President Obama’s Memo: The Legal Justification for the Targeted Killing of Anwar Al-Awlaki

14 Pages Posted: 26 Jan 2012

See all articles by Bruce Van Baren

Bruce Van Baren

Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Date Written: November 26, 2011

Abstract

This Article analyzes whether the U.S. could legally kill Awlaki, an American-Yemeni dual citizen who was outside of the military battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. This Article first describes the development of the CIA’s covert drone program. Next, this Article discusses the targeted killing of Awlaki and the legal debate inside the White House prior to the strike. Then, this Article analyzes the secret legal memo that the White House relied on to justify the strike, concluding that the CIA’s targeted killing was legal because of Awlaki was “cobelligerent” with al Qaeda.

Keywords: Anwar, Al-Awlaki, Aulaki, drone, targeted killing, targeted strike

JEL Classification: K33

Suggested Citation

Van Baren, Bruce, President Obama’s Memo: The Legal Justification for the Targeted Killing of Anwar Al-Awlaki (November 26, 2011). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1992556 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1992556

Bruce Van Baren (Contact Author)

Loyola University Chicago School of Law ( email )

25 E. Pearson
Room 1041
Chicago, IL 60611
United States

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