Thread: Obama approves the killing of an American citizen.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

It hits closer to home and makes American citizens, who generally feel safe from such a threat, see more of a threat to themselves.

How do you feel about the policy? How do you feel about waterboarding?

He's only being targeted because he's outside of the country. If he was in the US, he'd be arrested by the FBI or Homeland as a criminal, even if he was a foreign national. But because he's in a warzone, and some of his terrorist activites are taking place abroad, he's being treated as a war combatant. I don't see how nationality really comes into play here. If an American journalist was shadowing a group of soldiers in Iraq, then decided to run across the front lines and fight with the insurgents, you'd still shoot at him. Not sure how waterboarding is relevant here.

And I assume that they are trying to kill him simply because it is easier than capturing him. I'm sure they'd capture him if the opportunity arose, but figuring out where he lives and dropping a laser-guided bomb on his house is easier than putting people on the ground in harm's way to extract him.

You are such a warmonger.

Misleading titles are misleading.

"and Reuters reported on Tuesday that he was approved for capture or killing"

Just like any Al Qaeda.

Originally Posted by Black_Eagle

Misleading titles are misleading.

"and Reuters reported on Tuesday that he was approved for capture or killing"

Just like any Al Qaeda.

Approval of capture or killing is approval of killing.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

Not sure how waterboarding is relevant here.

Have you come across any of the passionate outcries against waterboarding? Is killing worse than waterboarding?

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Have you come across any of the passionate outcries against waterboarding? Is killing worse than waterboarding?

Lots of people are against any form of torture. I'm against "hard" torture, as it is generally ineffective and leads to false confessions, let alone the ethical implications. I think that "soft" torture (sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation, etc.) is more acceptable, and will soften a subject up for interrogation, but I wouldn't condone it for anything else but interrogating. Waterboarding is kind of in the middle... If performed correctly, it shouldn't leave any permanent damage, but it's still pretty drastic. I'd be curious to find out how effective it is.

I find killing an enemy in wartime far less controversial than torturing one.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

I find killing an enemy in wartime far less controversial than torturing one.

Interesting social phenomenon.