targeted killings

No Picture

"that spark of the divine", Africa, CIA, Dictatorship, elections, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, human rights, Intelligence, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Latin America, Nobel Peace Prize, religious belief, Rule of Law, Torture, U.S. Constitution, U.S. Intervention January 15, 2018

REPRISE: Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

Originally Posted By: The Observer January 18, 2016 Today is Martin Luther King day in the United States, a national holiday. It is a good…

No Picture

"that spark of the divine", Barack Obama, debate over the efficacy of torture, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Nobel Peace Prize, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, syria, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, vision of peace, war crimes April 5, 2017

REPRISE: “A time to break silence”: Dr. King on the Vietnam war, and President Carter on America’s human rights violations

Fifty years ago, on April 4, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King gave the first of two speeches that month setting forth why he was opposed…

No Picture

Barack Obama, CIA, extrajudicial execution, human rights, International Law, Justice Department, self-defense, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes February 13, 2014

REPRISE: Anwar al-Aulaqi—Targeted Killings, Self-Defense, and War Crimes

Press reports indicate President Obama is considering adding or has already added the name of a U.S. citizen to the kill list for targeted assassination…

No Picture

Barack Obama, CIA, coverage of foreign events, Culture and Communication, Dictatorship, freedom of speech, History, human rights, Intelligence, internal supporters of human rights, NSA, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.S. Congress, United States January 4, 2014

Outlook for 2014 and beyond: Technology and the creation of increasingly powerful instruments of totalitarian control

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” –Lord Acton (1834-1902) “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, Libya, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, self-defense, Somalia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes, Yemen March 3, 2013

UPDATE (MARCH 6) WITH LINKS TO SENATOR RAND PAUL FILIBUSTER; REPRISE: Secret Laws, the John Brennan vote, and the rule of law

SENATOR RAND PAUL FILIBUSTER UPDATE At 12:39 a.m. EST, Senator Rand Paul concluded a filibuster on the floor of the U.S. Senate that lasted more…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Chile, CIA, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Libya, Mali, Pakistan, self-defense, Somalia, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes February 27, 2013

The vote on John Brennan’s confirmation to be CIA Director: Opinion and Commentary

Recent Commentary and Opinion “It is not going too far to say that American foreign policy has become completely subservient to tactical domestic political considerations.”…

No Picture

Barack Obama, CIA, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, United States, use of force, vision of peace, war crimes February 24, 2013

Secret Laws, the John Brennan vote, and the rule of law

Let  us step back for a moment from the details of what John Brennan is saying now in order to get confirmed by the Senate as CIA Director….

No Picture

"that spark of the divine", Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Crimes Against Humanity, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, Latin America, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, self-defense, State Department, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, U.S. news coverage, United States, use of force, vision of peace, war crimes January 6, 2013

REPRISE: “A time to break silence”: Dr. King on the Vietnam war, and President Carter on America’s human rights violations

[This is a lengthy article. The reader may wish to read it, and listen to the recordings, in three parts.] Originally published June 27, 2012…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, human rights, human rights reports, Intelligence, International Law, Libya, Pakistan, refoulement, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force December 28, 2012

European court of human rights condemns Macedonia for “extraordinary rendition” to cooperating CIA officials, in Khaled el-Masri case

News to Note See Nicholas Kulish, “Court Finds Rights Violation in C.I.A. Rendition Case,” New York Times, December 13, 2012. Amrit Singh, “European court of…

No Picture

"that spark of the divine", Barack Obama, Crimes Against Humanity, debate over the efficacy of torture, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, Latin America, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, self-defense, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. news coverage, United States, use of force, vision of peace, war crimes June 27, 2012

“A time to break silence”: Dr. King on the Vietnam war, and President Carter on America’s human rights violations (revised June 28)

“And I’ve long since learned that to be a follower (of) Jesus Christ means taking up the cross. And my bible tells me that Good…

No Picture

Barack Obama, CIA, extrajudicial execution, Intelligence, International Law, Iran, Israel, Mossad, self-defense, Somalia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes, Yemen June 10, 2012

Did the White House authorize recent leaks on covert programs?

At President Obama’s press conference on Friday, June 8, he was asked by David Jackson of USA Today about the leaks that were apparently behind…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, extrajudicial execution, International Law, Israel, Mossad, Pakistan, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes, Yemen June 3, 2012

More news and opinion on President Obama as “Executioner in Chief”

From: A Man for All Seasons (1966) William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law! Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, extrajudicial execution, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, use of force, war crimes March 24, 2012

Attorney General Eric Holder offers legal justification for targeted killings of U.S. citizens abroad

On March 5, 2012, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder offered a legal justification for U.S. targeted killings directed against U.S. citizens abroad. For the text…

No Picture

China, Crimes Against Humanity, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, France, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Lebanon, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes March 9, 2012

The Daily Star: “We procrastinate”—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #9 (March 9)

The Daily Star (Beirut) has been one of the absolute best sources for reliable and up-to-date information on what is going on in Syria, and…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, Germany, History, human rights, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes March 9, 2012

The “Rational Actor” Fallacy and Stopping Syria’s Atrocities—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #8 (March 9)

“There are times, such as when a man or a group of men are in the act of firing weapons to kill innocent civilians, when…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, Dictatorship, elections, History, human rights, Intelligence, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iraq, kosovo, Libya, Middle East, NATO, Russia, Serbia, State Department, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes March 8, 2012

Lack of Moral Courage at the Highest Levels—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #7 (March 8)

For earlier articles on Syria by The Trenchant Observer, see the Articles on Syria page. President Obama’s response to the terror and crimes against humanity…

No Picture

Barack Obama, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, Culture and Communication, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, France, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, NATO, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Nuclear Proliferation, Oslo, Russia, self-defense, Serbia, syria, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force March 3, 2012

Passivity in the Face of Terror in Syria, Threats of War in Iran — Obama’s Debacle in Syria—Update #2 (March 3, 2012)

For earlier articles on Syria by The Trenchant Observer, see the Articles on Syria page. A Hard Truth:  Obama is a Weak Leader on Foreign…

No Picture

Afghanistan, Africa, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, Libya, Pakistan, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, use of force September 24, 2011

Drone Attacks and Other “Targeted Killings” — State Department Legal Adviser Invokes International Law Limits

On September 19, 2011, Charlie Savage reported in the New York Times that, The Defense Department’s general counsel, Jeh C. Johnson, has argued that the…

No Picture

Afghanistan, CIA, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, NATO, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, self-defense, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Military, use of force July 17, 2011

International Law and the Use of Force: Drones and Real Anarchy Unleashed Upon the World

Recently a number of articles have been published that are of particular interest with respect to the development and use of drones. See William Wan…