Yemen.
He wasn’t the target. He was collateral damage. This wasn’t a legal proceeding, it was a battle, and an innocent happened to be killed by a stray bullet, as happens often in war.
Who are you arguing with? No U.S. official has said that the boy was guilty of anything or that it was good that he was killed in collateral damage. Nobody stands for the position that this was good, so who are you fighting with?
If someone takes up arms against the United States, what should the response be if arrest and Mirandizing are not an available option? I’m truly curious about what you would do.
Aware that they were separate strikes. Anwar al-Awlaki was the target on one of the strikes, and Ibrahim al-Banna who was a leader in al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was the target of the one that killed Abdulrahman al-Awlaki (the 16-year old son of Anwar al-Awlaki).
And as I said, he was not the target and regrettable he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
