Leaked Obama administration memo sets out case for killing US citizens

February 5, 2013 by legitgov

Leaked Obama administration memo sets out case for killing US citizens --Paper does not specify 'minimum legal requirements for launching lethal attacks on US citizens 05 Feb 2013 The detailed circumstances in which a US government may order the killing of an American citizen who is may be a high-ranking member of al-Qaida have been revealed in a leaked memo prepared by Obama administration lawyers. The document, acquired by NBC and dating from 2011, lays out for the first time the precise rationale for carrying out targeted killings of senior al-Qaida members who are US citizens, and who are believed to pose an "imminent threat of violent attack" against America. In a key passage in the document--which is unsigned--it argues that for a US citizen who has rights under the due process clause and the fourth amendment, "that individual's citizenship would not immunise from a lethal operation".