aGameOfThrones
05-04-2011, 06:33 PM
The killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. commandos in Pakistan was met with great relief by Americans of all political stripes. Whether one labels the fight against Al Qaeda, as President George W. Bush did, a “war on terror” or, like President Barack Obama does, a “war against Al Qaeda, a far-reaching network of violence and hatred that attacked us on 9/11,” bin Laden personified the evil of this war.
His killing is lawful — for many of the same reasons that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization attack on Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi is also likely lawful.
Bin Laden’s killing riveted world attention, but the international community had earlier been focused on the NATO airstrike last weekend that killed Qadhafi’s son, Saif al-Arab Qadhafi, and three grandchildren. Qadhafi himself escaped.
Some now argue that it is unlawful to target Qadhafi. NATO has been put on the defensive. But it shouldn’t apologize. The law is on its side.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 reaffirmed that the situation in Libya threatened international peace and security. Crucially, the resolution, in paragraph 4, authorized member states to “take all necessary measures … to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya” subject only to some procedural requirements.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54316.html
His killing is lawful — for many of the same reasons that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization attack on Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi is also likely lawful.
Bin Laden’s killing riveted world attention, but the international community had earlier been focused on the NATO airstrike last weekend that killed Qadhafi’s son, Saif al-Arab Qadhafi, and three grandchildren. Qadhafi himself escaped.
Some now argue that it is unlawful to target Qadhafi. NATO has been put on the defensive. But it shouldn’t apologize. The law is on its side.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 reaffirmed that the situation in Libya threatened international peace and security. Crucially, the resolution, in paragraph 4, authorized member states to “take all necessary measures … to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya” subject only to some procedural requirements.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54316.html