Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaguar
Yes, but you can say the same about "Bomber" Harris and "Hap" Arnold for example. They also killed a great many innocent people but they did it in a context of pure military reasoning. "Total" wars tend to kill large numbers of people, and rarely make a serious distinction between civilian and combatant.
OBL simply doesn´t fit here. He was a terrorist who was legitimally put down by the state he offended.
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I dont disagree, but the distinction for me is whether OBL was a criminal entitled to due process or part of an opposing enemy force who could be attacked at any time.
If the Germans had attacked the base where they were and killed Harris or Arnold, it would have been just another act of war, not a war crime.
OBL could not expect to be exempt from attack simply because he was not part of a formally constituted state.