Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Will the left shut down Obama's drone strike policy?

Details

  • Description

    Administration's agenda under fire

  • Duration 6:11
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

-- president has insisted that any actions we take will be legally grounded.

-- be thoroughly.

Anchored intelligence.

Will have the appropriates.

Review process approval process.

Before any action is contemplated.

Including those actions that might involve the use of lethal force.

Welcome to The Journal Editorial Report I'm polish ago that was John Brennan president Obama's counterterrorism.

Advisor and his pick to lead the CIA in his confirmation hearing Thursday defending.

The administration's policy on drone strikes a key architect of that policy.

British testimony came the same week that the White House reversed course and agreed to provide lawmakers.

With a classified Justice Department memos authorizing drone used to kill al-Qaeda operatives including US citizens abroad.

Joining the panel this week Wall Street Journal columnist and deputy editor Dan -- here.

And editorial board members Dorothy Rabinowitz.

And Matt Kaminsky so Dan.

What do we learn about the drone policy that's been secret semi secret -- secret.

-- -- so long this week.

Well I think what we learned -- was an affirmation of what we know about the drug -- a drone policy it was stated pretty well I bought by John Brennan.

The bottom line is that the drones are being used to kill al-Qaeda or al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist in northern Pakistan and in Yemen.

But nowhere else and that there isn't back the Justice Department memo.

Laying out the legal justification for those drone attacks it's not clear to me -- to the -- Obama administration felt they had to keep that memo secret it was going to come out eventually anyway.

But they do have a just dictation -- and so I think and into the -- to move drone.

To attacks of being run by John Brennan.

Rabbit and the justification goes back to the congressional authorization to use military force in the wake of 9/11 plus succeeding.

National defense authorization acts passed by.

Congress so Dorothy.

The left really does however.

Dislike this program or the way it's operated it seems because there was a pretty big assault on Brennan from the left in the hearing.

Yes it was and you know that the administration had to rented town hall.

And announced the justification the end it -- still not have the keys went left and highs they wanted to kill this program it yes of course because they have -- Edward distorted meaning of due process that -- continually accuse the administration in the war on terror.

Of violating all due process went in fact.

Due process is -- -- Theory it is in the less justification cannot find the terrorists there alternate means.

You will get this person.

You don't need them on to due process we'll have to tell.

Who or what you doing just provide the guide.

Line but it's also not criminal justice we're talking about your answers I wartime.

Decision making which we're taking it or -- to.

Doing this against enemy combatants -- people who have taken up arms against the United States is -- somebody in Iowa.

Or for that matter assignment somebody around the world -- we just -- hey we don't like him you have to be -- -- -- associated with al-Qaeda.

Or its associated forces and have taken up arms against the United States that that's what clearly in that legal memo.

I mean going back to all time you are allowed to kill your -- under international.

Standards of war -- national law.

On the Supreme Court established seven years ago that the US government can kill a US citizen who has joined an opposing force in that case it was the in Nazi.

Military in this case it is al-Qaeda.

I think the problem that they've come up against they -- it's so long to make both the military and the legal case -- doing something is clearly legitimate.

Clearly -- been limited.

And that they're now feeling that backlash from mostly from their own -- really and -- make one more quick.

These terrorist primary weapon is the blowing up of civilian populations.

Using suicide bombers weather in New York London Madrid or indeed even in Pakistan and Libya.

Wherever they fight what they do is blow up innocent people going about their daily business that's the yes.

What about the charged or if you that the administration is too quick.

To default to drone distance killing as opposed to trying to capture.

And then interrogate terrorists were actually get the best intelligence to be able to prevent future attacks that.

There's a really good question there's a powerful suspicion that the drone serves.

The administration's effort to cleanse itself.

Of the boots on the ground danger.

Cleanse itself of a place we had to put these people we have no place we have no tents we have -- -- we have Guantanamo but they don't -- you don't want to.

Montana says he does this clean -- stringent.

Completely.

You know.

How that he thought that they could get away.

Permanently that this without bringing down on the publicly on their heads and I have to say that when us a sense of kind of just -- in this outbursts of trouble that they in no way you have from the left or to -- you don't agree with the critics of the drone program do you that you may not YouTube you like the Durham provide -- sent out program I don't know anybody who doesn't accept the code -- so what is the administration doing what what mistakes today and -- Then the mistake of thinking that -- could actually keep secret this program.

And that they could actually just -- -- it.

And that it whether we mean without would not having to -- with -- just leave it go -- -- -- to -- if you listened to Brandon yesterday.

I mean you could see this absolute perfect.

Emblem of confusion.

About everything.

Not only did -- -- about waterboarding and everything.

Is perfect it's simple that the administration's.

-- -- -- On this what they wanted above all hope was not to have to go and they to have to go and fight so the drones are kind of default to -- -- thank you all when we come back.

Load More