http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/world/middleeast/secret-us-memo-made-legal-case-to-kill-a-citizen.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American-born radical Muslim who was hiding in Yemen. He was suspected of being involved in the dealings of Al Queda, and was directly involved in the war between the U.S. and Al Queda. There's been a huge controversy over his case, because the U.S. killed him in a drone attack over Yemen. As a U.S. citizen, some argue that it was against the law in many ways that he was just killed and not given a fair trial. However, in recent days it's been revealed that a secret memorandum was passed by the government last year that made it acceptable to kill Awlaki alone, as long as it wasn't feasible to capture him. The President of Yemen also gave the U.S. secret permission to bomb on Yemen soil to eliminate Awlaki. However, another American citizen was also killed in the bombing, a man named Samir Khan, who was not an authorized kill. Khan was also a radical Muslim. He'd written a magazine promoting terrorist activities in the Arabian Peninsula. The U.S. is in a lot of trouble for his death because now the families of both the killed men are suing the government. I believe that the government was alright on this count though. Both men were dangerous to the U.S. and if the government created a memo that did allow for their deaths than I think it's acceptable. There was no feasible way that the U.S. could have landed in Yemen and tried to take him on land. The air strike was completely necessary. The government was right in not landing in Yemen. That could have produced a whole slew of other issues for the U.S., much more than the families of the two men being angry. Yes, they were U.S. citizens, but they betrayed the country when they participated in the activities of Al Queda and I believe that that fact alone should make their citizenship null and void. Whether or not they were citizens, they were a constant threat to the security of the country, and their elimination was necessary.
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