The Sunday narrative of the killing of Osama bin Laden in an intense firefight played quite well, but as officials have allowed the real story to emerge, the truth is drawing increasing questions about legitimacy under international law.
Attorney General Eric Holder insisted that the killing counted as “self defense” on a national level, and that there “would be a good basis” to kill him even if he tried to surrender to the troops, saying it is “lawful to target an enemy commander if the field.”
Which of course leaves open-ended whether the second-story bedroom of a sketchy house in Abbottabad counts as “the field.” Likewise, human rights officials doubted whether shooting an unarmed man in the face counted as “justice.”
Administration officials remain unrepentent on the killing, however, and the Obama Administration appears keen to use what happened in Pakistan as a precedent for other summary killings in the future. The argument that bin Laden was a special case, then, becomes less important to the overall question.
The killing of Osama Bin Laden was an ASSASSINATION, which would be more apropriate to call it.
It's what he would have wanted.
On the other hand:
http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-dail…
This action, the shooting of ObL, the shoting of his wife and all of this in the presence of his 12 year old daughter shows to every sober thinking person that the US government is the most criminal of countries in the world. ObL's crime was that he tried to get the US troops out of other countries, among them Saudi Arabia. And since it has no effect at all to protest this in words, he had to find a way to make that clear to the USG! And in my opinion he was right and I would probably do the same thing to get those bastard occupiers out of Germany.
Wolfgang9
The Navy Seals who took part in this raid and their Commander-In-Chief (Obama ) should be put on trial for Murder under International Law.
There are no two ways about it.
This was plain and simple MURDER how ever you look at it..
It was degrading to every fair minded person to watch the ghouls watching the execution of an unarmed sickly man – as in the pictures on television of Obama and his conspirators watching the operation in progress in Pakistan from the safety of the USA.
DISGUSTED.
What has America become?
If they are going to call Bin Ladin a Commander they should get the LAW right. Itis NOT persuant to SCHEDULE 3 Article 3
In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:
(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms ( a ) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;
( d ) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.
The United States Supreme Court in Hamdin V Rumsfeld ruled that ALL prisoners captured by the US Military had this Article at the very least. If Osama was in fact a Criminal under US Anti Terrorist laws in existence before 9/11 he was also entitled to become a Prisoner and not summararily executed.
Oh but aren't we forgetting the crucial event? Remember, he was 'reaching for a gun' and the SEAL team felt 'threatened' by the old man so naturally he had to be shot in the head, execution-style. It's that old 'reaching for a gun' bit that will get you in trouble every time.
TEACHING MOMENT: When your house is invaded by heavily armed military personnel and they're shooting people all around you, it's probably not a good idea to reach for a gun when they already have one pointed at your head.
A breach of Common article three of Geneva!
Usama deserved what he received. Did he worry about children on the planes he Hijacked and destroyed? Did he show compassion for all he killed on 911?
The Seals are heroes, I would have happily pulled that trigger, shot his wife, and done it in front of his children without hesitation.
Usama was an evil pig.
Which makes you of the same class of people.
Then there will be people that will happily pull a trigger on you, shoot your wife, and do it in front of your children without hesitation.
Etc…
You can't put your trained killers on trial because they might decide to deal with you and we all know how that is going to turn out. As for that "lawful to target an enemy commander in the field" I hope Holder understands that this can also apply to him especially if the 'enemy commander" and or "field" are defined by the enemy as any member of their opponents administration ,regime or clique and where ever they might be caught.
These people must love the pleasure they get from the dumbing down of the intelligence of the America people.
no class what soever.
What happened to the Kaiser after WW1 or to Napoleon. The world view of the US forces and leadership is increasingly one of scum and dog puke
Jason Ditz is a traitor. Osama Bin Laden killed thousands of unarmed people all over the world. For anyone to play a legalistic game in regard to his killing is pewing ideological nonsense. Bin Laden deserved his death.
And I suppose you'd apply your logic to anyone who "killed thousands of unarmed people all over the world"? You do know where this is going, don't you? Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Obama, etc., etc.
After WWII – German Nazis were put on trial, were convicted, and hanged "for waging aggressive warfare." – for committing war crimes.
The attacking of countries which have neither threatened nor attacked the US – Iraq and Afghanistan – does come under the category of "waging aggressive warfare" – a criminal act and a war crime.
Oops – we have called it "preemptive warfare" – and we have excused our criminal actions.
It was an evil act to have have killed 3000 Americans in the 9/11 attack – really – it was an evil act.
The killing of tens of thousands of Iraqis and of Agfghans – how does one categorize that? – war crimes?
Are we becoming like the wrongdoers? Have we returned evil for evil? Have we become evil?
I guess the 'proof' that the US is a Christian nation is how we chant USA – USA and cheer as we attack, bomb, kill tens of thousands of people in other countries – makes us Christians – right?
Would a capture and trial of Osama bin Laden revealed truths that we do NOT want the world to know? – so – better to have assassinated him?
And we are safer now – aren't we? – really?
All human beings accused of a crime should have a right of reply…. blasting him to death in this scummy manner makes the US's actions no better than the very cimes they accuse him of.
If you're going to 'dish out' justice… try to look civilised at the least….
Obama and Co were in a hurry to to the world, as quick as possible, their glory and sucessful on mission accomplished and to praise the braves who went through all the danger and crossfire to kill Bin Laden, but they were not aware that those SEALS had not been shooting several small children who were left handcuffed in the compound and later came to testifiy how the raid really happenned , obliging the White House to change the prefab story and confess that afterall Bin Laden was unarmed, and executed in a most sordid way.
TEACHING MOMENT: When your house is invaded by heavily armed military personnel and they're shooting people all around you, it's probably not a good idea to "reach for a gun" when they already have one pointed at your head.
Jason and everyone on this list have bought into a fantasy. There was no Osama; he's been dead for nine years. Think about it, please! If this was really an action in a War, would it make any sense at all to kill the enemy's leader with interrogating him? Why didn't they torture him as they've tortured hundreds of others? The reason is he wasn't there. This is all Wag the Dog stuff to win support for the Empire.
The israelis americas proxy Have been doing these murders since its inception it is a way of like for them lying a common place its citizens only concern is cheese on its hambuger.america was born from the barrel of the gun,and continue to murder,torture,lie"all they ever do".Please do no forget "IRAQ" a stain on every american centuries to come.
he's been dead for 9 years.