Intelligence chief: U.S. can kill Americans abroad

I don't know why this story isn't front page news. Read it and think about the implications of what it means:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/04/killing.americans/

Our intelligence chief is saying in a public hearing, in front of Congress, that the US Government is using the MILITARY (special forces) to KILL American citizens "abroad if they present a direct threat to U.S. security." He is not talking about soldiers killing American terrorists in a battle or firefight. He is talking about doing COVERT operations to seek out and ASSASSINATE American citizens ("terrorists") they deem a threat to our security.

ARE THEY CRAZY??!! ARE WE THAT FAR GONE??!! HAS OUR ENTIRE GOVERNMENT BEEN TAKEN OVER BY RADICALS AND EXTREMISTS??!!

I guess if you are an American, living in say, Yemen, you no longer have rights. If they think you're a terrorist, you can be targeted and killed. I know we are justifying this based on our war against terrorism and keeping Americans safe, but consider this quote:

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin - 1775 

 Let's look at some of the quotes:

"We take direct action against terrorists in the intelligence community," Blair told lawmakers at the hearing. "If that direct action -- we think that direct action will involve killing an American, we get specific permission to do that."

Permission from who??!! Who in the government has the authority to give such "permission"? Whoever this person is, has the authority to first label someone as a "terrorist" and then has the power to authorize KILLING them in the name of national security!

"We are not careless about endangering American lives as we try to carry out the policies to protect most of the country."

In other words he means trust them, give them the power to kill Americans they think are dangerous to our safety because they are not "careless". Do I even need to explain how dangerous this is? Hasn't everyone reading this stayed awake through enough high school history to know that this is a very, very bad idea?

Topping the list of such Americans may be Anwar al-Awlaki, currently living in Yemen. Privately, many administration officials said he is one of the next American citizens abroad with whom the U.S. intelligence community wants to deal.

So this guy is a fugitive and allegedly an al Qaeda operative. The fact that he is now outside our jurisdiction in Yemen means US Government now has the authority assassinate him covertly?! As an American citizen, he does not deserves a fair trial in front of judge, jury, due process, with an opportunity to defend himself in a court of law? Did he lose his rights when he moved to Yemen and the government labeled him a terrorist?

Is this really what we have become? I need to start looking for another country to emigrate to because there will not be a happy ending to all this if history is any guide...