Posted on 05/02/2011 3:29:02 PM PDT by fuzzybutt
Is the assassination of Osama bin Laden an illegal act? I have always understood it to 100% illegal for any member of the Federal Government to assassinate anyone, anywhere under any circumstances. Is this not so any more?
We are not at war with Pakistan but our troops went over the border, killed 5 people then sprinted back across the border with only 1 of the 5 bodies and immediately dumped the body at sea out of some show of respect for his religion? Everybody wanted this Muslim dirt bag dead but lets face it, this was an assassination. Was it legal?
I think it may be classified as an accident.
We absolutely are at war with Al Qaeda. UBL was their leader. Nothing illegal about it.
Targeting the leader of a foreign country is illegal (since Ford - someone correct me if I’m wrong). It is not illegal to attempt to take a foreigner into custody in a foreign country. It is also not illegal if said foreigner refuses to be taken into custody and ends up with lead poisoning.
Was the attack and murder of over 3000 people on 9/11 an illegal act?
Even if it is I support it.
No. OBL was not a leader of a country. Oh yea, and I don’t care even if it is.
The muslim osama took credit for the death of 3000 Americans.....we tossed his bullet ridden body into the ocean as fish chum. Have a nice day.
OBM was not a head of state or an officer of any government.
He was just a mad dog killer who needed to die, and I don't care where. We should be very suspicious of those who think we should have tried to simply capture him.
? You never heard of The War On Terror?
He had previously acknowledged participation in the planning, financing and facilitation of attacks against US interests within the US and around the world, directed AQ assets around the world, participated in military attacks on civilian and military personnel in Afghanistan . . .
Yeah, pretty much fills the bill to be a military target. Righteous kill.
It was self-defense.
YES!!
It’s very very illegal. Now send the cops over right away.
We successfully targeted Yamamoto in WWII. Similar operation here.
There is indeed a long-standing executive order, originally signed by Reagan that forbids the CIA or anyone in the US armed forces from assassinating someone, however the definition of that term is narrow and specific. To fall under the protection of that order the person in question needs to be a civilian, head of state or government official who either has no military or strategic role or is a member of a government we have not formally declared hostilities against.
Osama was A) not the head of a government and B) not specifically targeted for death (I believe they’d have been happier taking him alive to destroy any status he might have had as a martyr and to show him up as the coward he was)
so I think the SEALS are in the clear legally on this one
Seems like vanities are taking over the actual news threads these days...............Why couldn’t your question be posted on an ACTUAL OBL thread?
yes it is i am no fan of obama the world’s number one terrorist is dead! and our brave american military did it why are you asking this question? bet you never served
Depends on whether you think international law is enforceable in the courts perhaps. I wonder what Osama’s thinking was on that point.
Would you have a problem with it if “W” was president?
(((Shrug)))
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