CNN is saying it is Zawahiri (the Egyptian I think). The sooner he's caught or killed the better.
Whether he is the brains of the operation or not, removing leaders from a group invariably diminishes the group. The next thing would be to catch those who'd replace him and to prevent more people from joining their asylum.
I look forward immensely to bin Laden or any of al qaeda's top people being caught, alive, and then having their day in court. Best of all, I would love to see bin Laden himself tried in a US court where he gets an open, public, televised trial....the trial of the millennium...as opposed to a Taliban-style military tribunal where all the evidence is kept secret.
If bin Laden was tried in the US, how long would it take to get to prepare cases, re. defense and prosecution? Who would dare defend, or try to defend this man? What kind of security arrangements would have to made around the courthouse? Of course, there's a mountain of evidence against him regarding a variety of terror attacks against US interests overseas (Us embassies in Africa, the USS Cole etc), but what kind of case could be leveled against him re. 9-11? The only evidence we have against him (as regards that particular incident) is a videotape, supposedly found in a house in Kandahar, where "bin Laden" looks like a poor double, and the Pentagon's subtitled translation from Arabic to English is a joke.
Would the Bush administration allow a public trial of bin Laden re. 9-11, considering that this could open one huge can of worms regarding Saudi involvement and financing of Al Qaeda by people both in and closely connected to the oil industry, including top people the Bush administration? Could bin Laden ever face real justice, as Bush has said so many times in the past?
Bin Landen is beyond the legal system. This is not a matter for the civilian courts. This is a war and the military has their own system for dealing with people like bin laden.
You see there is a problem with thinking that these people or anyone like them are evil. The problem lies in the fact that it makes their actions inexplicable (which they aren't) and doesn't allow us to think about what can be done to deal with potentially future versions of the same thing...
Problem is, Al Qaeda will find this as an excuse to blow something else up. "You have angered God greatly so we must retaliate..."
I don't see how that's a problem. They're going to blow shit up anyway. Do you propose we stop trying to catch people and thus hope they just decide to suddenly not hate us?
Maybe the FBI should get a warrant before they search that compound in Pakistan. Otherwise the evidence gathered there wont be admitted into the future trial.
Bin Landen is beyond the legal system. This is not a matter for the civilian courts. This is a war and the military has their own system for dealing with people like bin laden.
Scott, some of the world's worst war criminals from Nazi Germany WW2 were tried in the Nuremburg war crimes court, with very public hearings and civilized procedure. We can either deal with bad guys in a fashion that defits a civil society, or we can descend to their level.
You say this is war: well there are international protocols that the United States is a signatory to, that cover war. What do *you* recommend that is so different?
Comments
Originally posted by DMBand0026
Next stop...Bin Laden. That douche bag is as good as caught.
They are still not sure, but they are using terms like "strong suspician", it could
Alive would be peachy though. Cuba's lovely this time of year (assume U.S. gets custody).
Originally posted by Powerdoc
It will be good to catch or kill Bin Laden, but we should aware that Al Quaeda will not stop with him.
Yeah but if it is #2 there goes the brains of Al-Qeada.
Originally posted by NaplesX
Yeah but if it is #2 there goes the brains of Al-Qeada.
The problem is, it doesn't take much brains to hand out bombs to blow people up.
There will be another to take his place... maybe not as competent, maybe more so (hopefully not). But another will step up.
But yes, if this happens, it's a big win.
Whether he is the brains of the operation or not, removing leaders from a group invariably diminishes the group. The next thing would be to catch those who'd replace him and to prevent more people from joining their asylum.
Originally posted by nwhysee
Problem is, Al Qaeda will find this as an excuse to blow something else up. "You have angered God greatly so we must retaliate..."
Are you suggesting that evil not be confronted?
If bin Laden was tried in the US, how long would it take to get to prepare cases, re. defense and prosecution? Who would dare defend, or try to defend this man? What kind of security arrangements would have to made around the courthouse? Of course, there's a mountain of evidence against him regarding a variety of terror attacks against US interests overseas (Us embassies in Africa, the USS Cole etc), but what kind of case could be leveled against him re. 9-11? The only evidence we have against him (as regards that particular incident) is a videotape, supposedly found in a house in Kandahar, where "bin Laden" looks like a poor double, and the Pentagon's subtitled translation from Arabic to English is a joke.
Would the Bush administration allow a public trial of bin Laden re. 9-11, considering that this could open one huge can of worms regarding Saudi involvement and financing of Al Qaeda by people both in and closely connected to the oil industry, including top people the Bush administration? Could bin Laden ever face real justice, as Bush has said so many times in the past?
Originally posted by NaplesX
Are you suggesting that evil not be confronted?
You see there is a problem with thinking that these people or anyone like them are evil. The problem lies in the fact that it makes their actions inexplicable (which they aren't) and doesn't allow us to think about what can be done to deal with potentially future versions of the same thing...
Originally posted by nwhysee
Problem is, Al Qaeda will find this as an excuse to blow something else up. "You have angered God greatly so we must retaliate..."
I don't see how that's a problem. They're going to blow shit up anyway. Do you propose we stop trying to catch people and thus hope they just decide to suddenly not hate us?
Did they have a warrant for all those caves?
Originally posted by Scott
Bin Landen is beyond the legal system. This is not a matter for the civilian courts. This is a war and the military has their own system for dealing with people like bin laden.
Scott, some of the world's worst war criminals from Nazi Germany WW2 were tried in the Nuremburg war crimes court, with very public hearings and civilized procedure. We can either deal with bad guys in a fashion that defits a civil society, or we can descend to their level.
You say this is war: well there are international protocols that the United States is a signatory to, that cover war. What do *you* recommend that is so different?