The alarming memo uncovered this week revealed the fact that the White House believes that the assassination of Americans overseas can be justified if the targeted nationals side with the enemy terrorist group. The notion of American killings by drones or other means alarms many rights groups, which believe that a state should never use lethal force against anyone without a trial.

Apart from the flawed nature of this justification, Slater drew attention to the actual scale of the problem.

“More than 4,000 people have been murdered by drones, many of them civilians - old people, and children as well,” Slater said, adding that this is often done without benefit of charges, evidence, or trial.

The peace advocate finds it especially outrageous that America's quest to eradicate terrorism is triggering high-profile impunity in the US government structures.

“There is a growing lawlessness at the highest levels of government, justified by the criminal destruction of the World Trade towers in 2001,” she stated.

“Instead of treating that tragic catastrophe as a criminal act, punishable in a court of law, a phony “war on terror” was declared and enabled the obscene growth of the US military-industrial complex, and a flagrant disregard for traditional American rights, “ Slater said, alarmed that too many individuals have faced military tribunals or worse, have had no due process at all despite spending years in detainment.