Jon Stewart is often accused of being in the “Obama camp” by conservatives, but last night Stewart once again took on the President over his use of drone strikes. As Stewart explains, most Americans would approve of drone strikes done in the Middle East for well-known Al-Queda leaders, but new concerns have mounted over the potential use of drone strikes against Americans. Stewart’s segment, via Comedy Central, appears below along with a summary.
As Stewart notes, the current policy allows the military to kill Americans if they are leaders of Al Queda or an associated terror group and they present an “imminent threat” to U.S. persons or interest. However, the policy does not require that clear evidence of that imminent threat exists. The administration is also not required to get prior approval from Congress for individual strikes, though there is subsequent congressional oversight for the program as a whole. Recently, the Obama administration refused to release memos detailing their drone strike policy, further upsetting many representatives from both parties.
Stewart takes serious issue with the vagueness of the drone strike guidelines, as well as the Obama administration's lack of transparency. Stewart is not alone among liberals in his dissent. Rachel Maddow, normally known for her praise and defense of President Obama, also expressed her strong disagreement with the current Obama administration drone policy.
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