Jeremy Scahill writes in The Nation:
There has been almost universal silence among Congressional Democrats on the Obama administration’s recently revealed decision to authorize the assassination of a US citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki, who now lives in Yemen, has been accused of providing inspiration for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the alleged “underwear bomber,” and Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged Fort Hood shooter. In recent weeks, there has been a dramatic surge in US government chatter about the alleged threat posed by al-Awlaki, with anonymous US officials accusing him of directly participating in terror “plots” (his family passionately disputes this).
Several Democrats refused, through spokespeople, to comment on the assassination plan when contacted by The Nation, including Senator Russ Feingold and Representative Jan Schakowsky, both of whom serve on the Intelligence Committees. Representative Jane Harman, who serves on the Homeland Security Committee, said recently that Awlaki is “probably the person, the terrorist, who would be terrorist No. 1 in terms of threat against us.”
An issue related to this assassination plan that has thus far received no attention is its implications for the court martial of Nidal Malik Hasan. If Anwar al-Awlaki was arrested and brought back to the United States, he would undoubtedly be a key witness in Hasan’s trial, given the widely reported email correspondence between the Texas shooter and Awlaki. Won’t killing a potential witness prejudice the outcome of the trial?
Since 9/11 everyone is focused on perpetrators without realizing that the real cover-up is how the “security” people were total f-ups, allowing WTC to be hit, AGAIN! More and more America’s mediocrities are turning to “security” as route to “connections” for “security”careers because a country in panic has low standards for those “who like to shoot.” So the army sends recruitment teams to events for village idiots with a truck equipped with giant “kill the bad guy towel heads” videogames to attract such characters. I suggest that the designers of our Pentagon recruitment efforts go back and read about what happened after France brought home its “para” heroes from Algeria. Many went into very interesting and lucrative careers– armed robbery, drugs and other shoot-em-up outlets for their only skill. That would be justice for the “ain’t my kid going to war” disconnect syndrome crowd, to have to live in an America of these products of the only education America has been successful at for some time. Only President Petraeus and VP McChrystal can save us because these two “understand” them well. With the school week going to four days because education in reading, writing and rithmetic is such a waste of money one can well see why the future will be so bright for those “who like to shoot.” Mad Max America has seen ya and loves ya!