Related Stories
The 'Obama doctrine': kill, don't detain
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of The Guardian (One of the UK's leading newspapers)
Posted: April 19th, 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/apr/...
Extrajudicial killings and targeted assassinations will soon become the main point of contention that Obama's administration will need to justify. The extensive use of drones under Obama have taken the death count well beyond anything that has been seen before. The legal justifications put forward by [the Obama administration] are reminiscent of the arguments that were used by John Yoo and others in their bid to lend legitimacy to unlawful practices such as rendition, arbitrary detention and torture. The laws of war do not allow for the targeting of individuals outside of the conflict zone, and yet we now find that extrajudicial killings are taking place in countries as far apart as Yemen, the Horn of Africa and Pakistan. From a legal and moral perspective, the rationale provided by the State Department is bankrupt and only reinforces the stereotype that the US has very little concern for its own principles. The hope that came with the election of Barack Obama has faded as his policies have indicated nothing more than a reconfiguration of the basic tenet of the Bush Doctrine that the US's national security interests supersede any consideration of due process or the rule of law. The only difference witness the rising civilian body count from drone attacks being that Obama's doctrine is even more deadly.
Note: For lots more on the realities of the "war on terror", click here.
Related Stories
Latest News
Key News Articles from Years Past
