The Power to Assassinate

[Revoltingest]

Killing a t

The target was a declared terrorist who was on the soil of a foreign nation where he planned and orchestrated an attack on the US embassy.

Would it then be legal if Iran took out Trump when he came to visit the troops?

 

[McBell]

Legality is determined in the jurisdiction where the case is heard.

The word "illegal" is in the definition...
Post number 5 has the definition all set out...
so no, legality is not determined by jurisdiction.

 

[Augustus]

Khashoggi was never a classic dissident: In fact, he’d served as the editor of government-backed newspapers and as a media adviser to members of the royal family.

Khashoggi was a sectarian bigot who shilled for the Saudis when they were murdering prominent Shia, and said the regime had the right to protect itself against 'traitors'. Not sure why he elicited much sympathy when he got the same treatment.

By his own words, he approved of his own murder, so he couldn't really have grumbled about it. The chickens very much came home to roost.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

The word assassinate has such negative connotations; I'd prefer using the term "take down of a terrorist" instead of using the word "assassinate."

and the phrase "take down of a terrorist" is rather biased in favor of the action, wouldn't you say?

As per the BBC article above, "targeted killing" seems to lack a positive or negative connotation, at least to me.

 

[Salvador]

Would it then be legal if Iran took out Trump when he came to visit the troops?

Trump would be considered as fair game by the Iranians, this is why extra top secret security measures are put in place by the U.S. presidency and secret service in order to protect our P.O.T.U.S. when he visits combat zones.

 

[shmogie]

Would it then be legal if Iran took out Trump when he came to visit the troops?

Probably by their law. Trumps action was legal by our law. If Iran did did that, they could all bend over and kiss their own asses goodbye.

International law is like Gumby, it can be twisted in any direction.

As an example, the dead terrorist general was slapped with a UN sanction, that he could not travel outside of Iran.

Of course, he traveled all over the middle east for years coordinating his terror attacks, even traveling to Venezuela. In fact, Iran violates international law on a regular basis.

Was the whacking of this guy a violation of international law ? I don't know, or care.

He was outside of Iran, he planned the attempted takeover of our embassy, he was involved in killing many Americans, he got exactly what he deserved, and it was legal by US law.

 

[Revoltingest]

Trump would be considered as fair game by the Iranians, this is why extra top secret security measures are put in place by the U.S. presidency and secret service in order to protect our P.O.T.U.S. when he visits combat zones.

But would he be considered fair game by the general standard Shmogie proffered?

 

[Revoltingest]

Probably by their law. Trumps action was legal by our law. If Iran did did that, they could all bend over and kiss their own asses goodbye.

International law is like Gumby, it can be twisted in any direction.

As an example, the dead terrorist general was slapped with a UN sanction, that he could not travel outside of Iran.

Of course, he traveled all over the middle east for years coordinating his terror attacks, even traveling to Venezuela. In fact, Iran violates international law on a regular basis.

Was the whacking of this guy a violation of international law ? I don't know, or care.

He was outside of Iran, he planned the attempted takeover of our embassy, he was involved in killing many Americans, he got exactly what he deserved, and it was legal by US law.

It seems that assassinations are always legal.
Alas, legal or otherwise, they're not always a good idea.

 

[shmogie]

It seems that assassinations are always legal.
Alas, legal or otherwise, they're not always a good idea.

Objectively, the legallity of international selected killing of important individuals can be legal, illegal at the same time, pretty murky.

These kinds of killings can backfire, as well as have advantages.

I find it interesting that assassination is a word derived from a Muslim word, where the technique was first honed to a fine art.

 

[Salvador]

But would he be considered fair game by the general standard Shmogie proffered?

If Donald Trump were taken out by Iranians, I'd fault the President's mis-handlers more than I'd blame Iran. Perhaps, Shmogie also realizes the foolishness of American troops still being in Iraq long after the fall of Saddam Hussein as well as ISIS.