We Take Care Of Our Own

Noted Nobel Peace Prize recipient Barack Obama presides over an administration that doesn't seem to have a problem using drones to take care of terrorists by flying in and killing them, and now we learn that it has no qualms about killing in the same fashion American citizens who take up arms against their own country, namely American al-Qaeda operatives - even if they're merely suspected of planning an imminent attack.

Having expressed my surprise at this policy, I must admit I find both sides of the argument over the policy to be persuasive.  Maybe taking out our own citizens this way goes against traditions such as the rule of law and a fair trial, but on the other hand we're talking about American members of al-Qaeda who have made it their mission to commit terrorist acts against the United States and have no qualms themselves about killing as many of their countrymen as they possibly can.  Anwar al-Awlaki, the American al-Qaeda operative killed by a drone attack in September 2011, was making so much noise in recruiting Americans and others for jihad.  If al-Qaeda has declared war on the United States, enemy combatants at large will obviously be treated as such.

I do worry, though, about such a policy being pursued by a presidential administration that shows less restraint than Obama.  There will be a Republican administration in the future sooner or later with this policy to refer to as precedent.  Imagine if Dick Cheney were President.  (Oh, wait, he actually was.)  Let's hope that whatever precedent Obama does set here is one based in caution.