[Peace-discuss] Obama reaches new low

[C. G. Estabrook]

  Obama argues his assassination program is a "state secret"

BY GLENN GREENWALD <http://www.salon.com/author/glenn_greenwald/index.html>

    *


At this point, I didn't believe it was possible, but the Obama administration 
has just reached an all-new low in its abysmal civil liberties record.  In 
response to the lawsuit filed by Anwar Awlaki's father 
<http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/08/03/awlaki> asking a 
court to enjoin the President from assassinating his son, a U.S. citizen, 
without any due process, the administration last late night, according to /The 
Washington Post/ 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/25/AR2010092500560.html?hpid=topnews>, 
filed a brief 
<http://static1.firedoglake.com/28/files/2010/09/100925-Al-Aulaqi-USG-PI-Opp-MTD-Brief-FILED.pdf> 
asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit without hearing the merits of the 
claims.  That's not surprising:  both the Bush and Obama administrations have 
repeatedly insisted that their secret conduct is legal but nonetheless urge 
courts not to even rule on its legality.  But what's most notable here is that 
one of the arguments the Obama DOJ raises to demand dismissal of this lawsuit is 
"state secrets":  in other words, /not only does the President have the right to 
sentence Americans to death with no due process or charges of any kind, but his 
decisions as to who will be killed and why he wants them dead are "state 
secrets," and thus no court may adjudicate its legality.
/

/Full article at 
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/09/25/secrecy
/

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