Master Plan S2 E6: Obama’s Kill List
Summary
This episode explores how President Obama expanded executive power through drone warfare, contrasting his campaign promises with his administration's secret "kill list." It details the legal justification for targeting Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen, and the controversial killing of his teenage son. The narrative highlights the tension between constitutional ideals and the reality of unilateral presidential authority in the War on Terror.
Topics discussed
Introduction to Master Plan Season 2: The Kingmakers
Anwar Al-Awlaki's radicalization and Obama's 2008 campaign
Obama's election and early hopes for resetting executive power
Early reforms, legal memos, and Dick Cheney's backlash
Obama's legal theory on executive authority and the Nobel Prize
The Christmas Day underwear bomber attack and political fallout
Obama's secret interest in drone warfare and precision strikes
Expansion of drone strikes in Pakistan and the 'Disposition Matrix'
Anwar Al-Awlaki's rise and link to the underwear bomber
The legal justification for killing US citizens without trial
Secrecy, the 'kill list,' and the death of Anwar Al-Awlaki
Controversy over the killing of Al-Awlaki's teenage son
ACLU lawsuits and the fight to release secret legal memos
David Barron's nomination and the release of redacted memos
Obama's legacy: The 'Drone Presidency' and unchecked power
Credits and promotion for Master Plan Season 2
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