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Title: Rand Paul slams Attorney General Holder for 'refusal' to rule out drone strikes in US
Source:
Fox
URL Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201 ... -to-rule-out-drone-strikes-in/
Published: Mar 6, 2013
Author: Fox
Post Date: 2013-03-06 19:57:57 by We The People
Keywords: None
Views: 1631
Comments: 2
Sen. Rand Paul is blasting Attorney General Eric Holder's assertion that the government could conceivably use drones against its own citizens in the U.S. as "frightening," saying such an action would violate the Constitution. Paul, R-Ky., was responding to comments by Holder released Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee approved the nomination of John Brennan, President Obama's pick to be his next CIA director. Paul said in a statement obtained by Fox News that Holder sent him two letters regarding the constitutionality of the use of legal force, such as drones against Americans and on U.S. soil, after Paul petitioned Brennan to speak on the matter. In the letter, Holder says the U.S. has never carried out a drone strike against one of its citizens on American soil, and calls a situation where such a strike may occur "entirely hypothetical" and "unlikely to occur." However, Holder does not entirely rule out that such a scenario may occur in the future, and indicates that such a strike would be legal under the Constitution. “It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the president to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States," Holder said. Holder said "catastrophic" attacks such as the Sept. 11 attacks or the attack on Pearl Harbor are examples of circumstances where the president could conceivably feel such an action is necessary. Paul says he is not satisfied with the attorney general's response. “The U.S. Attorney General’s refusal to rule out the possibility of drone strikes on American citizens and on American soil is more than frightening, it is an affront on the constitutional due process rights of all Americans,” Paul said. Paul says he also received a statement from Brennan, who stated that the CIA does not have authority to order such operations be carried out. Brennan vigorously defended the use of drone strikes during his confirmation hearing. He declined to say whether he believes waterboarding, which simulates drowning, amounted to torture. But he called the practice "reprehensible" and said it should never be done again. Obama ordered waterboarding banned shortly after taking office. Drone strikes are employed only as a "last resort," Brennan told the committee. But he also said he had no qualms about going after U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in September 2011. A drone strike in Yemen killed al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, both U.S. citizens. A drone strike two weeks later killed al-Awlaki's 16-year-old son, a Denver native.
Poster Comment: 6 hour filibuster in progress.
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#1. To: We The People, *Bill of Rights-Constitution* (#0)
Rand Paul’s filibuster, during which he demanded the Obama administration promise not to kill Americans with drone strikes on U.S. soil, was interrupted by a test of the government’s emergency alert system. Footage from C-SPAN shows the Kentucky Senator speaking before an EAS alert for the New York region cuts in. The system has stoked concerns that the government is preparing to take over all civilian communication outlets under the guise of a national emergency. Some will see the timing of the emergency alert test as more than coincidental, given what Senator was discussing during his filibuster of John Brennan’s nomination to be CIA director. “No American should ever be killed in their house without warrant and some kind of aggressive behavior by them,” Paul said on the Senate floor. “To be bombed in your sleep? There’s nothing American about that . . . [Obama] says trust him because he hasn’t done it yet. He says he doesn’t intend to do so, but he might. Mr. President, that’s not good enough . . . so I’ve come here to speak for as long as I can to draw attention to something that I find to really be very disturbing.” “I will not sit quietly and let him shred the Constitution,” Paul added.”No person will be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process,” he said, quoting the Fifth Amendment. Watch more of Rand Paul’s speech below.
"If men through fear, fraud or mistake, should in terms renounce and give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the great end of society, would absolutely vacate such renunciation; the right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of Man to alienate this gift, and voluntarily become a slave." Samuel Adams, Rights of the Colonists, 1772
Government Emergency Alert Test Interrupts Rand Paul Filibuster
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
#2. To: hondo68 (#1)
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