Killing Bin Laden UnChristian, Illegal?

More Bin Laden related videos at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PL047F4B3E2F7BC8B6

When Bill Maher on HBO's "Real Time" referenced President Barack Obama's recent "60 Minutes" interview to argue that killing Osama Bin Laden was not consistent with Christianity, it also raised the question of the legality of going into another country and shooting an unarmed man in the head, as I discuss in this video.

The clips I use of Bill Maher comes from the New Rules segment on HBO's May 13, 2011, broadcast of "Real Time with Bill Maher" currently available online at http://itsh.bo/jOfFuA

The clip I use of President Barack Obama comes from his interview on CBS's May 8, 2011, broadcast of "60 Minutes" currently available online at http://bit.ly/kzyCav

The image I use of my own "Osama Bin Laden related videos" playlist comes from the YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PL047F4B3E2F7BC8B6

The image I use of the Us Congress' September 18, 2001, Authorization for Use of Military Force comes from the Findlaw page at http://news.findlaw.com/wp/docs/terrorism/sjres23.es.html

The image I use of 2009 Pew research Center poll on "The Religious Dimensions of the Torture Debate" comes from the webpage at http://bit.ly/iMg60x

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[gooyzit]

Capturing Bid Laden Alive and putting him on trail would of been more of a pycholgical defeat to Al Qadea because they were expecting him to die anyway. Instead of having him embarassed on the world stage Bid Laden is now a Myrter, The whole 9/11 attack played out better then any terrorist dreamed of, American's are now afraid to go outside, we willing surrender our rights for a false feeling of security, and we give our enemies the deaths that they want.

[kandtell]

In this case you could do this be imagining how you would have reacted if the UK had sent the SAS to the US in the 1980s in an attempt to capture one of the IRA terrorists who were hiding out in your country, and that in the course of the raid the SAS had shot and killed the IRA terrorist instead.

I realise that some Americans would not have regarded the IRA as terrorists, but then some people in Pakistan would not regard Bin Laden as a terrorist either.

[KittenKoder]

Wait a minute! .... I did join Greenpeace ... and I do hate whales ... grrr. Now I have to change groups again.

[CViFi]

Actually, if you ignore all the Jesus stuff, you are a jew... (in the sense of religion for morals is concerned)

So bill is right and wrong, it depends on the view. Morally christian, NO!; Christian believer... maybe.

[kandtell]

But what if his defence was "Heads of state are allowed to murder people they don't like anywhere in the world, everyone is doing it".

[kandtell]

@falubii Your right. It's not an accurate analogy.

It wasn't meant to be really.

I'm just saying that US citizens ought to be concerned that this might set a precedent.

If the US starts sending special forces all over the world without permission or some kind of international agreement then other countries might start doing the same.

Where will it end?

I'm personally furious that Putin almost certainly had Alexander Litvinenko murdered in London.

I'd love to see him in court for that. cont

[falubii]

@kandtell I don't disagree with you, but I do feel the magnitude of Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda's crimes was larger. And to compare the United States' relationship to the UK with its relationship to Pakistan is just inaccurate.

[ptango101]

Just a question. How sure are we that Bin laden did it? I have a vague recollection of seeing some crappy video footage with some guy supposedly confessing in the captions but that is it. Was that him in the video? Was the translation right even? I am not pointing at the government or a 9/11 truther. I just think that when you are going to kill another human being and then dance in the streets about it you better be sure of your facts. My questions are sincere.

[drfitnessnow]

If OBL was so guilty, why didn't we just convict him in absentia, which has been done to others in the past, for the whole world to see? Did we really have the evidence to do so? If we did, have the evidence, why didn't we? It would've made the whole things so much more legit, esp. to the rest of the world. But Bill Maher is right...of all the religions of the world, these people pick the 'turn the other cheek' guy while they have bloodlust in their hearts...it's in vogue to 'act' christ-like

[Catsion]

@alejandronoe War is optional... Terrorists are not considered an external threat. And their work continues during peaceful periods - just to keep governments in mod. Also, "terrorists" sometime are mistaken for "refugees" and vise-verse. However, if a terrorist (ideological leader) stations himself outside the country, he is considered an external threat. Now it is only two option: diplomacy or military action. If you have thought about any other organization,it's still diplomacy.

[alejandronoe]

@Catsion that is bullshit that only applies if the 2 nations are in war which is not the case so cut the crap

[alejandronoe]

it is just legal if u think that the only framework are the laws of ur country and there is such a thing as international court and by the way the laws of the us only apply in the us not in other places so yeah it is illegal but i think it was a good thing just don't make it a habit o i know is already to late is almost the us past time violating international agreements and laws