Cliché alert: Obama is quoted herein saying - wait for It - "let me be clear".
Peter Wehner "The president went on to trumpet the fact that he banned the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, saying, “I know some have argued that brutal methods like waterboarding were necessary to keep us safe. I could not disagree more.” .... Obama insisted that his policies would “regain America’s moral stature in the world.” This was a common Obama theme: He would act in ways that respect international law and human rights and remove the stain from America’s reputation."
....
A good argument in here is that no innocent bystanders were killed because of waterboarding captured terrorists. My big problem with all this is that the Obama Administration wanted to criminally prosecute Bush officials who used enhanced interrogation on those people.
"....there is a serious argument to be made that during wartime targeting terrorists, including Americans, with drones is justified. But that justification probably best not come from someone who has spent much of the last half-dozen years or so sermonizing against waterboarding, accusing those who approved such policies of trashing American ideals and shredding our civil liberties, and portraying himself as pure as the new-driven snow."....
I cannot dredge up much indignation for the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki because his fate was his own choice. He chose to be an enemy of the US and desired to kill as many of us as possible.
Should Americans fighting in Hitler's army have been arrested and brought to trial instead of killing them? And just how would we have done that?
Peter Wehner "The president went on to trumpet the fact that he banned the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, saying, “I know some have argued that brutal methods like waterboarding were necessary to keep us safe. I could not disagree more.” .... Obama insisted that his policies would “regain America’s moral stature in the world.” This was a common Obama theme: He would act in ways that respect international law and human rights and remove the stain from America’s reputation."
....
A good argument in here is that no innocent bystanders were killed because of waterboarding captured terrorists. My big problem with all this is that the Obama Administration wanted to criminally prosecute Bush officials who used enhanced interrogation on those people.
"....there is a serious argument to be made that during wartime targeting terrorists, including Americans, with drones is justified. But that justification probably best not come from someone who has spent much of the last half-dozen years or so sermonizing against waterboarding, accusing those who approved such policies of trashing American ideals and shredding our civil liberties, and portraying himself as pure as the new-driven snow."....
I cannot dredge up much indignation for the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki because his fate was his own choice. He chose to be an enemy of the US and desired to kill as many of us as possible.
Should Americans fighting in Hitler's army have been arrested and brought to trial instead of killing them? And just how would we have done that?