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Presidential Authority Under the Due Process Clause

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The debate question posed at the outset is the following: does the president have constitutional authority under the due process clause to kill U.S. citizens abroad, or is it a violation of this clause to unilaterally decide to target and kill Americans? This essay will review the concepts of battlefield, imminent threat, and “due process”, and how these ideas shape our perception of presidential power. It used to be that a battlefield was marked off and the combat was on the battlefield. Al-Qaeda had declared that a battlefield was anywhere they can legitimately operate from and kill Americans. A “battlefield” can best be defined as anywhere where the enemy has protection of local people, where the enemy can’t be arrested, and from where they can attack America. Most commonly, we think of a combatant as somebody engaged in fighting a war. An “immanent threat” is best defined as any pronounced or supposed threat that is about to happen. It can also be defined as the presence of immediate deadly harm. In response, if the president has the opportunity to prevent an event that is highly likely, he should have the right to do so. Concepts of liberty and due process may be relevant to some, yet in an armed conflict, there are no due process rights available. Because of battlefield requirements and the lethal force being used, due process does not require trial or charges. Right to due process is context-sensitive, and it should be analyzed according to the situation. Under the international law, the President is required to distinguish between targetable personals and civilians. Being on the “for” side of the debate, in no way reduces the power of checks and balances between the branches. According to Michael Lewis, even though the president does have the constitutional power to target American citizens overseas, however, only the Congress may declare war. He

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