Death sentences without trial – a possibility for US citizens

6 Feb, 2010 02:39 / Updated 14 years ago

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair has confirmed US forces are authorized to kill American citizens abroad.

Speaking before the House Intelligence Committee, Blair acknowledged President Obama is continuing what some say is a Bush-era policy authorizing the killing of citizens if they are considered a terrorist threat to the United States.

But as Wayne Madsen says, this policy is not only a breach of the Constitution, it leaves too much room for error.

“We've seen Dennis Blair going before Congress saying they have made a grievous error, when they didn't get the information on Farouk Abdulmutallab – the so-called “underwear bomber” – because somebody spelled the name wrong. What if somebody spells the name wrong here? They misspell – and the wrong American gets killed,” Madsen told RT.