A known AlQuaeda top lieutenant is positively identified as riding a public bus in southern afghanistan, the Bus is public transportation and ferries farmers and other civilians back and forth between villages---it is carrying approximately 40 civilians ..including the Alquaeda top lieutenant and a couple body guards.
A predator drone is available to take out the bus right now.....but the window is closing as it will run out of fuel in the next 15 minutes.....should the United States of American take out that Bus??
2007-07-16 15:20:27 · 7 answers · asked by ningis n 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
The intentional killing of uninvolved, innocent individuals no matter HOW important the target subject -- would make you a murderer and not a dollar different in your philosophy from the very enemy that you seek to eliminate !! The end does NOT justify the means --- IF you have any principles at all !!
There are ways of dealing with a situation like this through "rapid deploy specialists" and by way of high speed delivery of these personnel -- setting a surgical "removal" in place would -- or should -- be a matter of tactical implementation !!
2007-07-16 15:43:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The old ticking time-bomb problem, eh.
Unfortunately, EVERY country, not just the US, always has and always will continue to make the affirmative decision here. No country on Earth would give it a second thought. They never have and they never will.
Just make sure you're not on the bus, because being involved in almost any newsworthy event, short of the lottery pretty much sucks.
Despite what uninformed people will say, every president or premiere or chancellor or king/queen/emperor or whatever, practically speaking every leader in modern and most of the rest of history has been in the position of HAVING to sacrifice "innocents" to obtain objectives (military or otherwise).
It is the very lucky leader that doesn't HAVE to make these horrible decisions, but all should be prepared to do so.
Its may be considered one of the virginal tests of statecraft and leadership. it just goes to show that as a species , let's just say , there's a lot of room for improvement.
2007-07-16 22:42:23 · answer #2 · answered by Mark T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. The death of that person will not cripple Al Qaeda, therefore does not justify the intentional killing of many uninvolved bystanders.
In the past, top Al Qaeda leaders have been killed in their own safe-houses and meeting places, where others present can be presumed to know their identity and purpose and are therefore their allies. That is different from knowingly and intentionally killing civilians innocent of any involvement or collusion.
2007-07-16 22:27:25 · answer #3 · answered by speakeasy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
Why? Simple.
Kill him and there will be a new Lieutenant tomorrow.
Kill the innocents on that bus and one of their relatives will BECOME that Lieutenant. And he'll bring 30 more angry, heartbroken relatives out for revenge into the organization with him.
Take him out with them and you only ultimately SERVE the terrorists.
2007-07-16 22:40:13 · answer #4 · answered by Atavacron 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not in the US.
US law (and the US constitution) absolutely prohibits such actions.
Anywhere else it becomes a simple question.....
Do you want to use the same methods that the terrorist uses to accomplish their goals? And if so, how does that make you any different than them?
2007-07-16 22:36:32 · answer #5 · answered by coragryph 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Going on history you know what they would do.
which equals the reason for Americas popularity in the world
2007-07-16 22:24:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If I knew where he was getting on or off a bus, I would pick him off there with a gun.
2007-07-16 22:28:53 · answer #7 · answered by T I 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋