Murder Most Foul

"Murder most foul, as in the best it is;
But this most foul, strange and unnatural."
- Hamlet, Act 1, Scene V.

Anwar al-Awlaki is dead.

The US Defense Department and the Yemeni Ministry of Defense announced that al-Awlaki had been killed by a missile fired by a pilotless drone aircraft. A "targeted killing," in the tortured parlance of the day.

The Israelis do targeted killings all the time, routinely picking off members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad with only the mildest of strongly-worded letters from the United States. Of course, we expect such behavior from the Israelis.

Al-Awlaki was born in the United States, in New Mexico back in 1971. He held dual citizenship from the USA and Yemen. Nevertheless, having been born in the United States he was an American citizen.

Now, it is a matter of fact that he wrote and said many things that inspired, educated and justified terrorists and would-be jihadis.

But so have Glenn Beck and Bernard Goldberg:
2009 Pittsburgh Police Shootings
2008 Knoxville Church Shootings

But we can't target them, you argue - they're American citizens, and have the right to freely express their opinions! All they do is talk!

Yes.

Just like Anwar al-Awlaki.

Probably right up to the moment the missile hit.