Anwar al-Awlaki & Samir Khan

[Lamplighter]

UT, this truly is not an issue of what Awlaki did or did not do, or whether he deserved what he got.
As I said before, trials are not for those who "deserve" them, but are to determine guilt or innocence.

If I were POTUS I hope I would think first about the implications of extra-legal killings on the future of the US government.

Second I'd worry less about embarrassing the Yemini government, and very last would be about a political strategy to get re-elected.
Obviously, satisfying a public wish for "revenge" is not in the US's long term best interest.

To posit there was "no other way" is foolish and unbelievable.
The DOJ was giving "advice" to the President, Obama did not have to follow it.
He could have pulled a "Steve Jobs" and told the CIA to go back
to their caves and find, not a better way, but the best legal way.
Apparently they were able to do this with Osama.