Posted on 11/05/2002 4:53:11 PM PST by GeneD
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration renewed its opposition Tuesday to Israel's assassination of terror suspects, even after a U.S. missile killed a top al-Qaida operative and five other people in his car in Yemen.
Sunday's strike in Yemen was the first such overt attack outside Afghanistan and could signal a new U.S. strategy against anti-Western terrorists.
Israel, which pioneered targeting militants for assassination, sometimes also killing and injuring civilians in the attacks, has been admonished publicly and regularly by the State Department for the tactics.
On Tuesday, while declining to discuss the U.S. operation in Yemen, spokesman Richard Boucher said, ``Our policy on targeted killings in the Israeli-Palestinian context has not changed.''
Suggesting the two situations were not comparable, Boucher said, ``The reasons we have given do not necessarily apply in other circumstances.''
While criticizing Israel for targeting suspected Palestinian terrorists, the State Department usually has suggested the preferred approach would be to some form of prosecution.
Also, State Department officials generally have coupled the criticism with calls for restraint while endorsing Israel's right to defend itself.
For the most part, the State Department worries that assassinations contribute to a cycle of violence.
The U.S. assassination of Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi and five of his associates Sunday in northwestern Yemen drew criticism from Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh.
``If the U.S.A. is behind this with Yemen's consent, it is nevertheless a summary execution that violates human rights,'' she said. ``If the U.S.A. has conducted the attack without Yemen's permission it is even worse. Then it is a question of unauthorized use of force,'' Lindh told Swedish news agency TT during an official visit to Mexico.
``Even terrorists must be treated according to international law. Otherwise, any country can start executing those whom they consider terrorists,'' she said.
U.S. counterterror officials say al-Harethi was al-Qaida's chief operative in Yemen and a suspect in the October 2000 bombing of the destroyer USS Cole.
Start? When did this person arrive on planet earth?
``If the U.S.A. is behind this with Yemen's consent, it is nevertheless a summary execution that violates human rights,'' she said. ...``Even terrorists must be treated according to international law.
Bite me, you hag! "Even terrorists must be treated according to international law..." That's the most asinine statement I've heard in a long time.
... The Bush administration renewed its opposition Tuesday to Israel's assassination of terror suspects, even after a U.S. missile killed a top al-Qaida operative and five other people in his car in Yemen ...Hey, man. We can't help it if top-ranking al-Qaida commanders keep maneuvering their SUVs in front of our hellfire missiles, man. Or if they keep walking into our bullets. Or keep wandering around where we're dropping precision guided munitions. Or keep falling out of our aircraft after we've captured them. How were we supposed to know they couldn't fly? If they weren't airworthy or bullet proof or impact resistant, they should have said something.
``Even terrorists must be treated according to international law. Otherwise, any country can start executing those whom they consider terrorists,''
I believe terrorists fall under the same category as pirates, subject to attack by the military of any nation, without any such niceties required. If they don't, they should.
I hope our representatives wink when they say that. You can never be sure at State.
Ahem, so are you saying that the snuffing of Osama and Osama only will eliminate the Al-Qaeda threat? Please tell me you aren't this ignorant.
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