Political Assassinations?

" As President Obama continues to delay a decision whether or not to send more troops to Afghanistan. The CIA and the united states military. Continue to strike suspected militants using aerial drones inside Afghanistan. And inside Pakistan. Both allies. Of the United States. I thought the political assassinations were illegal. And I thought that this administration said that it would not employ them my next guest says drone assassinations. Are actually not helping at all. In fact they're making things worse. Joining me now is Jacob Warren Berger president of the future for Freedom Foundation. Jake welcome back to freedom watch. It's nice to be here jets tell us what's happening what what is the United States government doing inside Afghanistan and maybe even more importantly. Inside Pakistan. With the use of these aerial drones."

" Well you know last summer Leon Panetta announced that he was canceling a program involving CIA assassinations. And since then they've had these drones that are of course pilotless airplanes that are that are driven now apparently from people in New Yorker Florida and the CIA. They spot a suspected terrorist let's say sunbathing on the top of -- home in Pakistan. They hone in on him day fire missile would drop a bomb on his house. They kill him plus anybody else's in the house and the consequences band is is Jane Meyer the author of the dark side is now pointing now. And an article in the New Yorker that. All of the extra people that they're killing over there is driving up the anger in the rage that is driving more people to become terrorists."

" Against the united state are at the -- so if you're actually classic case of the button is actually pressed. And the target is actually viewed. By some person in a safe and comfortable office thousands of miles away it might even be let's say in Langley Virginia. -- Tampa Florida. But the destruction it's caused the death is inflicted. The harms spreads somewhere where we think these bad guys are in Pakistan."

" That's right and it's done under this rationale. That that suspected terrorists are legitimate targets for assassination. Because these this is an act of war. And so they're going back to the Bush Doctrine that the whole world to battlefield they can kill whom ever they want without a trial without taking them in the custody. Simply targeting them for assassination but not only does it violate principles that we're accustomed to here in the United States. It's actually boomer hanging by producing the very things that they fear the --"

" Terrorists now I remember just a couple of months ago Jake I suspect that you remember this as well. Our friends in the media made a big deal out of the fact that the Obama administration had discovered some nefarious plot. I hatched in the bush years to conduct secret assassinations and the had gone through the hiring and training of people. To conduct these assassinations but they had not actually happened. And when -- CIA director Leon Panetta learned about this he immediately put a stop to it. Or did he."

" Well that's right that's that's my point is that he purports to put a stop to it. I suppose what he's referring to is sneaking in a CIA agent to a village in Pakistan. And up blowing up a home where they suspect a terrorist is. How is that any different from piloting a plane directed by guy's sitting in front of a computer screen at Langley. And firing a missile into that home. There's no difference at all you're still talking about assassination. And keep in mind. There is no declaration of war against Pakistan there's no declaration of war against of course Afghanistan. But we're killing people in the in in Pakistan. Actually no declaration of war wrong."

" Pakistan as an ally of ours and the president of Pakistan has visited the White House many times his predecessor. General Musharraf was a good friend of a President Bush is this a secret war. Never authorized by the congress certainly never declared by the congress that the American public doesn't even know about against human beings lawfully residing. Inside a country that is a lied -- us. I'm not even sure be called -- war seems to me it just. Assassination I don't see how you put another word today. It's it's assassination. And it's essentially murder and how would not feel if let's say the Chinese Government. Set drone send drones in the United States to kill mafia leaders or the heads of drug gangs -- people that were generally. Unpopular are undesirable here because they thought. Their life would be safer as a result of these drones don't you think would wanna ship them out of the sky no matter at whom they were saying the of course."

" And you know event as well have been trying to extradite this guy -- without a country -- backed event as well of the stand trial. For that terrorist bombing of that Cuban airline they killed all those kids. And how would we feel event is well up. Came over here the United States and started bombing homes where they suspected this guy was again mean clearly we would not countenance such a thing. This is not what the United States stands for -- know that. And it and it's it's something that's actually making things worse for us because you know David -- this New York Times columnist is writing is very fascinating series about his time in captivity. Eight or nine months 78 months and in Taliban captivity. He is riding the times that in his time of captivity. He learned that these drone attacks were firing up anger and rage within people in Pakistan that was driving more of them to become terrorists against stark."

" We are chatting with Jacob Warren burger who's the president of the future of our Freedom Foundation. Doesn't the government understand doesn't the Obama administration understand. That this type of secret unlawful immoral contrary to that every principle of just war. Contrary to treaties contrary to federal criminal law behavior. Is going to make things worse."

" Well you would think so let me just wonder what's going through these people's mind at that they seem to be operate in this delusion that there this is really gonna finally end it. Anger and hatred against the United States on the contrary it's fueling it it's making things worse for the American people. Not to mention the fact it is horribly expensive. Is that pointed out an article today you know there at that congress is now trying to raise the debt ceiling. Because they gotta pay for all this stuff so the piling mounds of dead on mountains of debt. So what we lose both ways the potential for more terrorism and of course all the debt that we're reliable force taxpayers."

" What what kind of justification does the Obama administration. Make. For this kind of secret assassination plan."

" Well they use the same rationale of the bush people were using that this this is a war that is like -- to World War II or Vietnam the war on terrorism which is nonsense. Terrorism is a criminal offense it's on the statute books to US code as a criminal fans. That's precisely why the Justice Department has tried and convicted stack -- is how we who set at the end. Ali Al Mari and a host of other people that they're indicting prosecuting and convict -- in federal district court. Terrorism is a criminal offense what they've done is carry through the bush pronouncement that they're gonna treat. Terrorism as -- other criminal offense or an act of war at their option. And so that's what they say well that enables us to black and kill whomever we suspect is an enemy combatant. A terrorist and it essentially gives them license to assassinate now I."

" Were called us from studying history history through which you and I led. That every president from Gerald Ford at least up to George W. Bush that we could amount what he said. Signed an executive order prohibiting. Assassination. Of foreign officials is -- some. Narrow definition to that executive order. Or did George W. Bush signed something and look the other way or did President Obama not even sign it."

" I don't know how they get around that unless there position is that these people are not government officials and therefore exempt from that assassination prohibition. The only thing that I can figure they're doing."

" Don't they run the risk. Of being prosecuted. For violating. Trees. And federal statutes. By virtue of this unauthorized illegal assassination. Of people 10000 miles away prosecuted by some. Future administrations since the statue of limitations for murder there is none."

" Absolutely and the precedent for that is Augusto Pinochet yet. You know he can't his people came up to Washington. And murdered a man named Orlando lipsky earlier a former official it's -- land government. -- under a -- day and what Peter says position was essentially same as bush and Obama is that. He had the right to go got abroad and search out Communists and kill Communist for the whole world the battlefield as he thought. The same way they see this war on terrorism. Well the US. Prosecuted. The people who did that because they legitimately rightfully called it murder they did on the streets of Washington DC. And some I don't know twenty years later. Then there were. Criminal prosecutions. In Chile. Of the people they were doing this type of thing including of course Pinochet and he was held in and in London for a long time begins an indictment to the ministry does Spain. So these people can never sleep easy because you never know when they're gonna get indicted down the road. -- Berger thanks very much for joining us again on freedom watch. The pleasure thank you judge."