Death of Osama bin Laden, ten years later ... Options

[melloden]

Death of Osama bin Laden (T-H-L-K-D)

Twatty AfDers.

[It's the blimp, Frank]

The US government is now admitting that bin Laden was unarmed. Presumably his wife was unarmed, too, when she was shot while "rushing the assault team." She must have looked pretty scary.

Osama bin Laden (T-H-L-K-D) does not acknowledge any of this. It says that "Bin Laden, three other men, and a woman were killed in a firefight in which U.S. forces did not experience any injuries or casualties." Well, Duh.

Death of Osama bin Laden (T-H-L-K-D) says that "According to U.S. officials, Bin Laden resisted the American special operation team. He was unarmed when he was shot." Since apparently he was not "rushing the assault team" along with his wife, exactly how was he resisting? Flipping the bird?

This looks like a summary execution, and I don't think it is going to help Obama's popularity all that much. I don't think even Dubya would have done this.

[anthony]

Death of Osama bin Laden (T-H-L-K-D) says that "According to U.S. officials, Bin Laden resisted the American special operation team. He was unarmed when he was shot." Since apparently he was not "rushing the assault team" along with his wife, exactly how was he resisting? Flipping the bird?

They said "surrender", he said "no", they shot him (*)? That pretty much seems to be within the rules of engagement, though I can't tell for sure since they're classified.

(*) "First, UBL was targetable based on his status alone, not just his conduct at the moment, so long as he had not surrendered (just as a bomb may be dropped on the quarters of enemy soldiers (and their commanders) while they sleep, unarmed). There is no obligation in combat, under IHL, to say to an otherwise lawful target “surrender or we’ll shoot.”" - Leon Panetta (http://www.lawfareblog.com/2011/05/on-the-...title-50-issue/)

An enemy combatant can legally be shot in the back while he tries to escape, can't he?

2. A person is hors de combat if:
(a) he is in the power of an adverse Party;
(b) he clearly expresses an intention to surrender; or
© he has been rendered unconscious or is otherwise incapacitated by wounds or sickness, and therefore is incapable of defending himself;

provided that in any of these cases he abstains from any hostile act and does not attempt to escape.

(http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/470?OpenDocument)

This looks like a summary execution, and I don't think it is going to help Obama's popularity all that much. I don't think even Dubya would have done this.

It's too bad he hadn't.

This post has been edited by anthony: Thu 5th May 2011, 4:53am