Justice Department white paper: government can kill Americans without clear evidenceMadison Ruppert, Contributor The 16-page paper (mirrored here) released late February 4, 2013 is not, however, the Office of Legal Counsel memo which was at issue in the case in which a judge ruled the federal government can claim the right to legally kill Americans without ever revealing that legal justification. The undated paper is not an official legal memo, although according to NBC, the white paper was represented by administration officials as a policy document that closely mirrors the arguments of classified memos on targeted killings by the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel, which provides authoritative legal advice to the president and all executive branch agencies. This document is apparently separate from the Obama administrations yet-to-be-completed drone killing rulebook, which the CIA would reportedly not have to follow. The white paper outlines some quite disturbing facts behind the governments justification of their so-called targeted killing program. Indeed, the document refers to a broader concept of imminence than any actual intelligence about an ongoing plot against the United States or any U.S. interest. The condition that an operational leader present an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future, states the unsigned and undated white paper. The white paper says an informed, high-level U.S. government official can determine that the American being targeted has been recently involved in activities that pose a threat of violent attack and there is no evidence suggesting that he has renounced or abandoned such activities. Another disturbing aspect of the white paper is the complete lack of specificity and clarity throughout the document, even when it comes to the most critical terms. The words recently and activities, used in the incredibly important context above, are never defined by the paper, which is entitled Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a U.S. Citizen who is a Senior Operational Leader of Al Qaida or An Associated Force. The paper, which NBC calls confidential yet not classified, was reportedly given to members of the Senate Intelligence and Judiciary committees in June of last year by officials in the Obama administration on the condition that it be kept confidential and not discussed publicly. It outlines an incredibly ambiguous three-part test that supposedly makes the execution of Americans without charge or trial: This is a chilling document, said Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the ACLU involved with the case which attempted to uncover the classified memo in court. Basically, it argues that the government has the right to carry out the extrajudicial killing of an American citizen, Jaffer said. It recognizes some limits on the authority it sets out, but the limits are elastic and vaguely defined, and its easy to see how they could be manipulated. Jaffer notes that the memo redefines the word imminence in a way that deprives the word of its ordinary meaning. On Monday, 11 senators led by Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden united across party lines to write a letter to Obama calling for the release of all Justice Department memos on the drone assassination program. While the senators said that there will clearly be circumstances in which the president has the authority to use lethal force against Americans who take up arms against the U.S. as part of an opposing fighting force, they highlighted the need for clarity. It is vitally important, however, for Congress and the American public to have a full understanding of how the executive branch interprets the limits and boundaries of this authority, so that Congress and the public can decide whether this authority has been properly defined, and whether the Presidents power to deliberately kill American citizens is subject to appropriate limitations and safeguards, said the letter, according to Hindustan Times. This comes as U.S. colleges and universities have begun offering more drone piloting programs to keep up with the domestic drone boom, the U.S. military is operating drones domestically and sharing data with law enforcement and Leon Panetta said the drone war must continue abroad indefinitely. Did I forget anything or miss any errors? Would you like to make me aware of a story or subject to cover? Or perhaps you want to bring your writing to a wider audience? Feel free to contact me at admin@EndtheLie.com with your concerns, tips, questions, original writings, insults or just about anything that may strike your fancy. Please support our work and help us start to pay contributors by doing your shopping through our Amazon link or check out some must-have products at our store. This article first appeared at End the Lie. Madison Ruppert is the Editor and Owner-Operator of the alternative news and analysis databaseEnd The Lie and has no affiliation with any NGO, political party, economic school, or other organization/cause. He is available for podcast and radio interviews. Madison also now has his own radio show on UCYTV Monday nights 7 PM 9 PM PT/10 PM 12 AM ET. Show page link here: http://UCY.TV/EndtheLie. If you have questions, comments, or corrections feel free to contact him at admin@EndtheLie.com linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 