"President Obama, who during his first year in office oversaw more drone strikes in Pakistan than occurred during the entire Bush presidency, last week surpassed his predecessor in a second respect: he authorized the assassination of an American — Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical Imam who after 9/11 moved from Virginia to Yemen, a base from which he inspires such people as the Fort Hood shooter and the would-be underwear bomber."It does seem that hands-off assassinations are the hallmark of Democratic administrations, while Republicans send in 3rd Infantry Division. The Bush boys, father and son, both invaded Iraq, while Bill Clinton made a regular practice of firing cruise missiles at training camps that proved empty and chemical plants that proved to be aspirin factories, or so we were told at the time. Mr. Obama seems to favor Mr. Clinton's policy, and it is certainly one that costs fewer lives. But, as Mr. Wright points out, "Students of the law might raise a couple of questions." Of course they might! That's what students of law do best. Still, they are questions that deserve an airing--and I note uneasily that among the folks who agree with the leftish Mr. Wright is the rightish Bill Lind, whom I quoted on the same subject here recently.
Mr. Wright lays out his objections, and concludes: "I’m not sure I’d want to pay these prices even for a strategy that helped us in the war against terrorism." But of course he hasn't really paid any price, including the price of standing still for the next terrorist attack. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford
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