Fuck you, it's another Osama thread.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Not that it didn't also engage in quiet little assassinations... I mean, don't ask what my father did for a living... but that was at least done with clandestine dignity and would all be properly denied after the politically important figure and his family was reported found dead in their home. We never had ANYTHING to do with that sort of thing... that blood was too dirty for our hands.

But that was back then. Now we scream for it in the streets.

[Telarus]

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/05/03/228235/Leaked-Doc-May-Have-Forced-US-To-Speed-Up-Bin-Laden-Raid

[Thurnez Isa]

Assassination in a foreign country does raise questions in such places? but trials do?
Frankly that doesn't make any sense.

As for the questions I raised - they would never be raised because people don't wanna know the answers. So there wouldn't be any questions raised.

Of course I'm going of the assumption now that it was an assassination. I don't want to make that assumptions. I didn't see the raid. I have some questions, but that is about it.
And that again I'm not crying over the man here either, and also I completely understand peoples joyousness of the event. Besides I have not known anyone that had died in 9/11 or in the later conflicts and if I would have defiantly have different emotions. Right now my natural curiosity of what is going on here is taking over

[Triple Zero]

There would be one MAJOR problem with bringing Osama to trial.

Where the fuck would you find a venue where his lawyer couldn't argue that there's no way he could get a fair trial?

That's what war tribunals like the one in The Hague are for. They got experience with that.

He'd have to be tried by a third party. Of course America would have never allowed that. Especially not when it's one of those sissy European war tribunals that don't deal out death penalties.

The point of all that would of course be to show you're in fact morally better than those you're judging. You've neutralized the threat--insofar as Osama Bin Laden posed one--and then you handle the case in a civil manner.

Fair points, I think. And this outcome is just as much of a circus as a trial would have been. Look at the reaction it got.

How can you say? It's been less than 4 days. No I'm pretty sure that a trial would have a much more, longer and world-wide media circus around it. Unless something exciting new happens, within a week or two, the world will be "meh" and move on. It'll last longer in the USA, of course. Probably at least until September.

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

When does killing a charismatic leader and spokesperson for a rebel group hobble it's ability to inspire and organize?

I tend to agree that this is a fairly symbolic "victory," in that the US still is trying to jam its dick inside the Middle East which pisses off a lot of people, but that question has been bugging me.

I don't know enough about the complexities of Mid-East culture to even remotely pull an answer out of my ass. I tried comparing it to well known assassinations (Malcolm X, MLK, JFK) but those are all far less radical and domestic agents, so the comparison just seems faulty.

Ethically, I agree that assassinating bin Laden was the low road, but on the practical side I'm not entirely convinced that this will not damage Al-Qaeda's ability to carry out further attacks. Even though there might be tons of furious jihadists itching to replace bin Laden, that doesn't mean his vision, experience and charisma are readily interchangeable.

That probably comes off like I've made up my mind, but I haven't. I don't really know and am still trying to make sense of it.

[LMNO]

The other thing about putting OBL on trial is...  What do you charge him with?  Funding terrorism? 

As Cain pointed out, KSM could justifiably be called the "real" mastermind behind 9/11.  All OBL did (it could be argued) was give money and make videos. 

[Luna]

The other thing about putting OBL on trial is...  What do you charge him with?  Funding terrorism? 

As Cain pointed out, KSM could justifiably be called the "real" mastermind behind 9/11.  All OBL did (it could be argued) was give money and make videos. 

Conspiracy to commit and accessory to thousands of homicides.  Try him and sentence the fucker to each one individually.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I know it sounds like the ramblings of a crazy woman, but there was once a time when it was a point of pride that America was a nation that would give flagrantly self-confessed war criminals a fair trial.

But that America is long dead.

I think that lasted all of 10 years, start to finish.

[LMNO]

I'm reminded that John Adams defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre.

Truly, we stand on the shoulders of giants.  Unfortunately, we're now taking massive dumps on their heads.

[Elder Iptuous]

I'm reminded that John Adams defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre.

Truly, we stand on the shoulders of giants.  Unfortunately, we're now taking massive dumps on their heads.

nice.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I'm reminded that John Adams defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre.

Truly, we stand on the shoulders of giants.  Unfortunately, we're now taking massive dumps on their heads.

He was still British at that point.

I'm also reminded that a number of Native Americans were executed without trial, and we were pretty big on tar & feathering people (often, but not always, fatal...And a REALLY bad way to go, as it took days to kill you) who were suspected of having the wrong values.

The Phillipine/American war also comes to mind. "Kill everyone over the age of 10." - General Smith.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

I'm reminded that John Adams defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre.

Truly, we stand on the shoulders of giants.  Unfortunately, we're now taking massive dumps on their heads.

He was still British at that point.

I'm also reminded that a number of Native Americans were executed without trial, and we were pretty big on tar & feathering people (often, but not always, fatal...And a REALLY bad way to go, as it took days to kill you) who were suspected of having the wrong values.

The Phillipine/American war also comes to mind. "Kill everyone over the age of 10." - General Smith.

"Nits make lice."
- General Sheridan

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I'm reminded that John Adams defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre.

Truly, we stand on the shoulders of giants.  Unfortunately, we're now taking massive dumps on their heads.

He was still British at that point.

I'm also reminded that a number of Native Americans were executed without trial, and we were pretty big on tar & feathering people (often, but not always, fatal...And a REALLY bad way to go, as it took days to kill you) who were suspected of having the wrong values.

The Phillipine/American war also comes to mind. "Kill everyone over the age of 10." - General Smith.

"Nits make lice."
- General Sheridan

No, that was John Brown.

Sheridan said things like "War is hell."

[Adios]

It was a close quarter live fire situation. I doubt they had time to make a nice pretty arrest with a bow and Miranda rights around it. I am sure reinforcements showing up was another potential threat. They were also aware that a helicopter was down and some may have to find another ride home.

In short, unless you've been there, done that.........

[The Good Reverend Roger]

In short, unless you've been there, done that.........

I have never agreed with that.

A better way of saying that is "It's really easy to second-guess the guy on the ground, after the fact."