Rand Paul To CIA: "Can You Kill With Drones In The USA?"
Submitted by Michael Krieger of Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,
Rand Paul’s Third Letter to the CIA: Can You Kill with Drones in the USA?
This letter is a few days old, but is very important for every American to be aware of. Essentially, Rand Paul is threatening to filibuster Barack Obama’s nominee for the CIA, John Brennan, due to his refusal to answer a simple question:
Do you believe that the President has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, and without trial?
This should not be a complicated question to answer, yet it seems Obama, Brennan and pretty much every other little power consumed bureaucrat is incapable of doing so. Below is Rand Paul’s letter reprinted in full (my emphasis added).
February 20, 2013
John O. Brennan
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. Brennan,
In consideration of your nomination to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), I have repeatedly requested that you provide answers to several questions clarifying your role in the approval of lethal force against terrorism suspects, particularly those who are U.S. citizens. Your past actions in this regard, as well as your view of the limitations to which you are subject, are of critical importance in assessing your qualifications to lead the CIA. If it is not clear that you will honor the limits placed upon the Executive Branch by the Constitution, then the Senate should not confirm you to lead the CIA.
During your confirmation process in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), committee members have quite appropriately made requests similar to questions I raised in my previous letter to you-that you expound on your views on the limits of executive power in using lethal force against U.S. citizens, especially when operating on U.S. soil. In fact, the Chairman of the SSCI, Sen. Feinstein, specifically asked you in post-hearing questions for the record whether the Administration could carry out drone strikes inside the United States. In your response, you emphasized that the Administration “has not carried out” such strikes and “has no intention of doing so.” I do not find this response sufficient.
The question that I and many others have asked is not whether the Administration has or intends to carry out drone strikes inside the United States, but whether it believes it has the authority to do so. This is an important distinction that should not be ignored.
Just last week, President Obama also avoided this question when posed to him directly. Instead of addressing the question of whether the Administration could kill a U.S. citizen on American soil, he used a similar line that “there has never been a drone used on an American citizen on American soil.” The evasive replies to this valid question from the Administration have only confused the issue further without getting us any closer to an actual answer.
For that reason, I once again request you answer the following question: Do you believe that the President has the power to authorize lethal force, such as a drone strike, against a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil, and without trial?
I believe the only acceptable answer to this is no.
Until you directly and clearly answer, I plan to use every procedural option at my disposal to delay your confirmation and bring added scrutiny to this issue and the Administration’s policies on the use of lethal force. The American people are rightfully concerned, and they deserve a frank and open discussion on these policies.
Sincerely,
Rand Paul, M.D.
United States Senator
(62 votes)
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Do you think this is all a joke? Put your name on that List and ZOG will kill you soon enough, by drone or otherwise. That's why hardly anyone is signing on.
kneel before ZOG
June 5, 1942 last time US formally voted to declared war on any nation:
Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary
Yes we can. Yes we can.
So I assume Paul will be portrayed as an utter buffoon in the press during the time this question is not widely relayed to the public?
"No I don't know why Paul is trying to stop the CIA from functioning, but I saw a hilarious late night monolog about what a dumb-shit he is..."
The same late night comics who would have praised some Dem senator as a hero for standing up to Bush in the exact same way.
Every real American patriot needs to cancel their cable tv or satellite tv, NOW.
It is time to STOP FEEDING THE PROPAGANDA BEAST.
Subsidized cartels don't need customers. They have the government.
Done. 7 years ago. Don't miss it. Words cannot express the revulsion I now feel, every time I get within earshot of a "connected" skinner box broadcasting the same horseshit cacophony of logcal fallacies.
every country gets the leaders it deserves.
the government cant wait to kill we the people, as usual of governments.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Drones are created Equal, that they are endowed by their Creator [and Chinese builders] to kill random American citizens who believe they have inalienable rights, etc.
Drone personhood?
Utah data center = Skynet?
Paging John Conner and his terminator.
They have to land somewhere. They are piloted by somebody. Stay alert. Keep your eyes and ears open. Act when the time comes. YOU are the new minutemen.
Sorry if I double or triple posted, fat fingers, on a tablet, on an airplane...
ANG base near me supposedly transitioning from A-10 mission to drones. I would put my money on one of the locals to be the first to take down a drone. The hillbillies from these parts know how to shoot. I just hope the damn thing doesn't crash on me or my house.
Quite trite.
I disagree.
Rand Paul and Thomas Massie- two of Kentuckys best exports to DC.
barry soetoro is an indonesian citizen who has absolutely no compunction to murder and has done so numerous times. he is a puppet of the rockefeller cabal who takes great delight in murdering americans because he is not one himself and worships the masters who appointed him president.
the cia will lie about policy and regardless of what answer murderer nazi brennan gives will be a lie....once appointed, he will hunt americans and murder them in cold blood just as his faux boss obama does every morning.
Give 'em hell, Rand Paul!!!
unfortunately he has made the pilgrimage to Tel Aviv to prostrate himself at the foot of Israel
All Senators and Congressional Representatives all do that. If they don't bow before the Chosen People at least once, the Christians who believe that chosen people nonsense (most of them) and the mass media will destroy them.
Rand, I hope you don't have a Breitbartesque myocardial infarction compliments of "Them."
He has a very skilled family physician.
What would cause "Them" to suicide their own, when they have undoubtedly put so much time, energy, and money into their creation?
Seems like he's working just as intended
Rand Paul is still a traitor to liberty.
Maybe, but he seems to be a heck of a lot better than most of the Congresscritters.
He endorsed Milt Romney. How is that better? You are either in on the game or you are against it. Rand Paul is a pussy who caved like building #7
he couldn't hold daddy's jock
As are virtually ever elected offical in the District of CRIME!
Ironically, His dad's coordinates are probably known at all times...
Jus sayin...
The Obama Admin and their sycophant MSM will simply ignore the question and hope it just "goes away."
Like all the questions about Benghazi, etc.
Tyler
I'm constantly amazed at the bredth and depth of your viewership that has 1+ years of membership but only see comment for the first time.
Either a hell of a lot of lurking or some number fudging is going on in the durden camp.
There is a lot of lurking. But sometimes you read something and just finally have to say something.
Just sayin'
And some of them only recently opened accounts regardless of how long they have been reading. I just had to comment...
guys
not an accusation just a comment on never seeing a wee-weed up comment before and low an behold the guy is semi old school.
are you telling me that of the plethora of articles posted at ZH the wee-weeds of the world come out on some random article for the first time after
1+ years of relative silence. If it was a pot article sure you ahve a point but why now on this particular meme????? I'm not of the knowing (thick punjabi accent here)
I have hundreds of comments on ZH. You obviously have not been looking very hard. Many folks here can attest to my activity.
In addition... if it's "old-school" to expect accountability of our leaders and our press, then I'm guilty as charged!
Being "old school" as you described it is a crime whose punishment is death. They just haven't made that law public, because we, the people, might object. Please call 1-666-555-KILL and inform the (drone) operator what your current GPS coordinates are. We will contact you to 'discuss' your attitude, which needs some serious adjustment.
weewee is an OG
If u sign up the pop up ads stop. Not too hard to figure out.
I wonder if I've been deemed a lurker...on another note, it's my 2 year ZH anniversary! Yay me. I owe myself a mojito.
Well, skewer a mouse (or a Turkman or two) to celebrate! :>D
uh, ad-hominem attack?
I'm lurking. All sides have been accounted for. No need to comment.
Lurking since blogspot.
And holy shit, Glitch, MathMan's arch nemisis. Hardcore old school indeed.
I was on this site every day for well over a year before I became a member. I was afraid of TPTB. when I joined, I resigned myself to the fact that they are not interested in individuals. They are going to wreck the joint with everyone in it. They do not care.
Who the Fuck r u? The comment police!!! I am really getting sick of all these people who post cowardly snide remarks
A wise internet site once told me to ''LURK MOAR'' before commentating.
Lurk moar, instead of trolling our ass!