Saturday, February 9, 2013

White House Agonizes Over Authorizing Lethal Drone Strikes

John Brennan, President Obama’s nominee to run the CIA, dines with Obama at the White House, February 2010. Photo: Flickr/White House

Brennan: Government Goes Through ‘Agony’ Before Launching Drone Strikes -- Danger Room

During a contentious and at times raucous Senate hearing, John Brennan, President Obama’s nominee to run the CIA, said the government agonizes over authorizing lethal drone strikes.

The deadly strikes have attracted such acrimony at home and abroad that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif., the chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence) ordered the public removed from Brennan’s nomination hearing after protesters yelled out their objections to the program. For the first time in public, Brennan expressed frustration that “the people standing up today” did not understand the government’s dilemma.

The public should understand “the care we take, the agony we go through, to make sure we do not have any collateral injuries and deaths,” Brennan said. “People are reacting to a lot of falsehoods out there.”

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My Comment: Advances in technology and warfare has now made it possible for a U.S. President to make the decision of not only drawing up a kill list .... but to know ever detail of every strike from beginning to finish. And while I disagree on many issues with President Obama .... I do not envy him on this one. He must know that his actions risk blow-back from terrorists, accusations and charges of war crimes, and resentment from millions both here at home and abroad. And I do believe John Brennan when he says that the administration agonizes over authorizing lethal drone strikes .... because I am sure that when they were busy condemning President Bush for his enhanced interrogation policies .... the last thing that was on their mind was that one day they would be in this type of situation .... authorizing the assassination of Americans like Anwar Alaqi.

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