Bill Boyarsky: Whom Will the President Kill Next?

The revelation that President Barack Obama is personally selecting names for a kill list of suspected al-Qaida terrorists is a striking illustration of what actually occurs behind the White House's closed doors. The New York Times revealed Tuesday how the president "has placed himself at the helm of a top secret 'nominations' process to designate terrorists for kill or capture, of which the capture part has become largely theoretical. "He insists "on approving every new name on an expanding 'kill list,' poring over terrorist suspects' biographies on what one official calls the macabre 'baseball cards' of an unconventional war." The Times described how more than 100 members of "the government's sprawling national security apparatus" meet in a video conference to go over potential nominees for the death list and"recommend to the president who should be the next to die." The nominations then go to the White House where Obama, guided by his top counter-terrorism adviser, John O. Brennan, approves names added to the list. Brennan, without mentioning the president's role, had outlined the process in an April 30 speech to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, posted on the Law-fare website. Those who make the list, he said, pose "a significant threat to United States interests. "In such cases, he said, stopping them would prevent attacks, and capture is "not feasible." Each nominee "will go through a careful review and, as appropriate, will be evaluated by the most senior officials in our government for decision." The most senior, of course, is the president. The idea of Obama picking out individuals for the death list brings back memories of President Lyndon B Johnson selecting targets for bombing in Vietnam: So intent was Johnson on micromanaging the war, that he lost sight of how the bombing strengthened the will of North Vietnam!