Friday, September 30, 2011

Anwar al-Awlaki and Ron Paul

Al-Awlaki was an American born radical Islamic terrorist that has spent the last few years recruiting in the west for Al-Qaeda. He was killed in Yemen by an American drone strike.

Ron Paul, running for the Republican presidential nomination, thinks this was a terrible thing to do and that Al-Awlaki, as a American citizen, was entitled to a trial.

As I’ve said before, not only does Ron Paul not have any answers, he doesn’t even know what the questions are.

One of the few things I agreed on with George W. Bush was treating the confrontation with terrorism as a war. Article III of the United States Constitution defines treason as:

“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”

I think it is safe to say that Al-Awlaki, by this definition, committed treason. Article III goes on to say.

“No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.”

I would consider his open recruiting for Al-Qaeda and bombastic sermons equivalent to a “Confession in open Court.”

Besides, no one has any rights in a battle during war. In this war, drone strikes are part of the fighting. Al-Awlaki wasn’t assassinated as Ron Paul claims, he was killed as part of a military action.

If he had been captured I would have agreed with a trial but I can’t justify not taking him out when the chance presented itself.

In other words, good enough for me and good riddance.  

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