This past Sunday, the rules of engagement changed. It happened at dawn, in the lawless Yemeni desert. Pushing a button, far away, a CIA operative launched a Hellfire missile from a high-flying pilot-less Predator drone. Six alleged Al Queda operatives died down below, and a murky legal and moral issue was born: Targeted Killings.
Calling it “assassination” conjures up poisons, snipers and shadows, executing a high-profile hit and slipping away, but is a remote control strike overseas so different? Critics worry that it may violate international conventions, risk backlash and set a nerve-wracking new precedent. Defenders say these are extreme times for the U.S. and extreme measures are needed to win.
Taking the “War on Terror” up a notch.
Guests:
Steven David, Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, and author of the forthcoming article: “Fatal Choices: Israel’s Policy of Targeted
Killing,” appearing in the spring issue of Ethics and International Affairs
and
Scott L. Silliman, Professor of Law at Duke University School of Law, and Executive Director of the Law School’s Center on Law, Ethics and National Security.