Hypothetically OBL

[galadrium]

If Osama Bin Laden was in the United States and somebody killed him, do you think they would be charged with anything?

Just Curious, What do you all think?

[mot78]

1. No

Most Americans would praise him/her for killing OBL.

[Shoedogg]

2. They'd be CHARGED, I'm sure...

...convicted, never.

I'd imagine a "temporary insanity" defense would work well. ("I saw OBL and I thought of those 3000 dead and I just snapped.")

Or...perhaps since he's an "enemy combatant" it would be considered justifiable homicide.

But then, what do I know?

[Catholic Sensation]

3. they wouldn't be charged

there's no way any member of law enforcement would charge someone with the killing of a mass murderer

[htuttle]

4. That's one of the problems with extra-judicial action

Extend it a bit even. What if he were in Britain or India or Japan? What if the country where he was killed wanted to file murder charges? Shouldn't they? What pull would US policy have in the laws of another country?

Orlando Letelier was assassinated in Washington DC, presumably by the Pinochet's agents (with CIA assistance, no doubt). What if China were to assassinate a non-US citizen here in the US? Would there be any circumstances where it would be legal, or even 'okay'?

And how about 'collateral damage', you know, innocent civilians killed in the process?
The US shot a missle at a jeep in Yemen last year, explaining that there was an Al Queda 'commander' in the vehicle. There were three other people in the vehicle killed along with them. The Bush admin said, 'if they were with that guy, they couldn't have been innocent'. Capital punishment by association now. Hope one of them wasn't a hitchhiker. Would it matter to Americans if one of them was?

Questions, questions...

[galadrium]

5. What about the reward for his capture?

How do you all think that would factor in?