Wait, what? A recently discovered confidential Department of Justice memo revealed that the Obama administration has a pretty lenient policy on when drone strikes can be launched.
The government does not need evidence that a specific attack is imminent, the newly disclosed Justice Department white paper says, only that the targeted suspect is involved in ongoing plotting against the United States.
“The threat posed by al-Qaida and its associated forces demands a broader concept of imminence in judging when a person continually planning terror attacks presents an imminent threat,” the document says.
What if Bush were POTUS? RT @CainTV: DOJ memo: US drones can attack US citizens abroad pretty much whenever http://t.co/4GkrpHAj
— Herman Cain (@THEHermanCain) February 5, 2013
But, hey, out of their hands? There’s more, too. The White House also defended the use of drone strikes to kill citizens, but not the use of waterboarding.
https://twitter.com/Heminator/statuses/298868567347191808
https://twitter.com/Rschrim/status/298880786642399234
#FAIL MT @markknoller: WH defends use of drones to kill Americans abroad, but still against use of waterboarding for interrogation.
— David Freddoso (@freddoso) February 5, 2013
There is such irony in Obama's outrage over 'torture." Why torture when you can just kill with drones?
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) February 5, 2013
Citizens also react to the absurdity of the White House trying to distance itself from the Department of Justice that it runs.
https://twitter.com/javelinabomb/status/298880505200398336
https://twitter.com/javelinabomb/status/298881573464444928
@markknoller Isn't that like McDonald's distancing itself from Big Macs sold abroad?
— Kirk Spears (@KirkSpears) February 5, 2013
Um. They RUN the DOJ. MT @markknoller WH distancing itself from Justice Dept report on Drone use for targeted attacks on Americans abroad.
— jon gabriel (@exjon) February 5, 2013
I distance myself from my left hand. MT @markknoller: WH distancing itself from Justice Dept report on Drone use for targeted attacks…
— Brian Faughnan (@BrianFaughnan) February 5, 2013
Is Obama the boss?Sheesh. @markknoller WH distancing itself from Justice Dept report on Drone use for targeted attacks on Americans abroad.
— Teresa Wendt (@projectmat) February 5, 2013
@AnthonyBialy @ExJon @markknoller That's why we need common sense, reasonable drone control laws NOW. #SendInTheDrones
— Roland le Fartere (@Crapplefratz) February 5, 2013
@ExJon @markknoller one can only change DC from the outside..or was it inside?#PresidentDowngrade
— Covid19 Butler, Pat (@pb65) February 5, 2013
CBS’s Mark Knoller points out a little something else.
NBC News the only source of the Justice Dept White Paper on drone use and that's the way the WH wants it. http://t.co/gpuuJc5w
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 5, 2013
NBC News saw fit to stamp its logo all over the 16 page report. Sure once, twice or ten times would have been enough.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 5, 2013
He’s not kidding:
And Twitter user ExJon sums it up.
Obama should demand that Congress do something to stop the DOJ and their killer drones.
— jon gabriel (@exjon) February 5, 2013
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