Drone Usage in American Military

Here in America, the military is one of the top uses for drones. Unmanned military drones are sent into enemy territory carry missiles that are dropped from miles away. This is a very useful and safer alternative for our military, but they are also using drones in controversial ways. In 2011, President Barack Obama ordered a drone to take out American born terrorist, Anwar al-Awlaki and two other people in a car in Yemen. ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jameel Jaffer said in a statement. "As we've seen today, this is a program under which American citizens far from any battlefield can be executed by their own government without judicial process, and on the basis of standards and evidence that are kept secret not just from the public but from the courts." Many people have a problem with the fact that al-Awlaki did not get a fair trial, a right that every American born citizen has.

Republican Presidential candidate said, "Al-Awlaki was born here, he's an American citizen, he was never tried or charged for any crimes, to start assassinating American citizens without charges - we should think very seriously about this."

I am a little torn about this. On one hand, he was a known terrorist, and one less terrorist is always a good thing; but on the other hand, he was an American citizen and we pride ourselves on our rights, one of which being the right to a fair trial. 

Source:

U.S. drone killing of American al-Awlaki prompts legal, moral debate