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Originally Posted by Honus
Under any circumstances? I don't know the details of this latest killing, but your policy seems like it would unreasonably shackle our counter-terrorism efforts. I assume that you would not oppose the extra-judicial killing of an American citizen who is wearing a uniform and fighting against us in a war (declared or otherwise). Is that true? If so, where and how would you draw the line between permissible and impermissible extra-judicial killing?
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Those are very good points. Obviously I have not thought it through.
I think uniformed soldiers are protected by the Geneva Conventions. So if captured I suspect he would be held as a lawful enemy combatant, but I don't know. That's an interesting question.
If in enemy uniform then he's a fair target. A uniform identifies combatant status. I believe that in the past a captured American in enemy uniform was subject to constitutional trial as a spy. Not sure.
I guess my major beef is the concept of targeted killing. I do not understand why there is some distinction between assassination and targeted killing. I can't put my finger on why it makes me uncomfortable. From a logical POV we might say that targeting enemy gov officials would subject our own to similar targeting.
Finally, I have a problem with killing citizens without due process of law. I have no problem mowing-down foreign combatants. I want a higher standard for our own citizens. Else, what's to stop some president from okaying the killing of a political opponent as a threat to state security?