The Summer of Our Discontent - Dealing w/. High Anxiety

Confidence is an essential ingredient to successful endeavors, both for an individual and the body politic. Obviously, the converse is equally true - fear and doubt are lethal contagions, a virus sapping the strength of the Nation, poisoning our collective will to overcome small and big challenges. Accordingly, my responsibility, as your Humble Blogger, is to damp down the fever of national insecurity in order to restore informed optimism and the unshakable conviction that tomorrow will be better than today.

To myself, after all, it is Morning in America, even though I do know that the Gipper is still dead. Let me explain why I still very much believe in American Exceptionalism - Look closely at the rest of the world: Europe is financially, morally and politically bankrupt (more than five months of futile war against one insane despot in Libya, and the french are talking armistice, if not surrender); Russia is an organized crime syndicate, not a country. As the world's economic woes multiply, the silver lining is that the life blood of the mobsters in Moscow - oil exports -do not garner the levels of hard currency needed to adequately feed the Russian Bear. China needs, at a minimum, 7.5% annual growth in its economy to ward off potentially devastating civil unrest - it is reliably estimated that the migration of rural unemployed workers from the farms to the cities totals millions of downtrodden annually, most looking for construction jobs in the coastal urban centers. Should China stop building buildings no one will occupy for decades, its society will crumble like the house of cards it is.

Now look at America - our nation is a stable Republic, our institutions of government are stronger than ever, elections do have real consequences and the voice of the people demanding a return to fiscal sanity has been heard in the halls of power in Washington. Sure, we face grave challenges, particularly in growing the private sector economy in the face of massive over regulation imposed by Obamacare and Frank/Dodd financial controls. Nonetheless, we have always risen to such challenges. A Nation that survived millions killed in the Civil War, many more killed in two world wars and the great depression of the 1930s, can roll back excessive intrusions into business decision making by unelected federal bureaucrats. Thus, I say, let's roll up our sleeves my fellow Americans, kick some Euro/Asian butt, knowing full well that we are without doubt the last best hope of all mankind. "We can do anything" - more later on this boast.

Why Humam Khalil al-Balawi still Matters

Or, subtitle - "Is Leon Panetta the greatest Mass 'Murderer' in U.S. History?" Obviously, my question is hyperbole (hence the quotation marks w/n. a quotation). It is intended to spark thoughtful reflection on the lawfulness of America's tactics in winning the war against radical Islamic jihadists, and not intended to spark interest in this humble blogger by the Nation's eavesdroppers, watchers and Spy Agencies.

In researching this Blog topic, I confirmed that the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has the sole and exclusive authority within the federal government to authorize "a hit", termination w/. extreme prejudice, a targeted assassination even, of an identified enemy combatant by Agency drone missile attack. My research has not, of course, uncovered the total number of individuals put to death by the verbal order of Mr. Panetta, and even were it to be revealed to me, such classified national security information would never be published here. Let's just say that Director Panetta left Ted Bundy in his rear view mirror early on in his tenure as CIA Boss of Bosses. No wonder Mr. Panetta was given his wish to be transferred by President Obama to the more serene post of Secretary of Defense; some irony there.

By now, U may be asking - "So, why does Mr. al-Balawi still matter, and how does his mattering fit in with the nation's running of death squads from the sky?" (As an aside, any perceived to be pejorative language here should not be deemed opposition to targeted killings in wartime. Instead, it is intended as a Clarion Call for public debate on the lawful application of this absolute power to unilaterally impose and carry out a death sentence w/o. charges filed, w/o. a trial or other due process safeguards against the killing of innocent persons. ) (See previous Posts re Government's Power to Execute "Enemies of the State").

Now, its Dr. al-Balawi, he's not a mister. On December 30, 2009, this young, healthy Jordanian doctor of medicine, father of two bright daughters, and husband to a beautiful Turkish wife stepped out of the Agency car which had transported him to the very door steps of the CIA's Hq. for the Afghan/Pakistan border region and detonated the secreted bomb strapped to his chest, killing eight Agency operatives. In response (or not, depending on your sources), that same CIA Director who had just lost the most subordinates in a single day in Agency history, ramped up significantly the number of targeted drone attacks in Pakistan.

Objectivity clouded by a need to immediately avenge this wanton terrorist murder of Americans? I sincerely doubt it. Nonetheless, I would much prefer to have the war fighting authority placed exclusively in the DoD, and not in our Nation's intelligence gathering agencies. The Army, Navy and Marines have hundreds of years experience in killing the enemy, after the enemy has been identified by civilian authority. This is another example of the wisdom of separation of powers. Such a safeguard would preclude a single government employee in the CIA from being judge, jury and executioner by him or her self alone.

Now, that would be some real irony - were Congress to enact legislation empowering only the Secretary of Defense to authorize drone attacks, based upon targeting recommendations originating in other branches of the government. While Leon Panetta would definitely feel put upon, I would sleep better with a more bifurcated killing apparatus. Just saying ...