Anwar al-Awlaki & Samir Khan

[Lamplighter]

By now, no Dwellar should doubt that I support Obama,
and disagree most of what Merc posts in his thread "Obamanation".

But despite issues of what Awlaki and/or Khan did or did not deserve,
there is the issue of Obama approving this extra-legal killing an American citizen.
I, personally, am appalled and see this as a potentially "impeachable offense"...
or at least an historical mega-blot on Obama's presidency.

This 2-page article is the most detailed I have come across on the Dept of Justice's "secret memo":

Secret U.S. Memo Made Legal Case to Kill a Citizen
NY Times
By CHARLIE SAVAGE
Published: October 8, 2011

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s secret legal memorandum
that opened the door to the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki,
the American-born radical Muslim cleric hiding in Yemen,
found that it would be lawful only if it were not feasible to take him alive,
according to people who have read the document.
<snip>
The secret document provided the justification for acting despite
an executive order banning assassinations, a federal law against murder,
protections in the Bill of Rights and various strictures of the international laws of war,
according to people familiar with the analysis.
The memo, however, was narrowly drawn to the specifics of Mr. Awlaki’s case
and did not establish a broad new legal doctrine to permit the targeted killing
of any Americans believed to pose a terrorist threat.
<snip>
The memorandum, which was written more than a year before Mr. Awlaki was killed,
does not independently analyze the quality of the evidence against him.
<snip>
The deliberations to craft the memo included meetings in the White House Situation Room
involving top lawyers for the Pentagon, State Department, National Security Council and intelligence agencies.
It was principally drafted by David Barron and Martin Lederman,
who were both lawyers in the Office of Legal Counsel at the time,
and was signed by Mr. Barron.
The office may have given oral approval for an attack on Mr. Awlaki before completing its detailed memorandum.
<snip>

This NY Times article goes on to discuss (briefly) some of the arguments and rationales,
as put forth by those involved in creating the memo.