To the Point
US Unease over Legal Basis for Drone Strikes
The Obama Administration says "an informed, high-level official" can ignore due process rights and kill American citizens if they constitute an "imminent threat" to the US.
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenThe Obama Administration says "an informed, high-level official" can ignore the right to due process and kill American citizens if they constitute an "imminent threat" to the United States. We hear about a leaked "white paper" that's created an uproar over constitutional rights, international rules of war and the role of the CIA. Also, Iran refuses to negotiate with the US after increased sanctions, and powerful excerpts from an Oscar-nominated documentary on sexual assault in America's military.
Banner image: US-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in an air strike on September 30, 2011. Photo by Magharebia
In this episode
3 storiesIran Refuses to Negotiate with the US after Increased Sanctions
Vice President Biden hinted last week that the US and Iran might engage in bilateral talks. Iran's President Ahmadinejad and his Foreign Minister had kind words for the Obama Administration. But today the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called those the ideas of "simple minded people." Thomas Erdbrink is Tehran Bureau Chief for the New York Times .
Read the story8 minThe Targeted Killing of US Citizens
The Obama Administration used drones to kill three American citizens located in Yemen, including a 16-year-old boy. No trial. Not even judicial review.
Read the story34 minThe Military's Culture of Sexual Assault
The Pentagon's decision to lift the ban on women in combat has been met with some strident objections. But in today's military, a woman's more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The Department of Defense says more than 19,000 American service members were sexually assaulted in 2010.
Read the story10 min
