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Bush critic is now in cross hairs; An Obama advisor who decried the 'war on terror' has come to defen

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BushcriticisnowincrosshairsAnObamaadvisorwhodecriedthe'waronterror'hascometodefend droneattacks.
Savage,DavidG.LosAngelesTimes[LosAngeles,Calif]06Jan2013:A.14.

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Thenextadministrationmust"restoretheruleoflawinthenationalsecurityarena,"end"excessivegovernmentsecrecy"andsetasidethe"claimsof unfetteredexecutivepower,"KohtoldaHousepanelin2008.Inwartimeandin"responsetothehorrific9/11attacks,"thepresident"mayuseforce consistentwiththe[nation's]inherentrightofselfdefense,"KohtoldtheAmericanSocietyofInternationalLaw.

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AsdeanofYaleLawSchool,HaroldHongjuKohwasamongthefiercestcriticsofPresidentGeorgeW.Bush's"waronterror,"arguingthathisadministration hadtrampledtheConstitutionandtarnishedAmerica'sinternationalstandingbyclaimingthepowertocapture"enemycombatants"abroadandholdthem withoutchargesattheprisoninGuantanamoBay,Cuba. Thenextadministrationmust"restoretheruleoflawinthenationalsecurityarena,"end"excessivegovernmentsecrecy"andsetasidethe"claimsof unfetteredexecutivepower,"KohtoldaHousepanelin2008. ButastheStateDepartment'slegaladvisorinthatnewadministration,Kohhelpedsetoutalegaljustificationforpoliciesthatincludearampedupuseof unmanneddronestoattackandkillsuspectedterroristsinPakistanaswellasinYemenandSomalia,farfromthecombatzoneinAfghanistan.Thousands havedied,andthetargetshaveincludedU.S.citizenswhowereseenasinspiringattacksagainstAmericans. Koh,whoispreparingtoreturntoYaleasPresidentObama'sfirsttermcomestoanend,hasbecomeasymbolofnationalsecuritypoliciesthatmanyfeelare notsignificantlydifferentfromthoseofObama'spredecessor. Kohhasmanydefenderswhosaytheadministration'santiterrorismpolicieswouldhavebeenharsherifhewerenotthere.Butthesurprisingturnhasleft someliberalcriticspuzzled.DidKohchange,oristheresome"deeperpathology"thatcauses"topadministrationlawyerstorubberstamppowergrabs?"Bruce Ackerman,anotherYalelawprofessor,wroteinanewsblog. Obama'steamunquestionablymadeprogressonsomefronts.Theharshtreatmentandeventortureofprisonerswasended,andseveraldozendetainees wererepatriatedtoothercountries.ButCongressblockedplanstoclosetheGuantanamoprisonandtoprosecuteitsremainingdetaineesbeforecivilianjudges andjuries. Therhetoricwastoneddownaswell.Officialsnolongerspeakofa"globalwaronterror"or"enemycombatants."Theytalkinsteadofapplyingthe"ruleof law"tocopewithnewproblems. ButObama'sdronepolicyhascauseddismayamongmanyhumanrightsactivists.WhenKohsteppedforwardtwoyearsagotoofferalegaldefense,ithada familiarring.Inwartimeandin"responsetothehorrific9/11attacks,"thepresident"mayuseforceconsistentwiththe[nation's]inherentrightofself defense,"KohtoldtheAmericanSocietyofInternationalLaw. Aslegalauthorityforthepresident'saction,hepointedtothecongressionalauthorizationfortheuseofmilitaryforceadoptedjustaftertheSept.11attacks, thesamemeasureBush'sadvisorscitedasjustificationfortheGuantanamodetentions."Itistheconsideredviewofthisadministration,"Kohsaid,"thatU.S. targetingpractices,includinglethaloperationsconductedwiththeuseofunmannedaerialvehicles,complywithallapplicablelaw,includingthelawsofwar." ConservativecolumnistswerequicktolampoonKohforwhatlookedtobeanaboutface.Wherethe"oldHaroldKoh"wasoutragedbyimprisoningsuspected terrorists,thenewKohcoulddefendthelegalityofkillingthem. Kohsaidheheardthesameatcocktailhoursatconferencesofliberals."Igetquestionsinthefollowingform:'You'reahypocrite,aren'tyou?'"hesaidina talktoonesuchgroup. Kohdeclinedtocommentforthisstory,butmanyofhisfriendsandliberalalliesweregladtospeakupforhim.Theysaiditwasunfairtoblamehimfor administrationpolicies,andtheysayhehasfoughthardwithinthegovernmentforabidingbylegalstandardsandstrictlylimitingtheuseofdrones. "Idon'tseeacontradictionbetweentheoldHaroldandHaroldnow,"saidRosaBrooks,aGeorgetownlawprofessorwhoservedasaPentagonlawyer."I've seenHaroldinaction.Hewaspushingforhumanrights,forsettinglegalstandards.He'sverystubborn." "He'sexactlythekindofpersonyouwantinthegovernment,"saidElisaMassimino,presidentofHumanRightsFirst.Sheagreedthedronepolicywas

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Bush critic is now in cross hairs; An Obama advisor who decried the 'war on terror' has come to defen

"problematic,"butsaid,"Haroldisalwaysmakingthecaseforcomplyingwithinternationallawandthelawsofwar." ManyofKoh'sfriendsandsupporterspausedtoconfidehehasa"hugeego"andcanbe"arealpain"todealwith.Buttheyadmirehistenacityandhis devotiontohumanrightslaw. Koh,58,wasborninBoston,thechildoftwoKoreannativeswholivedunderJapanesecolonialruleandlaterunderaKoreandictatorship.Hisfatherwasa legalscholarandadiplomatandhismotherwasasociologist,andbothtaughtatYale. Astellarstudent,KohstudiedatHarvard,OxfordandHarvardLawSchoolandwasaclerkattheSupremeCourtforJusticeHarryBlackmun.Hefirstdealtwith theGuantanamoprisonin1992whenheledalegalfightuptotheSupremeCourtonbehalfofHaitianrefugeeswhowerebeingheldthere.Hiseffortsso impressedtheStateDepartmentthattheClintonadministrationappointedhimanassistantsecretaryforhumanrights. SomeformerBushadvisorssaytheyaresurprisedathowlittlecriticismtheObamaadministrationhasfacedoverthedronestrikes. "TherewasanoutpouringofoutrageoverdetaineesatGuantanamo,buthardlyapeepfromforeigngovernmentsaboutthe3,000reportedlykilledbydrones inObama'sfirstterm,"saidJohnB.BellingerIII,theStateDepartmentlegaladvisorunderBush.ThatmaychangeinObama'ssecondterm.Dronescould become"Obama'sGuantanamo,"hesaid. JohnC.Yoo,theBerkeleylawprofessorwhowasthefocusofireintheBusheraforthesocalledtorturememothatjustifiedharshinterrogations,saidhe foundmuchtolikethesedays. "Idon'twanttospeakspecificallyaboutKoh'srecord,"Yoosaid."ThereisnodoubtthatonissuesrangingfromdronestomilitarycommissionstoGuantanamo Bay,Obamaandhislegaladvisorsperformeda180degreeturnaroundonceinoffice.Butthenation'ssecuritywasbetteroffthattheywerehypocritical, ratherthanmaintainingafoolishconsistencywiththeimmature2008campaignviews." TheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnionandtheCenterforConstitutionalRightshavebeenasvehementintheircriticismofthedronestrikesastheywereofthe Guantanamoprison.InJuly,theyfiledasuitoverthekillingofthreeU.S.citizens,includinga16yearoldboy,inadronestrikeinYemen. "Whena16yearoldboywhohasneverbeenchargedwithacrimenoreverallegedtohavecommittedaviolentactisblowntopiecesbyaU.S.missile,alarm bellsshouldgooff,"saidPardissKebriaei,alawyerforCCR."TheU.S.programofsendingdronesintocountries...againstwhichitisnotatwarandeliminating socalledenemiesonthebasisofexecutivememosandconferencecallsisillegal,outofcontrolandmustend." YalehasannouncedthatKohwillbebackinNewHaven,Conn.,attheendofJanuary.Someinthelegalworldwillbelisteningcloselytowhathehastosay onceheisoutofgovernment. "Academicscantakestrongpositionswhentheyarespeakingforthemselves,butwhentheygointogovernment,theyhavetocompromise.Kohwasaskedto joinateam,"saidUniversityofChicagolawprofessorEricPosner."Myguess:Hebelieveshehasdonemoregoodthannot.Butitwillbeinterestingtohear whathehastosaynow." david.savage@latimes.com Illustration Caption:PHOTO:HAROLDKOH,whoisendinghistenureasStateDepartmentlegaladvisor,hasbecomeasymbolofnationalsecuritypoliciesthatmany believearenotmuchdifferentfromthoseoftheGeorgeW.Bushadministration.PHOTOGRAPHER:AnjaNiedringhausAssociatedPress (Copyright(c)2013LosAngelesTimes)

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Cite Humanrights Terrorism Internationallaw Unmannedaerialvehicles UnitedStatesUS BushcriticisnowincrosshairsAnObamaadvisorwhodecriedthe'waronterror' hascometodefenddroneattacks. Savage,DavidG LosAngelesTimes A.14 2013 Jan6,2013 2013 WASHINGTON MainNewsPartANationalDesk

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Bush critic is now in cross hairs; An Obama advisor who decried the 'war on terror' has come to defen
TribunePublishingCompany LosAngeles,Calif. UnitedStates 04583035 Newspapers English News 1266558019 http://search.proquest.com/docview/1266558019?accountid=44751 (Copyright(c)2013LosAngelesTimes) 20130106 NationalNewspapersCore

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