Washington - Eric Holder, US Attorney General, said on Monday that killing a US citizen who poses a terrorist threat is justified as legal and sometimes necessary.  Holder spoke at Northwestern University law school in Chicago.  His comments are the administration's long-awaited response to questions raised about Obama's decision to kill American-born al-Qaida member Anwar al-Awlaki five months ago in Yemen.  Holder outlined a three-part test for determining when it is legal to target and kill a US citizen.  He said that after careful review, the government must determine if the citizen poses an imminent violent attack against the US, capture is not feasible and the killing would be consistent with the laws of war. 

Okay, we need to pause right there.  With Iranian President Ahmadinejad ranting consistently that the "US is big satan and Israel is little satan," and with his frequent threats to attack the US and wipe Israel off the face of the map, and with his determination to create nuclear weapons of mass destruction at the same time, you would think Obama would be ordering strikes against Iran, not a US citizen without a trial.  For that matter, top Muslim leaders throughout the Middle East have their citizens chant "death to America and death to Israel" (see video on News Videos page).  No, my guess is it's more likely al-Awlaki knew too much and Obama wanted him whacked (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_al-Awlaki).

Al-Awlaki was killed in a CIA-US military drone strike which sparked public outcry over whether the president should have the authority to kill an American without a trial and conviction, and in spite of an executive order banning assassinations.  At least three lawsuits were filed to force the Obama administration to release its legal justification for the killing, contained in a secret Justice Department memo.  The Associated Press filed a FOIA request for the memo, which was denied.  The AP has appealed.  If Obama is so justified in having al-Awlaki killed, why all the secrecy?  I'm all for killing terrorists, but when US citizens are killed without a trial, but the rest of our nuclear-concocting enemies are embraced - along with all the secrecy, that spells something sinister.  

Holder was also quoted as saying, "When such individuals take up arms against this country and join al-Qaida in plotting attacks designed to kill their fellow Americans, there may be only one realistic and appropriate response.  We must take steps to stop them in full accordance with the Constitution.  In this hour of danger, we simply cannot afford to wait until deadly plans are carried out - and we will not."  Right!  Just kill the American citizens who conspire terrorism, without a trial and without waiting, but when our friends and allies in Israel need our help stomping out the nuclear arms production of an enemy who would like to destroy both America and Israel, the response from Obama is "let's wait - it's too soon."  How about striking the rest of al-Qaida who wants us all dead, not just the US citizen? 

God said to Ezekiel, "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not..." Ezekiel 12:2.

Obama has refused to release the Justice Department's legal opinion on al-Awlaki's killing under the Freedom of Information Act and is in court opposing efforts to have it made public, reported HuffingtonPost.com.