It should be obvious to even dimwitted Americans that the real terrorists are in Washington and Tel Aviv.

Yes. toubibcal, its amazing Hillary doesn't choke on her rants against "them," when they so aptly and completely describe "us."
BTW, if you are publicly critical of US policies, better rethink your overseas vacation plans (or keep a sharp watch over your shoulder....)

About time CD published something related to Holder's bullshit, although this is pretty sparce. I highly suggest reading Glenn Greenwald's long, detailed refutation of the entire totalitarian exercise and those supporting it. There are some excellent comments that expand his essay, too. Also not seeing the light of day is any critique of legislation passed by congress criminalizing the types of protests OWS engages in, but not yet signed by Public Enemy #1.

I suggest the federal government is treasonous and must be cleansed.

I look over the enumerated powers allowed the U.S. government by the Constitution, and I don't find this one. Government of laws. Yeah, right.

{"Holder became particularly cryptic in his assurance of caution in the use of this power, insisting that they will kill citizens only with "the consent of the nation involved or after a determination that the nation is unable or unwilling to deal effectively with a threat to the United States." What on earth does that mean?}

it means anyone, anywhere, anytime, by any means.

however - i do see a paradox, if the subject is a US citizen entitled to the due process of american jurisprudence - as articulated in the bill of rights. in this instance the government would be granting consent to itself. which begs the question, at this point , who (or what) is the government ? (if it can supersede the rules that predicated it's authority) and, why is congress exempt from any oversight of targeted assassinations ?

the indefinite detention clause and the clause authorizing assassinating opponents (defined ambiguiosly as terrorists) are unconstitutional, and hopefully will be jettisoned as soon as they're examined by a federal judge (fingers crossed).

also, this president is now a murderer (on multiple counts but in this instance i'm referring to the three murdered americans abroad - killed w/out a trial or due process).any future administration should prosecute this president for his authorization of these crimes.

otherwise, it's anyone, anywhere, anytime by any means for the indefinite future.

...peace...

Holder .....[insisted] that they will kill citizens only with "the consent of the nation involved..."

Does that mean Obomber will inform the nation hosting the "rogue" American, but not the American people? NTFU!

Whatever caused Barack Obama to become such a fear-biter? Was it the lynchings of black persons in the South? The cajolings of W. Bush when he and Barack met in private? Presidential assassination in the past if the person had anything the least bit idealistic about him? Insecurity at being the first black president? A combination of these factors? Are any of these questions bad or off the mark and how or why-- reader, please tell me.

Holder, "Our legal authority is not limited to the battlefields of Afghanistan". Laws in contravention to the constitution are null and void, so Mr Holder you have no legal authority unless you are willing to admit that the constitution is Null and Void. This government is traitorous to the constitution, is criminal in it's actions and intent, and is a puppet of the international corporate banking cartels that are instituting the Corporate State. But you dems don't care if they are baby killers, you're going to reelect Obama anyway. This country has lost far more that it's moral compass, we have lost our morality. This is way beyond hypocrisy. The US system and it's body politic are mentally ill.

Anyone who votes for the treasonous Obama administration is putting a seal of approval on our disasterous plunge into fascism. Vote for a third party this November; it is an effective "none of the above". It doesn't matter which sock puppet swine goes into the degraded executive office. Don't go along with our march toward FASCISM. There is no other word to describe what our nation tragically has become.
Tony Vodvarka

"Eric Holder: 'The unfortunate reality is that our nation will likely continue to face terrorist threats that at times originate with our own citizens.' "

What a Goober! As if we don't already know this; furthermore, those of us with a functioning brain aren't ready to throw away our freedoms because a small percentage of U.S. Citizens aren't playing with a full deck! In fact, every continent and country has a certain percentage of unpredictable lunatics. Deal with it - in a way that encourages other nations to follow the "so-called" democracy we are supposed to be spreading around the globe.

Those of us who grew up during the cold war and were taught to hide under our desks at school if we should be "nuked" by the Soviet Union (like that was going to save us) are not particularly concerned about terrorist threats that "might" orginate with our own citizens, unless of course some fear their own shadow in the face of propaganda and outright BS and stupidity.

I wonder if our brilliant Attorney General can tell us why the government spends $Billions of our tax dollars every year on Intelligence Agencies if they're incapable of looking for and stopping these alleged threats in a civilized manner? WTF are they doing with their time and our money?

Thank you, Jonathan Turley, for speaking out about this insanity!

We'll be stuck with Obama or a Republican fascist next "election". Is there a plan out there or are we going to continue playing the oligarchy's electoral game after the election?

Direct democracy

So all our Assassins-In-Chief will retire on bets they make with life insurance companies?

Thanks to the editors of CD for running this article, and even more thanks to them for the many stories that they run about the use of drones against *non*-U.S. citizen "terrorists".

It's easy to be concerned about the ever-so-remote possibility that you, as a U.S. citizen, might be assassinated via drone strike. And by saying it's ever-so-remote, I'm not implying that we shouldn't be outraged: we should. But it's harder, or at least it takes a modicum of objectivity and selflessness, to make oneself empathize with the much-greater odds that a person living in Northwest Pakistan has of being killed in an "accidental" drone strike. No matter how much Obama throws out the rule of law with regard to American citizens, no U.S. citizen is likely to ever have their house blown up by a drone while they and their children are in their beds. No U.S. citizen is likely to have their wedding bombed from on high and most of their friends and family killed in one fell swoop. Afghans and some Pakistanis, Somalis, and Yemenis do face exactly that threat, and it's not just a threat: it has happened and will keep happening. The MSM get much more outraged about U.S. citizens being theoretically threatened by drone strikes, than over the brown people facing a real and actual threat of death, every single day, from American drones. And to top it off, we burn their holy books in their own country, then men running for the highest office in the country publicly say that it is wrong to apologize.

Anyway, thank you CD for being a place where some sanity and sense of perspective prevails.

I don't know what the fuss is about--just be a good slave, turn a blind eye to government atrocities, keep your opinions to yourself, and you'll only have to worry about being collateral damage--and probably not the actual target, unless someone with a name similar to yours is questioning authority, so you might want to change your name--or would changing your name make you a terrorist suspect? OK, just go to your safe room, pull the covers up around you and never come out--you'll be relatively safe. The America you once thought you knew is gone now, so you won't be missing anything.

According to Eric Holder, the Constitution guarantees "due process" but not judicial process. So the assassin Obama gathers around him his "national security advisors": they look at the "evidence," and arrive at the conclusion that a "terrorist" American in god-knows-where needs to be "taken out" by drone. This terrorist American has had his "due process," so it's perfectly legitimate to go after him. And they expect us to accept this reasoning...Amazing!

I think we all know that this is just the thin end of the wedge. Once this is no longer controversial, extra-judiciary executions of citizens withing the USA will gradually become common place, and the reasons offered for doing so in each instance will become boilerplate. It wont, eventually require the president to sign something, people will be delegated to sign on behalf of the president.

In case you haven't noticed, most of our horrors are first tested by trial balloons. When people get used to them, the ante and the pressure is raised just a little.

As an example, look at airport "security." If you wanted to fly to see your grandparents on their anniversary back in the '90s and had your toiletry kit and nail file confiscated, you were strip searched and raped by a blue glove before you could fly, or perhaps told after all that that you were on a "no-fly list," this country would have come apart.

However, first you were apologetically asked to have your baggage x-rayed, and you had to put your pocket contents on a tray and step through a metal detector.

That was a nuisance, but you put up with it. Then they upped the ante a little bit and it became harder and more inconvenient to bring your carry-on.

Then, you had to be subject to a random search, then forced to disrobe, then submit to rape with a blue glove to be allowed to fly. Each time, the people got used to it, accepted it as something necessary. Then came the full body scans and x-rays. If you refused the scan, you got the search and glove treatment and perhaps got thrown out of the airport and missed your flight.

They keep raising the ante, not only at the airport, but in our lives. More surveillance, more harassment, more restrictions, AND WE KEEP PUTTING UP WITH IT!!!

Now, we are looking at a state which tells us it has the right to kill us at will, to pick us up, throw us into a KBR concentration camp without trial and keep us for life! Are the ovens that far away?

And We the Sheeple keep on pretending that, if we put in the right Dumbocrat or Repugnant into office, everything will be OK.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! And I don't know if it can be fixed, but I fear that millions will die before it is. Millions are already dying, both here and abroad. Homeless, hungry, sick, and badgered from pillar to post by the minions of the 0.1% that have it all and even begrudge us crusts and a glass of water without paying for it. And now they can "Legally" lock us up or kill us at will!

I'm glad I'm in my seventies. I have seen this nation as a Constitutional Republic, I have seen this nation when the people had their dignity, and pride in their Constitution. It has never been perfect, but that Constitution put it well ahead of whatever was in second place.

Now, I live in a country ravaged by greed and hatred, where the average young person has no idea what the Constitution is, or what it stands for; they have NO IDEA OF WHAT THEY HAVE LOST! Where the law is a joke and the prisons are filled. Where the citizens have been turned into subjects of a cruel and vindictive empire.

Sorry for the rant, but dammit, America, PAY ATTENTION to what is happening to you!!!!

jrp, above, writes: "According to Eric Holder, the Constitution guarantees "due process" but not judicial process." Although this phrasing is not in the article here, I have seen it elsewhere. Legal justifications for extra-judicial killing and torture tend to get "tortuous." The Bybee/Yoo torture memos---and much of the writing about them---are studies in turgid screed going back to a primitive scholasticism of the sort that might ask whether ant hills would be bigger if a god existed than if not.

One wonders what the "signing statements" accompanying a formal Kill Order might look like (if they exist). "Winston is questioning the authority of the state and besides his skills are not what they used to be, although he is too influential in certain coffee shops."

I tend to agree with braithwa842 above ("Once this is no longer controversial, extra-judiciary executions of citizens withing the USA will gradually become common place, and the reasons offered for doing so in each instance will become boilerplate."), but I also sense that the targets will be offering new forms of resistance.

What we have now, or so Prof. Turley would seem to implying, is the Abrogation of any requirement for Constitutional authority by the Executive. This is a form of anarchy (not Anarchism). The Rule of Law based on foundational documents, that once formed "a more perfect union," IS NOT EVEN GIVEN A DAY IN COURT. The President and his Minion have Decided that extra-judicial assassinations are okay, period. This of course lets the Congress off the hook, as they don't have to tackle a Bill entitled something like: "A Bill authorizing the President of the United States to Cause the Assassination of any one he pleases." Instead, they just let it happen.

This is structural Devolution, away from any rule of law. If I were in the military, I would be worried. It all lately has a Dr. Strangelove quality to it. Sen. John McCain as Presidential candidate, on stage, "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran." Very funny.

People will ultimately be called upon to take Responsibility. If not, the situation is hopeless. -30-

And there are American citizens who want to keep these assholes in office or elect their even more evil twins! Two words: Fucking Morons!

What's PUMA for "I told you so"? ;)

The Founding Fathers were white businessmen and slave owners who didn't give a shit about rights for anyone but the ruling class. That's why the Bill of Rights are amendments tacked on afterwards to get support from the non ruling class. Like, ooops, we forgot about this rights stuff. Here. happy?

Here's a prediction: Roseanne makes enough noise to deny enough votes in the electoral college to the D & R nominees, so the appointment of the prez goes to the outgoing republican house. The constitution working as the framers intended.