Why No Debate On President Obama's Drone Program

Image credit: U.S. Air Force

Obama's Drone Program Escapes Liberal Scrutiny in Campaign -- Naureen Khan, National Interest

Liberal protests against the tactics Bush used to target terrorists have given way largely to silence.

Liberals had plenty to say about the moral and legal implications of torture, wiretapping and other tools that George W. Bush employed to fight the war on terror. But President Obama’s equally controversial escalation of drone strikes against al-Qaida and Taliban militants in Pakistan has been almost completely absent from presidential politics this year.

“This is a central issue in American foreign policy, it is vital to the way in which the United States responds in the short term to potential terrorist threats, and to the long term nature of the U.S. response, as well as the legal framework that will control—or not—drone use by other countries,” said James Cavallaro, a law professor at Stanford University who co-authored “Living Under Drones,” a study analyzing the impact of the strikes on civilians in Pakistan. “It should have been an issue that was debated much more robustly and it warrants much greater attention by the presidential candidates.”

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My Comment: The Washington Post editorial board is raising some questions .... but Naureen Khan is right .... the main stream media and the liberal pundit class were brutal and tough on President Bush over his interrogation policy of captured Al Qaeda terrorists .... but have been largely silent on President Obama's policy of targeted assassinations .... even against Americans.