I have spoken before about my belief that the idea that the general population has a "right" to know about details of military operations is a ludicrous idea at best. Sure, if the U.S. is trying to pass laws that give them the right to violate the due process of U.S. citizens, then by all means, every American should be banging on the doors of their respective senators and representatives. However, the idea that everything the U.S. does to usurp known terrorists should be made known to Jane Q. Public is nothing short of stupid. There is a reason information is classified. There is a reason that "Need to Know" exists. While we sit safely at home sipping our lattes, there are people out there who have given up everything--a normal life, a safe warm bed, having a family--to go out in the world and tarnish their souls doing nasty things so that we don't have to build bunkers in our backyards.
Despite my sentiments about the importance of military classification of information that the general public does not need to know, I have to confess that the question if overseas terrorists that are Americans are entitled to due process. Here's my assessment: No. Not because they are terrorists, but because once you leave U.S. soil, you aren't at the mercy of U.S. laws anyway. If these American terrorists were arrested on foreign soil and were deemed to be guilty of a crime by that country's laws, the U.S. wouldn't have domain over them anyway. If you shoot someone in Paris, once you come home the U.S. can't try you for that crime. So plucking American-raised terrorists from their foreign compounds and trying them in U.S. courts isn't even legal, if you really wanted to apply our laws to this issue. As for the bombing by drones, if you hang out with the enemy, you are an enemy combatant, regardless of your nationality. That is a gimme. There is a legal, global definition of an enemy combatant. Terrorists have been defined as enemy combatants. Yes, there is the possibility that the drones can make a mistake and kill the wrong people. Guess what? There is the possibility that the police can accidentally shoot the wrong person. There are PLENTY of things that the government is doing to be upset about. This one doesn't concern you.
Enjoy your freaking latte.
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