Under well-settled legal principles, lethal force against a valid military objective, in an armed conflict, is consistent with the law of war and does not, by definition, constitute an ‘assassination.’ Jeh Johnson Read Quote
The problem is that the American public is suspicious of executive power shrouded in secrecy. In the absence of an official picture of what our government is doing, and by what authority, many in the public fill the void by envisioning the worst. Jeh Johnson Read Quote
We have to face the fact that meaningful gun control has to be a part of homeland security. Jeh Johnson Read Quote
And so border security is not simply preventing people from getting in, but very often preventing somebody from leaving for the wrong reasons. Jeh Johnson Read Quote
Those of us in public office and those of us who aspire to public office have a responsibility to be reasonable, fact-based, in our rhetoric and to not suggest things that are unreasonable, to whip up a lot of emotion in public, which can lead to government overreach, fear, suspicions, and prejudice. Jeh Johnson Read Quote
Rhetoric that vilifies American Muslims is counter to our efforts. It’s a setback to our Homeland Security efforts. Jeh Johnson Read Quote
What got me motivated was my dad’s idea that I go to Morehouse College in Atlanta. It’s an all-black, all-male school. Martin Luther King went there. The most famous person in my class was Spike Lee. And I really caught fire. I was so inspired by the people around me that I went from C’s and D’s to straight A’s by the time I left. Jeh Johnson Read Quote
How could somebody be comfortable with authorizing legally the use of lethal force? My view is if you become comfortable with it, then you should get out of the job. Jeh Johnson Read Quote
It’s better for candidates to suggest ideas that are responsible, not ones that are incapable of being executed. People are influenced by what their leaders tell them. And bringing the level of rhetoric down brings the temperature down. Jeh Johnson Read Quote
In my view, targeted lethal force is at its least controversial when it is on its strongest, most traditional legal foundation. The essential mission of the U.S. military is to capture or kill an enemy. Armies have been doing this for thousands of years. As part of a congressionally authorized armed conflict, the foundation is even stronger. Jeh Johnson Read Quote
