American Assassins Overseas

       As the world turned this past year, there were several turns in government in the Middle East and Africa. Tensions between the United States and Iran have risen over control of the Straight of Hormuz. Tariffs and other sanctions have had things seeming to be at a flashpoint. There was so much going on in the international theater of politics that it was hard to watch it all at once and easy to lose track of what was really going on. Especially with the Occupy Wall Street happening on our doorstep, it was easy for us to get distracted by the chaos. We are concerned at home with the rising reports of excessive force used by police against protesters, with our economic woes and now with the upcoming presidential elections.

       I've already mentioned the seemingly hypocritical behavior practiced by the United States when our leaders condemned harsh treatment of protesters during what has come to be known as "The Arab Spring," and then turn a blind eye to the mistreatment of protesters here in the land of the free and the home of the brave. However, there is something that is an even more glaring violation of the Constitution and how the government should behave when dealing with problems overseas. "All is fair in love and war" is a saying most of you will be familiar with. Fortunately, we have something that we call "war crimes" to try and reduce the number of people who are killed senselessly during these times of organized mass killings we know as war. What if I told you that the American government extra-legally sanctions assassinations of potential threats overseas? You probably wouldn't be surprised, which might go to show how conditioned we have become to accept any behavior on the part of the government as long as we can be convinced that it is "protecting our freedoms."

Recently, an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed when a bomb exploded underneath his car. Reports say two men on a motorcycle rode up to the car, attached the magnetic bomb and drove away before the blast. The Iranian gov- ernment has come out and blamed the Unit- ed States and Israel for the assassination and maintains that it has the inalienable right to use nuclear power for energy.

       Now, I'm not willing to come forward and say that the United States is directly assassinating Iranian scientists. I do not have enough evidence to make that claim, but would it honestly be that far fetched? We know that the United States has funded the PTK, a Kurdish rebel group that fight inside Iran. The PKK, a division of the same Kurdish rebel group that fights in Turkey is classified by the United States as a known terrorist organization. Pick your battles, huh? We know that the United States used drones to blow up Anwar Al-Awla- ki, who was an American. Even though Anwar Al-Awlaki was tied to Al-Qaida, he was still an American and deserved the right to a trial here just like any other person born in the United States. When you can pick and choose who has the right to trial, it is no longer a right.

       We have the right to defend ourselves as a nation, but I think we've taken it over the line. I don't feel very comfortable with a government that can murder anyone in the world at any moment without notice or explanation. We've become a nation that thugs around the world under the guise of freedom and democracy, while curbing it at home.