Rand endorses recent Pakistan drone strikes against Americans

[presence]

Since President Obama announced last week that a U.S.drone strike in January had killed three Americans -- two al-Qaeda operatives and an aid worker being held hostage -- several prominent Republicans have weighed in on the debate. But noticeably silent on the issue was presidential candidate and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rand-paul-defends-obama-drone-strikes/

“I’ve been an opponent of using drones about people not involved in combat,” Paul said.
“However, if you’re holding hostages you kind of are involved in combat.”

Rand Paul Defends Drone Killings of Americans in Al Qaeda

Bloomberg-3 hours ago
In the days after the Obama administration revealed that drone strikes [...]—Kentucky Senator Rand Paul remained fairly quiet.

Rand Paul defends Obama on drone strike that killed hostages
USA TODAY-2 hours ago
Rand Paul defends Obama, drone strikes
CBS News-9 minutes ago
Rand Paul goes full Strangelove: The “anti-drone” candidate is okay ...
In-Depth-Salon-9 minutes ago
Rand Paul backs Obama's botched drone strike. This is not as ...
Blog-Washington Post (blog)-1 hour ago

“You really don’t get due process or anything like that if you are in a war zone.”

Dr. Warren Weinstein, an American hostage held by al Qaida, was killed along with Italian hostage Giovanni Lo Porto.



“The operation targeted an al-Qa’ida-associated compound,
where we had no reason to believe either hostage was present,
located in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan,”
the White House said in a statement.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-live-obama-speaks-from-white-house-on-death-of-american-hostage/

The Obama administration has admitted intelligence failures were responsible for the recent deaths. The White House had said they did not realize an American and Italian national were being held hostage in the compound. Two other Americans who had joined al Qaeda, Ahmed Farouq and Adam Gadahn, were also killed in the strike -- though White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest had said the men were not specifically targeted and that "we did not have information indicating their presence at the sites of these operations."

previously:

"The idea that no person shall be held without due process,
and that no person shall be held for a capital offense without being indicted,
is a founding American principle and a basic right,"

Paul had said in the Post.

[video=youtube;MV6oxLtSLKc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MV6oxLtSLKc[/video]

 

[PierzStyx]

Unsurprised. The pity here is that very few will question this if they support him. Obama murders American citizens, Rand Paul proclaims his support for assassinating Americans. Rand might have a point if this was collateral damage in a war zone, but it wasn't. It was the targeted killing of Americans in defiance of all their human rights and Constitutional protections. Instead of murdering Americans, how about we kill the war machine? Then again Rand isn't really for that either. Not only did he increase the military's budget in his proposal, but he wants to keep giving foreign aid to nations like Israel and Saudi Arabia, both of whom prove to be the spark for much of the US involvement in the Middle East. NOt impressed, Rand. Not one bit.

 

[radiofriendly]

Regardless of the controversy here, I want everyone here to know clearly that David Weigel (the guy that wrote the main article on this in Bloomberg) is not your friend and is no friend of the Pauls. I've been featured in a story he has done--I actually like to see him because you'll come to view him as a friendly face at all liberty friendly events. He relishes writing mildly positive and bemused articles on the Pauls and the growth of the Liberty Movements and then he strikes with something, in my view, designed to divide and conquer.

It is completely false that Rand Paul has gone silent on this issue - obviously he is being political in this current case--who knows? He might know things we don't--but to say he is now 100% pro drone without a warrant and with no trials is patently false.

 

[mit26chell]

He said, 'and unfortunately some innocent people die.' Ugh. No shit Rand.

 

[PierzStyx]

He said, 'and unfortunately some innocent people die.' Ugh. No shit Rand.

Arguing human lives are "collateral damage" is one of the most vile, dehumanizing arguments one can make. Human lives aren't eggs that you accidentally drop on the floor and, "Oh, well, guess we'll just have throw these away." No, innocent lives do NOT have to die. They end up getting slaughtered because politicians like Rand Paul can't be bothered to defend their lives and call for the end of the violence that wastes them.

 

[65fastback2+2]

dang it...i might have to support cruz then if rand is gonna flip on something so major

 

[Brian4Liberty]

The left media was eager to pounce on Rand over this. This meme has been playing even on the major network and local media, where every subject gets thirty seconds. It was the same on all of them: "Rand Paul filibustered drones, now he supports them."

 

[specsaregood]

The left media was eager to pounce on Rand over this. This meme has been playing even on the major network and local media, where every subject gets thirty seconds. It was the same on all of them: "Rand Paul filibustered drones, now he supports them."

I don't see any changes in his position here.

 

[CaptUSA]

If only there was some way you folks could count to a metaphorical 10 once in a while. Sheesh.

 

[Kotin]

dang it...i might have to support cruz then if rand is gonna flip on something so major

Yeah cause cruz is such a non interventionist .. Cmon really?? Guy is in Israelis pocket and gives not one shit about actually stopping our empire..

This is a joke when our own people are looking for any excuse to not support him..


OH NOOOO!!! HES NOT TALKING EXACTLY HOW I LIKE SO HE CAN APPEAL TO MORE PEOPLE OH NO HE MIGHT ACTUALLY WIN INSTEAD OF GETTING PIGEON HOLED LIKE HIS FATHER !!! OH NO HE MAY ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO TAKE TROOPS HOME AND AFFECT POLICY

show me someone who wants Ted Cruz in charge of the military before Rand Paul and I'll show you someone who doesn't actually support liberty and peace.

 

[65fastback2+2]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...is-is-not-as-hypocritical-as-you-might-think/

 

[65fastback2+2]

Yeah cause cruz is such a non interventionist .. Cmon really?? Guy is in Israelis pocket and gives not one shit about actually stopping out empire..

didnt say he was or wasnt...but at least i feel like i know what I am getting with him. Rand saying this now doesnt give me that great of a feeling.

 

[specsaregood]

didnt say he was or wasnt...but at least i feel like i know what I am getting with him. Rand saying this now doesnt give me that great of a feeling.

If you think this is a change in Randal's position then you obviously never listened to a thing he said.

 

[William Tell]

[h=1]Rand endorses recent Pakistan drone strikes against Americans[/h]

No he didn't.

 

[Kotin]

didnt say he was or wasnt...but at least i feel like i know what I am getting with him. Rand saying this now doesnt give me that great of a feeling.

Yeah you know you are getting a Zionist hawk who will never do anything he says

 

[Kotin]

People who cannot comprehend the nuance in rands approach irritate the shit out of me.

 

[William Tell]

dang it...i might have to support cruz then if rand is gonna flip on something so major

Yeah cause cruz is such a non interventionist .. Cmon really??

Iknowright? What is this bs with Paul supporters threatening to support Cruz? Is Cruz like the whore everyone runs to when they suspect their true love may have been unfaithful?

If you like sending foreign aid and reauthorizing parts of the Patriot act, then by all means support Ted Cruz.

 

[dumbdumb]

I don't see any changes in his position here.

Agreed.... Watch the video and use some common sense (read between the lines) instead of reading a biased article and blindly agreeing to it.

 

[presence]

No he didn't.

??

"You really don't get due process or anything like that if you are in a war zone,"

"f you are holding hostages, you kind of are involved in combat,"

"I tend not to want to blame the president for the loss of life here. I think he was trying to do the right thing,"

"These people were in a war zone and probably got what was coming to them -- the captors,"

 

[Brett85]

dang it...i might have to support cruz then if rand is gonna flip on something so major

"Rand is too pro war for me, so I'm going to support a candidate who's 10 times more pro war than Rand."