https://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2013/02/07/yes-the-military-can-and-should-target-american-al-qaeda-members/feed/HotAir is the leading conservative blog for breaking news and commentary covering the Biden administration, politics, media, culture, and current elections.en-usTue, 09 Jun 2026 07:45:03 -0400<![CDATA[Before I explain, let’s remember that — legally — we are in a state of armed conflict against al-Qaeda, pursuant to the post-9/11 Authorization for Use of Military Force. We are not engaged in a law-enforcement operation. In other words, attacking a member of al-Qaeda is more like attacking a member of the Viet Cong in the aftermath of the Tet Offensive than it is like attacking American member of a Columbian drug cartel. An American who’s drug-running in South America is entitled to all the individualized due process of any citizen and certainly cannot be summarily killed by drone strike. An American member of al-Qaeda is, by contrast, is in a state of open and declared warfare against the United States, a state of war acknowledged by both parties to the conflict. &#8230;]]>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:45:05 -0500<![CDATA[Erika Johnsen]]>https://hotair.com/headlines/2013/02/07/yes-the-military-can-and-should-target-american-al-qaeda-members-n280942