Poll: Anwar al-Awlaki's Death: Justice or Assassination?

[Smagmuck_]

Thankfully, the War itself has been dragging on for ten years, it's becoming evident that the Us Gov't is getting antsy at getting this over and done with so we can concentrate on more important things...
Like taking over Mexico for the Evuls...
Or fix the Economy...

 

[cookyy2k]

You don't feel sorry for SS soldiers killed in the second world war, so why feel sorry for him?

I feel sorry for any victim of a real war, I know someone who served in the SS, because it was serve and your family will be looked after or don't and we shoot you all. He had friends who were there for the same reason who died and you have to kinda feel sorry for them, or at least I do.

OT. This whole modern war style sits nicely on the dual standards of thinking. In world war 2 the French (and other occupied nations) resistance basically invented this kind of way to fight back against a numerically and technologically superior force sat in their homeland, they are hailed as heroes because the allies won. When the Afghans or Iraqis (and Vietcong back in the day) do it they're evil and cowardly (as the media keeps branding them). I think anyone who will fight and die for their principals is damn brave. I doubt many in the modern day UK would be willing to die on principal as most I see don't have any.

 

[Jakub324]

You don't feel sorry for SS soldiers killed in the second world war, so why feel sorry for him?

I feel sorry for any victim of a real war, I know someone who served in the SS, because it was serve and your family will be looked after or don't and we shoot you all. He had friends who were there for the same reason who died and you have to kinda feel sorry for them, or at least I do.

OT. This whole modern war style sits nicely on the dual standards of thinking. In world war 2 the French (and other occupied nations) resistance basically invented this kind of way to fight back against a numerically and technologically superior force sat in their homeland, they are hailed as heroes because the allies won. When the Afghans or Iraqis (and Vietcong back in the day) do it they're evil and cowardly (as the media keeps branding them). I think anyone who will fight and die for their principals is damn brave. I doubt many in the modern day UK would be willing to die on principal as most I see don't have any.

I feel sorry for the normal people who were forced in, but too many of them weren't.

 

[cookyy2k]

You don't feel sorry for SS soldiers killed in the second world war, so why feel sorry for him?

I feel sorry for any victim of a real war, I know someone who served in the SS, because it was serve and your family will be looked after or don't and we shoot you all. He had friends who were there for the same reason who died and you have to kinda feel sorry for them, or at least I do.

OT. This whole modern war style sits nicely on the dual standards of thinking. In world war 2 the French (and other occupied nations) resistance basically invented this kind of way to fight back against a numerically and technologically superior force sat in their homeland, they are hailed as heroes because the allies won. When the Afghans or Iraqis (and Vietcong back in the day) do it they're evil and cowardly (as the media keeps branding them). I think anyone who will fight and die for their principals is damn brave. I doubt many in the modern day UK would be willing to die on principal as most I see don't have any.

I feel sorry for the normal people who were forced in, but too many of them weren't.

Many weren't forced into the British army though, still feel sorry for those if they're killed? of course you do because they're on your side even though they knew what they were getting into.

 

[Jakub324]

You don't feel sorry for SS soldiers killed in the second world war, so why feel sorry for him?

I feel sorry for any victim of a real war, I know someone who served in the SS, because it was serve and your family will be looked after or don't and we shoot you all. He had friends who were there for the same reason who died and you have to kinda feel sorry for them, or at least I do.

OT. This whole modern war style sits nicely on the dual standards of thinking. In world war 2 the French (and other occupied nations) resistance basically invented this kind of way to fight back against a numerically and technologically superior force sat in their homeland, they are hailed as heroes because the allies won. When the Afghans or Iraqis (and Vietcong back in the day) do it they're evil and cowardly (as the media keeps branding them). I think anyone who will fight and die for their principals is damn brave. I doubt many in the modern day UK would be willing to die on principal as most I see don't have any.

I feel sorry for the normal people who were forced in, but too many of them weren't.

Many weren't forced into the British army though, still feel sorry for those if they're killed? of course you do because they're on your side even though they knew what they were getting into.

Comparing the SS to the British Army is stupid. The SS were fanatical in their loyalty (not the ones who were forced in). Did you know they rounded up boys and old men who refused to fight the Soviets in Berlin and shot them? Of course you do. That's hardly the worst thing they did, either. What they did is unforgivable. Anyone who did what they did is beyond forgiveness. The British bombing of Dresden, for example. That should never have happened, and is to my mind just as bad as rounding up civilians and shooting them. Still, no matter how bad the SS were, the Soviets were worse. Millions of "liberators" who were actually uncontrollable rapists, murderers and looters. Criminals.

 

[Jadak]

Terrorist = Dead. Do not care beyond that.

If anyone wants to make controversy over maybe he was or maybe he wasn't a terrorist, that's the sort of argument I can see having a place (although I still wouldn't care). If everyone can agree that he was one of the "bad guys", then whatever.

 

[Undead Dragon King]

Your choices suck. He didn't give up his citizenship, but he became an enemy combatant. As such, he was a valid military target.

Notice the word "effectively", not "actually" in choice 1.

 

[Ashannon Blackthorn]

Thing is this. If Al-Awlaki thought that killing every single person who supported him would benefit him and his ideals I have a feeling he'd do it. This is a group that targets innocents themselves to achieve their own ends. You can say he wasn't given the due process of the law (aka trial) but he won't give the same luxury to those who are against him. He'll just kill them.

So when does the government say "enough is enough" and decide to treat those people how they treat others? Well, the US is doing it now, just instead of bombs in turbans (The assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani), they use unmanned drones (al-Awlaki)and strike teams (Osama bin Laden).

 

[Kolby Jack]

So the leader of AQAP, which has been declared by the government to be the #1 threat to America even over Al Qaeda for a few years now is dead. Nice.

As far as I see it, he killed himself. What other way is there to see it when someone dedicates their life to murdering innocents and is killed by those seeking retribution and justice? I'm not exactly a big-time patriot, but I'm no moron either. These guy's deaths make the world a better place, period.

 

[Stall]

Somewhere in between. It's not like US government (the CIA in particular) have ever been above assassination.

 

[Dr Snakeman]

I'd like to say that it was a lucky shot, the drone was probably aiming at a hospital\school and hit him by mistake.

I'm sorry, but was that supposed to be a joke? Because I'm not laughing.

Really? Because I thought it was kind of clever. A sort of parody of what the crazy anti-American types would say.

Of course, I am assuming it was a joke. If 'ol wooty here actually is one of those types, then he's just an ass and there's nothing more to be seen here.

 

[wooty]

I'd like to say that it was a lucky shot, the drone was probably aiming at a hospital\school and hit him by mistake.

It's cutesy people like this that instigate more problems than their so-called 'morals' solve.

Go fuck yourself, sir.

Nah, ill pass on that suggestion madam.
Though ive never been called cutesy before, lets hope its something my morals can live with.

 

[Grickit]

Imagine this power (the power to murder American citizens with no trial the moment they leave the country) in the hands of an irresponsible administration.

Yes we hate this target. He was a bad dude. But it's a horrible precedent. Consider all the people with the authority to make this happen. Including the ones that haven't been elected yet. The ones that haven't even been born yet. Do you trust those people to not abuse this? You trust every single one of them?

What if you're just an outspoken protester of some government policy? The current administration hates you. And they're as corrupt as Nixon. You go on a vacation to somewhere remote. You wake up in the middle of the night just in time to see everything around you explode. You're an American citizen, but your government just executed you. No trial. No justice. And it's legal because back in 2011 we let them get away with doing it.


No. The people responsible for this must be punished.

 

[Calbeck]

http://law.onecle.com/constitution/article-3/40-treason.html

SECTION 3. Clause 1. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.

al-Awlaki did not "effectively give up his citizenship", as the loaded poll question asks (which is why I answered "Why are we even talking about this?"), but surrendering his citizenship wasn't a prerequisite for killing him.

Nor is it necessary, when an American has fled to a foreign country to carry out his or her attacks on the United States, or to provide aid and comfort to those carrying out such attacks, to arrest that person in some manner which allows them to be brought to the United States for trial.

Not one jot more than if an American had joined the Luftwaffe, or even merely Goebbels' Propaganda Ministry, in 1942.

 

[Grickit]

Also, are we okay with other countries using drones (in a hypothetical future where any other country could afford them ) to kill their citizens seeking refuge here in the states?

 

[Calbeck]

I'd like to say that it was a lucky shot, the drone was probably aiming at a hospital\school and hit him by mistake.

I'm sorry, but was that supposed to be a joke? Because I'm not laughing.

Obvious troll is obvious. Please do not feed the parasprites.

 

[Atmos Duality]

The Slippery Slope has a sled.
It's called the "National Security" clause.

As a matter of morality and ethics, the man was dedicating his life towards the explicit murder and destruction of others. The problem with arguing for "non-lethal/non-violent" treatment of such people is that they will do everything in their power to maximize your losses even if you do get them by the short hairs.

His death, for all practical purposes, probably saved the lives of both those he was targeting in his campaign, and those he would use for such.