If the USA were to corner Osama bin Laden in a cave, would you rather he be killed or taken alive?

Question

I think this is an interesting question because there would be huge ramifications for any result of a situation.

Would we want to have at trial for Bin Laden? Wouldn't that be the most civil way to deal with someone who has tried to detroy CIVILization?

If we killed him, however, he would be a martyr, and that would cause all sorts of anger against us.

But if we took him alive, there would still be anger.

What do you think?

What would you want to see happen if this situation occurred?

Answer 1

Taken alive..then tried and given life in prison so that he may NEVER die honorably for his cause. Even though he deserves no less then death for his crimes.

Answer 2

Yes, there would be a lot of anger in the world, and a lot of anti-us sentiment. There might be a bit more respect gained for the US in the west and in a lot of the middle east as well because there is a large, much less vocal faction of arabs that think he is insane as well.

As far as the situation of cornering him in the cave. I really would be shocked if he allowed himself to be taken alive. You're exactly right on the martyr card and I think that he would ensure that that is the way he went out. If he believed that his own capture was inevitable, I would be he would ensure he that he was not taken alive for the sheer purpose of going out as a martyr.

Answer 3

Just like Saddam Hussain,it would take forever to get a trial but one would come around eventully.He would most likey get the death penelty,

Osama Bin Laden-9/11
Saddam-murder of his own people

Answer 4

Kill him. I thought the Saddam situation was ridiculous and it all ends the same anyway.

Did you know that when the Army SF first invaded Afghanistan they were carrying coolers of dry ice with them? President Bush said he wanted Bin Laden's head, and that's exactly what they aimed to give him. That's so awesome.

Answer 5

I think dead is the best way to take him. Less trouble to deal with. If he is taken alive, folks like Michael Moore (who already ridiculed the notion he could plan attacks from a dirty cave in Afghanistan) will turn him into our national nightmare. The ACLU will stick up for his Civil Rights, Left-wing propagandists will insist he may be innocent and needs his day in court...

If he is taken alive, it should never, ever get out to the public. Let the CIA grill him as long as they like then dispose of the body when he is no longer useful.

Answer 6

I think we should capture him alive. But then, since he liked to chop peoples heads off on video, we should allow his execution to be live on all T.V. Stations world wide. Have him sit on a bomb that is motion triggered and if he moves, well...that's all folks!!!! All this being recorded live non-stop action suspense. Beat that.

Answer 7

Taken alive should always be the preference if at all possible in all cases....so that criminals can be brought to justice and get their day in court,found guilty and then executed.

Answer 8

Well I want him executed but I wanna take him alive for a trial if we can, if we have to kill him like we did to Uday Hussein and his Brother then so be it.

We will do what we have to.

Answer 9

No, he would be killed.For two reasons,1st) He knows too much.2 ) If he was captured alive and jailed a huge movement of protests would raise among many arabs( this last one was the reason why USA ordered the assasination of Che Guevara once he was captured).

Answer 10

Taken alive and have him tried in our courts. If all went as I would hope, we could send him to Angola prison in Louisiana.