Why would you use a drone if you could just go save the hostages, having been left alone by the bungling bad guys.
You laid out your imaginary scenario and it was ridiculously inept since it relies on stupid criminals in order for it to even be plausible.
Lets just pretend you cant. Say, the drone makes it less likely one of the terrorists could kill one of the Agents. Its the safest way to minimize the loss of innocent human life.
Occasional triad chopping trip?Of course we have violence. People are people. But not a lot and mostly confined to the occasional triad chopping trip. Although I was stopped on the pavement in an old part of town a few years ago because an old woman was beating her equally aged spouse with an umbrella.
I'm trying to figure out how a drone would only kill the terrorists? Some sort of 'terrorist' exempt EMP?
Jarod, you have yet to explain how a strike would not be premeditated?
Because the terrorists are dumb and seperated themselves from the hostages by 300 yards.
Right, that happens all the time with hostage takers. While the topic is really quite surrealistic, can we keep the scenarios a bit more grounded.
Let's pretend terrorists have hijacked and have taken control of four planes, two crashed into the World Trade Center, one crashed into the Pentagon and the fourth is in the air, heading towards Washington D.C. .
Annie,
You have missed the point. What Holder said was that he could IMAGINE a senario. Do you understand what IMAGINE means?
Did you ever imagine that you'd hold in regard sworn officials contemplating taking out US citizens on US soil without due process? Remember, he wasn't speaking of unarmed drones, but drones capable of attack.
Because the terrorists are dumb and seperated themselves from the hostages by 300 yards.
Let's pretend terrorists have hijacked and have taken control of four planes, two crashed into the World Trade Center, one crashed into the Pentagon and the fourth is in the air, heading towards Washington D.C. .
F16/F22 over a drone anyday...
NoSo in your example you would recommend dropping a bomb into a mine field?
Actually, he wasn't speaking about drones at all, but the President's authority as a general matter. The reality is that Holder's letter is utterly unremarkable because Rand Paul asked a stupid hypothetical question. But (and that but is important), that doesn't mean there aren't important and unasnwered questions about the scope the President claims to have under specific factual circumstances that are not hypothetical at all.
I have no problem with it being premeditated. The feds have always been allowed to premeditate a killing, why should the use of a drone change that?