Opinion

Bravo, President Obama: Leadership when it counts

The Issue: The killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American Muslim cleric and terrorist mastermind.

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It’s very interesting that liberals don’t believe in torture but are happy that Anwar al-Awlaki was droned to death (“Justice Served,” Editorial, Oct.1).

All except for the ACLU types. They would rather have had him brought to New York to stand trial.

Make up your mind, because you can’t have it both ways.

JR Cummings

Manhattan

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The next missile aimed at a homicidal, America-hating, radical Muslim terrorist should contain a tape recording of the target’s Miranda rights, in Arabic, perfectly timed to loudly broadcast about 10 seconds before it reaches its target.

John Hayden

Wainscott

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How could a terrorist like Awlaki retain US citizenship? Now all of the liberals will be angry that we killed an American citizen.

Awlaki’s citizenship should have been revoked with his first pro-al Qaeda message.

Thomas Carriker

St. Louis

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Our president may not be the greatest economically or domestically, but he’s better than George W. Bush or anyone else at fighting al Qaeda.

It is nonsense to question whether it’s right or wrong to kill an American citizen who is killing Americans while outside the United States.

What is wrong with us? We have lost our common sense.

President Obama is fighting the real enemy and doing a great job.

Joe Taormina

Levitttown

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The real reason the ACLU & Co. are against the strike on Awlaki is that they don’t like competition when it comes to droning.

David Rabinovitz

Brooklyn

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I am a consistent critic of this president’s failed policies, but I have to give the devil his due.

Obama had Osama bin Laden and Awlaki targeted for crimes against the American people.

That makes my red, white and blue heart happy for the families of the 9/11 victims, the families of our wounded warriors and the brave men and women who make the supreme sacrifice to keep our homeland safe.

God bless them, and God bless America.

Patricia O’Hanlon

The Bronx

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War is what happens when law and morality have had their chance and failed.

The only legitimate rule in war is: Prevail, ruthlessly and soonest, doing whatever and for however long it takes — for therein lies the quickest and most enduring return to peace.

Any society that lacks the character to kill its deadly enemies, domestic or foreign, deserves neither peace nor the rule of law — and is damned to lose both.

William Slusher

Okanogan, Wash.

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How can the Obama administration insist that foreign nationals who are captured in enemy territory and admit their crimes be tried in American courts with all the rights of citizens, yet the president can target for murder actual Americans in another country?

Clearly, the world would be better off with no terrorists, but how do we know for sure that Awlaki was guilty of anything?

This may have been an expedient action, but was it a constitutional one?

If Obama can direct the military to take out an American wherever he wants, what is to prevent him from doing the same to others?

Terence Kane

Long Beach

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Our president may be clueless when it comes to job creation, out-of-control entitlements, endless taxation and illegal immigration.

But when it comes to killing terrorists abroad, Obama is the man — a small consolation for our struggling nation.

Michael Maurer

Long Branch, NJ

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Some people are expressing outrage that Awlaki was killed without a trial.

Yet most of these people expressed notably less outrage when nearly 3,000 innocent Americans were murdered without a trial on 9/11.

Mark Kalinowski

Clifton, NJ