Counter-Terrorism

Counter-Terrorism operations are often lacking in the clinical effectiveness of today's reported operation against the Haqqani network and yesterday's operation against Awlaki. This is not down to failures on the part of Counter-Terrorism services, rather, the high degree of risk and luck that goes into any successful outcome. As this speaker shows..  He served on this operation.

Awlaki

I welcome the end of Anwar al-Awlaki

The killing of al-awlaki was necessary and legal. This is so because of the state of effective war between Al Qa'ida and the United States, the authority of the President as commander in chief to defend the US (following chapter 7 rights to self defense), alongside the lack of a judicial capacity in Yemen to deal with Al Qa'ida agents in alternative ways. Although targeted killing is clearly unpleasant and is far outside the usual codes of conduct for international affairs, in this case, with Awlaki's leadership and propagandist position posing a clear, growing threat to US national security (I will expand on this), today's action was necessary and as outlined above, also legal.