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> Killing is one of the CIA's sanctioned duties, so it's a bit different to compare the CIA killing a child to the EPA killing a child. I don't think this is t
by everforward 4y ago
> Killing is one of the CIA's sanctioned duties, so it's a bit different to compare the CIA killing a child to the EPA killing a child.
I don't think this is true. Executive Order 12333 states:
> No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.
They then go on to note that it was "re-interpreted" to not apply to counterterrorism.
Under the same logic, the EPA could be extended to allow assassination of people harmful to the environment.
The problem is that the CIA is meant to operate in secrecy, which makes sense for information gathering. Having a secretive group that's also tasked with extrajudicial killings virtually guarantees ineffective oversight.
Let the CIA go back to gathering info, and let the SEALS or rangers or whoever do the killing. Some branch of government with a level of oversight.
- jonnybgood 4y agoThere’s some misunderstanding here regarding US law and intel agencies. Intel agencies don’t actually do the killing. The military does. CIA as an intel agency only says where and who. That is essentially the function of an intel agency. These functions are outlined in USC Title law. So it already is as you state. CIA gathers info, military does the killing. It is the same reason there’s NSA and US Cyber Command. So no, the EPA cannot kill anyone as the law only allows the military to engage in offensive operations. (USC Title 10)
- everforward 4y ago> Intel agencies don’t actually do the killing. The military does. CIA as an intel agency only says where and who. Nope https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-gave-cia-power-to-launch-drone-strikes-1489444374 https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-gave-cia-power-to-launch-... The CIA has the authority and hardware to launch their own drone strikes. It was classified, so we don't know when it started, but Obama removed their power to do it and Trump gave it back. The US has two separate drone strike programs. The military runs one, and the CIA runs the other. Edit: Also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Ayman_al-Zawahiri https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Ayman_al-Zawahiri it's specifically noted that the CIA conducted the drone strike after approval from Biden.
- jonnybgood 4y agoThis is an ongoing debate between the authorities of Title 50, which the CIA falls under, and Title 10, which the military falls under.