NEWS: Ron Paul: Let Bounty Hunters Capture Bin Laden

[DisabledVet]

Click here for the original long shot story link story (http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0707/Ron_Paul_brings_back_a_whacky_post_911_bill.html)




Ron Paul brings back a wacky post 9/11 bill

It didn’t go anywhere in the tense days after the 9/11 attacks, but Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who is running a longshot bid for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, has re-introduced his proposal to authorize President Bush to commission private citizens or groups to go after Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.

Paul has offered legislation (H.R. 3216) to authorize Bush to issue “letters of marquee and reprisal” to those private citizens or entities that want “to seize outside the geographic boundaries of the United States and its territories the person and property of Osama bin Laden, of any al Qaeda co-conspirator, and of any conspirator with Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda who are responsible for the air piratical aggressions and depredations perpetrated upon the United States of America on September 11, 2001,” or future attacks.

Paul offered this proposal back in October 2001, arguing that it would allow “Congress to authorize the President to specifically target Bin Laden and his associates using non-government armed forces. Since it is nearly impossible for U.S. intelligence teams to get close to Bin Laden, the marque and reprisal approach creates an incentive for people in Afghanistan or elsewhere to turn him over to the [United States].”

Letters of marquee or reprisal were granted by European governments (as any Patrick O’Brian fan knows) to ship captains up until the mid-1800s during conflicts that weren’t full-scale wars but where a government wanted to harm or retaliate against another country or opponents. We’re talking “privateers” here, Sir Francis Drake and Captain Kidd and all that stuff - not quite pirates but not far short of it.

However, such commissions were banned by the Treaty of Paris in 1856, which ended the Crimean War. While the United States was not a party to that treaty, and the Confederate States of America issued such letters during the Civil War, they are pretty much an anachronism. But hey, this is Ron Paul, so why should anyone be surprised by this plan? And for all you Ron Paul lovers out there, he still isn't going to be elected president of the United States. Not gonna happen.

One other note – the Senate has recently voted to double the reward for bin Laden’s “apprehension or conviction,” and the Airline Pilots Association and Air Transport Association are offering another $2 million. The FBI says bin Laden “Should be considered armed and dangerous.”

[FSP-Rebel]

This author must be from Mars or something...Wacky? I don't get it.

[Birdlady]

Wow Ron Paul is now wacky for wanting to go after Osama bin Laden. I have heard it all! Uh..isn't that who was blamed for 9-11. Does this author realize what he is implying?

I say let's do whatever we can to get Osama by the means of private groups or citizens. Then when we find out that he has been dead for years, it will open the eyes of the American people. That's the reason why he isn't a priority anymore. He's dead...

[BIG_J]

Soldiers Of Fortune!

[bygone]

I'd have rather spent the $30 billion we just promised Isreal on this idea.

[Alabama Supporter]

This needs to be on DIGG...

[Matt Collins]

Larry the Cable Guy said something similar. We should give some good ole' boys from Kentucky $1,000 and all the beer they can drink if they can capture/kill Bin Laden. He said we'll have OBL strung up in the middle of Time's Square within a week because he wouldn't have a chance!

[Kregener]

This entire mess was NEVER about bin Laden.

[DeadheadForPaul]

What the hell is wrong with people. Stuff like this makes me almost have a nervous breakdown. What is going through his head? "Yeah...i'll take a shot at the one guy offering some new ideas on how to capture a mass murderer which we have failed to capture. Gee, I guess I should just continue to act like Osama bin Laden doesnt exist just like the politicians and media"

What an idiot

[LibertyEagle]

It's "wacky" because we haven't done it in a long time? That's stupid. It was a good idea when Paul first recommended it and it's a good idea now.

Did you notice his little dig about Paul not going to win? What an ass.

[guntherg16]

and it's Constitutional.

[Electric Church]

Good Idea...let them sick "the Dog" on him....he'll probably find a 5 year old corps

[Lord Xar]

Personally, I love this idea....

Why not? Its a great idea and one I fully support.

[Sean]

"the dog" will probably turned over to Mexico and be sitting in a Mexican prison sometime soon. Bush doesn't like people going to other countries and apprehending criminals.

[guntherg16]

Blackwater has thousands of soldiers of fortune working in Iraq.

I bet they could have ended the whole war on terror for a fraction of what has been spent in Iraq if the "Letters of Marque and Reprisal" legislation had passed back in '01.

[inibo]

I followed the link to the full article and read some of the comments. There many that are surprisingly positive that do not appear to be us.


Well, I don't see how it could hurt. God knows bush cant find him. Then again, bush couldn't find sand on a beach!


Wacky, how's that?? -- I don't even know who the hell Ron Paul is, but maybe I better start paying attention :)

I dugg it. There are two similar stores there already.

[winston84]

I'm not for private mercenaries conducting a warfare campaign in the service of the U.S. government, but this is certainly the best practical solution in capturing an international fugitive like Osama Bin Laden. Its more popular, more effective, less expensive and with less bloodshed.

[michaelwise]

I see that all the reporters and journalists have gotten the memo to include in their stories the line; He's not going to win.

Let me set the record strait.

It is a known fact that either Hillery or Obama is not going to win.
It is a known fact that either Guliani or Romney is not going to win.

I just want to let everyone to know, that at least three or more of those people are not going to win.

[RPatTheBeach]

This would make one hell of an episode of DOG: The Bounty Hunter!! Someone should write him!

[Keith]

In the days shortly after 911 everyone I knew was saying that we just needed to post a ten million dollar reward for every member of Al Queda. After we paid the first couple of rewards the rest of them would have been claimed pretty rapidly. Then we got distracted by all of the pretty explosions and common sense went out the window.

[Keith]

Yeah. No chance of getting elected. That is why every single comment on that page supports him.

[PatriotOne]

Well this would just make too much sense and the war profiteers like Haliburton can't make billions of dollars rebuilding Iraqi infastructure and buildings after we BOMBED the shit oiut of Iraq. Plus, Dog thre Bounty hunter can't secure the oil reserves. Plus who would buy all those weapons the profiteers wanted to sell? No, no, can't make any money off of paying off bounty hunters going after Osama....who is probably ALREADY DEAD.

[Original_Intent]

and it's Constitutional.

QFT

[monotony]

Well this would just make too much sense and the war profiteers like Haliburton can't make billions of dollars rebuilding Iraqi infastructure and buildings after we BOMBED the shit oiut of Iraq. Plus, Dog thre Bounty hunter can't secure the oil reserves. Plus who would buy all those weapons the profiteers wanted to sell? No, no, can't make any money off of paying off bounty hunters going after Osama....who is probably ALREADY DEAD.

Except Iraq isn't getting a new infrastructure and instead we are getting an Embassy the size of Vatican City and 12-14 similar bases.

Someone should suggest to Ron Paul that when he compares our embassy to the Vatican that he should say "Vatican City" instead of just "the Vatican". I it will really help people understand the scope of what's going on over there.

I wish they were actually rebuilding infrastructure but I'm sure not as much as the Iraqi's (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4414291.stm).

[d'anconia]

Nothing to 'catch'. He hasn't been in a new video in like 5 years... I *think* he just *might* be dead...

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Actually, this may very well work, bounty hunters are very effective at this kind of things, especially mercs. Why not? They would blaze their way through, they would be pretty ruthless, but do you want the guy, or not? They would probably snatch that guy up pretty quick, the real hardcore ones don't care about borders, they will do anything to get their man, they're civilians, so not bound by international law.

[ape]

I would love to see DOG tackle UBL while calling him an ICE HEAD. " YEA! GOT YOUR ASS YOU F***ING ICE HEAD ! ". Not to mention the ride back where he lectures him about not doing ICE.

I think Ron Pauls solution is the best one, bounty hunters / mercs would be more ruthless on how they would go about getting UBL.

[Craig_R]

theres a little poll on the left there , dont forget to vote ;)

[Devil_rules_in_extremes]

I'm all for it... It's a great way to capture wanted individuals who are in other countries. Yep, the Constitution actually works. This is a very lawful plan to capture international fugitives.

Ron Paul is doing the right thing, showing true defense and interest for America's national security. It's funny how the press calls such ideas "wacky".

Defending the United States, going after the one responsible for 9/11, and doing it in a lawful way is "wacky".

Shows you how backwards this country is right now.

[Kuldebar]

The biggest mischaracterization in the comments (ignoring the stupid ones) is that this issuing a Letter of Marque would have Americans go tramping around in a foreign country breaking laws and wreaking havoc.

Well, that's BS because the Marque doesn't have or pretend to have the power to forgive such transgressions, such responsibility would fall on the individual and their own actions (duh)

Additionally, this is less about Americans being likely to attempt to find Bin Laden, it's more about aiming at people far more likely to be around Bin Laden, those are the people you try to enlist for this type of thing.

So, once the Letter of Marque is issued, it gets publicized by various means, leaflet drops, TV, Internet, newspaper, posters and radio.

Once saturation is achieved, any cracks of loyalty in Bin Laden's power structure could become a severe liability to him rather fast.

[Keith]

theres a little poll on the left there , dont forget to vote ;)

Thanks. I left a comment last night but did not even realize there was a poll.