Thread: Obama Drones

May 15, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Rand Paul today issued the following statement regarding the nomination of Professor David Barron to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit:

"I've read David Barron's memos concerning the legal justification for killing an American citizen overseas without a trial or legal representation, and I am not satisfied. While the President forbids me from discussing what is in the memos, I can tell you what is not in the memos.

There is no valid legal precedent to justify the killing of an American citizen not engaged in combat. In fact, one can surmise as much because the legal question at hand has never been adjudicated. Therefore, I shall not only oppose the nomination of David Barron, but will filibuster," Sen. Paul said

Court releases memo justifying drone attacks on citizens
5 hr ago | By Mark Hosenball of Reuters

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Monday released a redacted version of the U.S. Justice Department's memorandum of justification for a 2011 drone attack that killed Anwar al Awlaki, an American-born Islamist preacher suspected of having ties to al Qaeda.

The memo says that because the U.S. government considered al Awlaki to be an "operational leader" of an "enemy force," it was legal for the Central Intelligence Agency to attack him with a drone even though he was a U.S. citizen.

The memo says the killing was further justified under Congressional authorization for the use of U.S. military force following the Sept. 11, 2001 hijacked-plane attacks.

The Obama administration released the memo in response to a court order following Freedom of Information lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and The New York Times.

"High-level government officials have concluded, on the basis of al-Aulaqi's activities in Yemen, that al-Aulaqi is a leader of (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) whose activities in Yemen pose a 'continued an imminent threat' of violence to United states persons and interests," the document said.

Awlaki was killed in what U.S. officials acknowledged at the time was a CIA drone strike in Yemen on September 30, 2011. Another American citizen, Samir Khan, was killed in the same attack, although U.S. officials have said that Khan was not intentionally targeted.

Although other Americans have appeared in Internet postings or propaganda as spokesmen or representatives for al Qaeda or its affiliates, Awlaki is the only American citizen who U.S. government officials have acknowledged was directly targeted for a U.S. drone strike.

Human rights advocates criticized the legal justification outlined in the memo as overly broad and a distortion of the law.

Pardiss Kebriaei, a lawyer with the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, described the justification as "highly aggressive and controversial interpretations of international law."

http://news.msn.com/us/court-release...ocid=ansnews11

The memo says that because the U.S. government considered al Awlaki to be an "operational leader" of an "enemy force," it was legal for the Central Intelligence Agency to attack him with a drone even though he was a U.S. citizen

considered ... not proven .... BIG difference

Obama takes full responsibility for hostage deaths
American, Italian hostages killed in US drone strike
JULIE PACE - 4 hrs ago


WASHINGTON (AP) — An American and an Italian held hostage by al-Qaida, as well as two Americans working with the terror group, were inadvertently killed by CIA drone strikes early this year, the government revealed Thursday.

President Barack Obama said he took full responsibility for the counterterror missions and offered his "grief and condolences" to the families of the hostages, Warren Weinstein of Rockville, Maryland, and Giovanni Lo Porto.

Obama defended the legality of the January drone strike that killed the hostages and said there had been no evidence that the two men were present at what the U.S. had determined was an al-Qaida compound in Pakistan.

"Based on the intelligence that we had obtained at the time, including hundreds of hours of surveillance, we believed that this was an al-Qaida compound, that no civilians were present and that capturing these terrorists was not possible," Obama said at the White House. "And we do believe that the operation did take out dangerous members of al-Qaida."

Among those believed killed in the strike was Ahmed Farouq, who the White House said was an American who was an al-Qaida leader. U.S. officials have also concluded that Adam Gadahn, an American who had served as a spokesman for the terror network, was killed in a separate operation in January.

A U.S. official said Farouq was a dual US-Pakistani national who was an al-Qaida operations leader in Pakistan. He had assumed the title of deputy emir of al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, a relatively new offshoot of the terror group.

AQIS claimed responsibility for a failed attempt in September of 2014 to hijack Pakistani naval vessels and use them to attack American warships. The U.S. believes Farouq was involved in that plot.

Gadahn used the name "Azzam the American" in the numerous al-Qaida videos he appeared in. He denounced U.S. moves in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and threatened attacks on Western interests abroad.

His work led to Gadahn becoming the only American charged with treason since the World War II era.

The White House said neither Farouq nor Gadahn were intentionally targeted in the strikes and the U.S. did not have information indicating their presence at the site of the operations.

U.S. government officials said the CIA carried out the drone strikes on Jan. 14 and Jan. 19 in Pakistan. The White House said the strikes happened in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The officials were not authorized to discuss details of the attacks and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The president made no mention of Farouq and Gadahn. Instead, he focused his remarks on Weinstein, who had been held by al-Qaida since 2011, and Lo Porto, who had been held since 2012.

Obama expressed regret for the deaths of the two men and offered condolences to their families.

"I realize there are no words that can ever equal their loss," said Obama, adding that he had spoken with Weinstein's wife and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Weinstein, a 73-year-old development worker, was abducted in August 2011. His capture came four days before his seven-year stint with the U.S. Agency for International Development was to end.

In a message released previously in English and Arabic and addressed to Weinstein's family, al-Qaida had said it was "not interested in keeping" Weinstein but wanted to exchange him for prisoners in U.S. custody.

Lo Porto was an Italian aid worker who worked for the German aid group Welthungerhilfe. He went missing in Pakistan in January 2012.

A spokeswoman for the aid group said the organization was shocked at the news of Lo Porto's death.

"We're shattered by today's news," Simone Pott told The Associated Press. "So much was done to try and get him released," she said, without elaborating.

Lo Porto had joined the aid group in October 2011 and was working as a project manager in Pakistan's Multan region when he was kidnapped together with German Bernd Muehlenbeck.

Muehlenbeck was freed last year under circumstances that Pott declined to comment on.

Renzi expressed his "profound pain" over Lo Porto's death, saying the aid worker had "dedicated his life to the service of others."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/...id=ansnewsap11

They didn't know the hostages were there... they didn't even know that their "targets" were there ... WTH ? Rule #1 when handling ANY weapon ... KNOW what you are shooting at.

White House: U.S. forces accidentally killed 2 hostages
David Jackson and Gregory Korte, USA TODAY 12:18 p.m. EDT April 23, 2015

The two Western hostages — one American, one Italian — were killed during a drone strike this year that targeted members of al-Qaeda, the White House said. They were Dr. Warren Weinstein, an aid worker from Maryland who was a contractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto. Weinstein was captured by al-Qaeda in 2011; Lo Porto had been a hostage since 2012.

In a video released by al-Qaeda in 2013, Weinstein pleaded for Obama to negotiate his release, saying he felt "totally abandoned and forgotten," by the U.S. government.

Weinstein's widow, Elaine, released a statement Thursday saying she "did not yet fully understand" what happened and looked forward to the results of the government investigation.

"But those who took Warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility. I can assure you that he would still be alive and well if they had allowed him to return home after his time abroad working to help the people of Pakistan," she said. "The cowardly actions of those who took Warren captive and ultimately to the place and time of his death are not in keeping with Islam and they will have to face their God to answer for their actions."


President Obama apologized for the deaths of two al-Qaeda hostages during a U.S.-led counterterrorism operation in January. Dr. Warren Weinstein, the American, was from Rockdale, Maryland.

The counterterrorism operation happened in January along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and U.S. forces did not know that the hostages were present, administration officials said.

"It is a cruel and bitter truth that in the fog of war generally, and our fight against terrorism specifically, that mistakes, and sometimes deadly mistakes, happen," Obama said.

The White House also said counter-terrorism operations killed two other Americans believed to be working with al-Qaeda.

The deaths occurred during a drone strike against al-Qaeda operatives, according to anonymous administration officials who spoke to The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that Obama has ordered a review of the accidental drone killings.

Obama has also unclassified information about the operation, said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

The action was "lawful and conducted consistent with our counterterrorism policies," Earnest said, though "we are conducting a thorough independent review to understand fully what happened and how we can prevent this type of tragic incident in the future."

Earnest also said the government believes that two other Americans who were working with al Qaeda during in counter-terrorism operations.

"We have concluded that Ahmed Farouq, an American who was an al-Qaeda leader, was killed in the same operation that resulted in the deaths of Dr. Weinstein and Mr. Lo Porto," Earnest said. "We have also concluded that Adam Gadahn, an American who became a prominent member of al-Qaeda, was killed in January, likely in a separate U.S. government counter-terrorism operation."

http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/2015/...ages/26232369/

Obama’s shocking admission about U.S. hostage killed in Pakistan reveals far greater scandal

Written by Allen West on April 24, 2015

Back during the Vietnam War, President Lyndon Johnson was directing bombing strikes from the White House. For those who understand the three levels of warfare — strategic, operational, and tactical — you realize this is a complete violation of principles of warfare. Now, I have no issue with the utilization of drones as a means to attack Islamic terrorists.

However, this is a weapon system best employed by the theater operational commander who has intelligence cognizance — not approved at the strategic level, especially as directed from the White House. What could be the unintended consequences of such action?

Deadly.


As reported by USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...Qaida/26232205

“President Obama expressed “grief and condolences” Thursday for a January drone strike against suspected terrorists in Pakistan that accidentally killed two hostages, including an American aid worker. Obama said he took full responsibility for the operation and apologized to the families of the hostages. “I profoundly regret what happened,” he said. The two Western hostages — one American, one Italian — were killed during a drone strike that targeted members of al-Qaida, the White House said. They were Warren Weinstein, 73, an aid worker from Maryland who was a contractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Giovanni Lo Porto, 39, an Italian citizen working for a German aid agency. Both were kidnapped by al-Qaida in Pakistan — Weinstein in 2011 and Lo Porto in 2012. The White House said the counterterrorism operation, and another this year in the same region, also killed two other Americans believed to be working with al-Qaida. In an extraordinary eight-minute statement to reporters, a solemn Obama halted at points during his brief remarks, looking down at notes. “I cannot begin to imagine the anguish that the Weinstein and Lo Porto families are enduring today,” he said.”

The first issue has to be, why is the family just now finding out about this fratricide by drone strike, which occurred in January? I thought this was supposed to be the most transparent administration in American history.

Of course there will be those who challenge the use of drones to target Americans – a la Anwar al-Awlaki who was killed along with his son in Yemen. It is imperative that we establish a policy addressing Americans who depart these shores and take up arms or propagandize against America supporting Islamic terrorists and jihadists. I assert that any American who leaves this country to do such and is engaged in operations against America on this battlefield, abdicates his citizenship and should be seen as an enemy. But, without a clear designation of this current conflagration — war on terror is a horrific misnomer — we are operating in murky waters. We need a definitive rule of engagement for these circumstances.

The two Americans killed supporting al-Qaida were Ahmed Farouq, an American who was an al-Qaida leader, and Adam Gadahn, who was also killed in a separate operation in January. Earnest said Gadahn was not the specific target of that strike.

President Obama stated, “It is a cruel and bitter truth that in the fog of war generally, and our fight against terrorism specifically, that mistakes, and sometimes deadly mistakes, can occur”.

I understand Clausewitz’s “Fog of War” but I also realize that something went terribly wrong in the decision-making authorizing this strike.

“The site of the attack had been under surveillance for hundreds of hours, and that surveillance was “near-continuous” in the days just before the attack, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. The spying used a variety of methods, including drone imagery, and discovered a known al-Qaida operative driving into the compound, said U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity. Based on that intelligence, Earnest said, intelligence analysts concluded with “near certainty” that al-Qaida leaders were present and that civilians were not.”

What is apparent is that HUMINT intelligence assets were not used to validate imagery. Then again, why would anyone want to support U.S. intelligence gathering in Pakistan after how this administration has treated Dr. Shakil Afridi who assisted in the identification of Osama bin Laden’s hideout?

The preeminent question must be, who granted approval? If we are restricting drone usage to the U.S. military, it is fairly easy to ascertain the chain of command in the decision-making for this engagement. But, if this was not within the military operational command chain emanating out of Afghanistan — then we have a bureaucratic, administration issue.

And based on the lack of transparency and length of time before this was revealed, — it leads me to believe this decision came from the latter, not the former. And that ladies and gents, is the reason why the president of the United States took the podium.

USA Today states, “U.S. forces DID NOT know the hostages were at the al-Qaida site when the counterterrorism operation took place in January along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, administration officials said.”

Uh-oh Kimosabe! The follow-on question has to be, did U.S. forces know this drone strike had taken place and the “suspected target” set? Was this strike coordinated with theater of operation intelligence assets?

Obama said he spoke to Weinstein’s widow, Elaine, on Wednesday. She released a statement Thursday saying she “did not yet fully understand” what happened and looked forward to the results of the government investigation. “But those who took Warren captive over three years ago bear ultimate responsibility,” Elaine Weinstein said. “I can assure you that he would still be alive and well if they had allowed him to return home after his time abroad working to help the people of Pakistan,” she said. “The cowardly actions of those who took Warren captive and ultimately to the place and time of his death are not in keeping with Islam and they will have to face their God to answer for their actions.”

I offer my sincere condolences to Mrs. Weinstein but she must understand that to the enemy her husband was a Jew and an infidel — therefore their actions are in keeping with the doctrine of Islam.

But adding insult to injury is the fact that the bodies of Weinstein and Lo Porto have not been recovered.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is not exactly pleased with yesterday’s revelation. “In each of the operations acknowledged today, the U.S. quite literally didn’t know who it was killing,” said the ACLU’s deputy legal director, Jameel Jaffer. “Unfortunately, the president’s stated commitment to transparency can’t be squared with the secrecy that still shrouds virtually every aspect of the government’s drone program.”

Therefore, in the spirit of bipartisanship, I must agree.

Perhaps there are those who will just dismiss this story, but there is one very sad point. The Obama administration killed American and Italian hostages in January. We were just told in April. An American who prayed for his government to rescue him ended up being killed by it — and a family never knew, and will never have the closure of a funeral.

Unbelievable.


http://allenbwest.com/2015/04/obamas...eater-scandal/

Liberty First News notes that between “421 and 960″ civilians have been killed in drone strikes since 2002 – with the majority of those coming under President Obama:
http://libertyfirstnews.com/us-drone...rime-by-judge/




The Judge Slams President Obama For ‘War Crimes.’
By Chris Enloe - 3 hours ago

http://www.ijreview.com/2015/04/3068...source=FBshare

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s email scandal gets more and more intriguing with each passing day, and it doesn’t look like her hopes and dreams of the whole mess suddenly disappearing are going to come true any time soon.

In fact, two new emails have come to light that contain “top secret” information about a drone operation along with other classified materials.

From MyWay.Com: http://apnews.myway.com/article/2015...6f20cb060.html

WASHINGTON (AP) — The two emails on Hillary Rodham Clinton’s private server that an auditor deemed “top secret” include a discussion of a news article detailing a U.S. drone operation and a separate conversation that could point back to highly classified material in an improper manner or merely reflect information collected independently, U.S. officials who have reviewed the correspondence told The Associated Press.

On Monday, the inspector general for the 17 spy agencies that make up what is known as the intelligence community told Congress that two of 40 emails in a random sample of the 30,000 emails Clinton gave the State Department for review contained information deemed, “Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information” one of the government’s highest levels of classification.

The two emails were marked classified after consultations with the CIA, which is where the material originated, officials said.

The drone exchange, the officials said, begins with a copy of a news article that discusses the CIA drone program that targets terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere. While a secret program, it is well-known and often reported on. The copy makes reference to classified information, and a Clinton adviser follows up by dancing around a top secret in a way that could possibly be inferred as confirmation, they said. Several officials, however, described this claim as tenuous.

But a second email reviewed by Charles McCullough, the intelligence community inspector general, appears more suspect. Nothing in the message is “lifted” from classified documents, the officials said, though they differed on where the information in it was sourced. Some said it improperly points back to highly classified material, while others countered that it was a classic case of what the government calls “parallel reporting” — different people knowing the same thing through different means.

The emails came to light Tuesday after Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, reported that McCullough found four “highly classified” emails on the unusual homebrew server that Clinton used while she was secretary of State. Two were sent back to the State Department for review, but Grassley said the other two were, in fact, classified at the closely guarded “Top Secret/SCI level.”

Regardless of whether or not there was any actual laws broken by Hillary, this whole email debacle screams corrupt politician who can’t be trusted.

Clinton has built her entire career out of being dishonest and doing whatever it takes to win, whether or not winning was ethical or morally right.

We’ve already had one lawbreaker in the Oval Office, we certainly don’t need another one.

If this investigation concludes that laws were broken, Hillary should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but even if that doesn’t happen, we as conservatives need to get our act together, stop fighting over Donald Trump, and get whatever candidate is best suited for the presidency to take Clinton down in the general election.

With Hillary and her corruption inching toward the White House, it’s time for us to unite against a common enemy and make sure she doesn’t end up the next president.

http://www.youngcons.com/hillary-cli...one-operation/

Originally Posted by Jolie Rouge

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s email scandal gets more and more intriguing with each passing day, and it doesn’t look like her hopes and dreams of the whole mess suddenly disappearing are going to come true any time soon.

In fact, two new emails have come to light that contain “top secret” information about a drone operation along with other classified materials.

From MyWay.Com: http://apnews.myway.com/article/2015...6f20cb060.html

Regardless of whether or not there was any actual laws broken by Hillary, this whole email debacle screams corrupt politician who can’t be trusted.

Clinton has built her entire career out of being dishonest and doing whatever it takes to win, whether or not winning was ethical or morally right.

We’ve already had one lawbreaker in the Oval Office, we certainly don’t need another one.

If this investigation concludes that laws were broken, Hillary should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but even if that doesn’t happen, we as conservatives need to get our act together, stop fighting over Donald Trump, and get whatever candidate is best suited for the presidency to take Clinton down in the general election.

With Hillary and her corruption inching toward the White House, it’s time for us to unite against a common enemy and make sure she doesn’t end up the next president.

http://www.youngcons.com/hillary-cli...one-operation/

If the Republican frontrunner for President ran a homebrew email server to evade public scrutiny while Secretary of State and that server was riddled with classified emails up to and above Top Secret--- does anyone doubt it would end that Republican's campaign immediately?