Home › Forums › Recent American History › Was Osama bin Laden assassinated?
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May 15, 2011 at 12:27 am #24786
DonaldBaker
ParticipantOsama was not a legitimate leader of a world government and his death does not come under Geneva Convention or any other international law. Israel whacks terrorists all the time and with impunity. We didn't do anything wrong. He was an enemy combatant who violated international and American law. He was a menace to society and was too dangerous to be left alive. The real question is, how come it took so long to accomplish, and is Pakistan guilty of knowingly harboring him?
May 16, 2011 at 1:08 pm #24787scout1067
ParticipantI don't think assassinated is the right term. Osama was not a leader of a recognized state and therefore not subject to the assassination ban anyway. He was however a legitimate target as the leader, whether philosophically or operationally, of an organization that has vowed the destruction of the United States. His killing was perfectly legal whether he was armed or not because his very words can and are used as weapons.
May 16, 2011 at 1:17 pm #24788skiguy
ModeratorOsama was not a leader of a recognized state and therefore not subject to the assassination ban anyway.
Does he have to be leader of a recognized state though? He was leader of an international group.*disclaimer: I'm not questioning the legality or whatever. He's dead, good. Just questioning definitions of assasination or political leadership.And no one answered a previous question, was Che assasinated by definition?
May 16, 2011 at 1:28 pm #24789scout1067
ParticipantHere is the dictionary.com definition:
as?sas?si?nate [uh-sas-uh-neyt] Show IPA?verb (used with object), -nat?ed, -nat?ing.1.to kill suddenly or secretively, especially a politically prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously.2.to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously: to assassinate a person's character.
I suppose that semantically, he was assassinated. I really don't care in the end though, I am just glad he is dead.
May 16, 2011 at 3:13 pm #24790Phidippides
KeymasterAnd no one answered a previous question, was Che assasinated by definition?
I don't know the exact circumstances of his death. Even if it was a CIA plot as you seem to be alluding, then I still doubt that it was assassination. Guevara was actually on the warpath when it occurred, was he not?
May 16, 2011 at 4:03 pm #24791Omer
ParticipantI have a question : why are Westerners asking themselves so many questions ?It's done, and well done. Who's next ? 8)
May 16, 2011 at 4:58 pm #24792Phidippides
KeymasterI have a question : why are Westerners asking themselves so many questions ?It's done, and well done. Who's next ? 8)
While I generally frown upon modernist "armchair judges" of history, I think it is crucial for any society to evaluate the morality of significant decisions made by political leaders. In particular, issues of life and death need to be considered with great care, lest we as a nation or society begin to violate the very principles which we are supposed to be guarding.
May 16, 2011 at 5:11 pm #24793Omer
ParticipantWhile I generally frown upon modernist "armchair judges" of history, I think it is crucial for any society to evaluate the morality of significant decisions made by political leaders. In particular, issues of life and death need to be considered with great care, lest we as a nation or society begin to violate the very principles which we are supposed to be guarding.
I agree but don't you think it's also a matter of survival ? If you're attacked, won't you fight back? No matter you respect or not your laws if your attackers spit on it
May 17, 2011 at 6:14 am #24794scout1067
ParticipantI have a question : why are Westerners asking themselves so many questions ?It's done, and well done. Who's next ? 8)
A statement I wholeheartedly agree with.
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