Is it lawful to kill Gaddafi?

[Kurmudgeon]

"As U.S. officials admit that CIA spies are working covertly in Libya, former top U.N. jurist Geoffrey Robertson reports on whether international law permits the assassination of Gaddafi."
http://bltwy.msnbc.msn.com/politics/is-it-lawful-to-kill-gaddafi-1684772.story

[Possumpoint]

1. Would I Cry If He Was?

No!

[William769]

2. No, it's not lawful.

But accidents do happen.

[Old and In the Way]

3. I think it should be.

Definitely not a unilateral policy of any one country, but if the facts warrant taking out a leader(s) who is/are committing atrocities against the people of his/their country and a significant majority of UN members vote affirmatively, I'd have not problem giving said dictator(s) 24 hours to vacate or have a $10MM bounty placed on his/their head.

Not only would the inflicted population not have more collateral damage visited upon them by outside forces trying to remove the person(s), but it should change governing behavior of future tyrants/despots/juntas/megalomaniacs who take over a country by force and kill indiscriminately to maintain control, especially if there are a few applied examples of this policy.

[dkf]

4. That makes our President fair game if he/she is perceived to be killing people unjustly.

[Old and In the Way]

6. Bush should be held accountable for war crimes.

He lied about a casus belli and 100's of thousands of innocent Iraqi's paid the price.

If our President was mass murdering Americans using the tools of military technology here, I'd have no problems with the UN stepping in to stop it...would you?

[dkf]

7. But would you advocate their approving assassinating our President?

[Old and In the Way]

8. You did read my qualifier, yes?

"If our President was mass murdering Americans using the tools of military technology here, I'd have no problems with the UN stepping in to stop it...would you?"

Just because he's President of the USA grants him no exceptionalism on mass murdering the citizens of this country. If we couldn't stop him, I'd hope the rest of the world would step in to take care of the problem.

[bluedigger]

5. A better question is "Is it moral to kill Gaddaffi?"

:shrug:

[Kurmudgeon]

9. If he's guilty of mass killings of his own citizens, then I'd say yes. n/m

[louslobbs]

10. I guess that would depend on whether laws matter or not, ask Governor Walker about abiding by laws

and rules or any Republicon, Fox Gop nut, Koch heads, Bachmann and King types,and I'm sure the answer becomes pretty simple. It all depends on the people in power who choose to obey or flaunt our laws or constitution. It depends on whether or not the Geneva Conventions are followed or their interpretation skewed by a sick mind to do what one in power chooses to do. Morality and Integrity, for those who posses them, can always be of assistance in helping one to decide what is right from wrong when ignoring laws, of course at that point, you have neither morality nor integrity, but what if like the Republicons, some Dem's, Koch, Fox, corporations and quite a few others in positions of power, you have no morality or integrity? What if all you have is a faux "expressed" belief in a sky god, words that don't match your ugly deeds and hypocrisy(GOP) is your middle name? Then, once again, I think the answer for me at least, becomes crystal clear.
Lou

[Lindsey]

11. As much as I want him to go to the other side, It's not lawful. n/t

[louslobbs]

12. Thank you Lindsey

Lou

[provis99]

13. it's bizarre.

Its an example of how world leaders conspire together against the rest of us. Killing Gadaffi would solve the situation immediately, but killing a world leader is against the rules. Meanwhile, unleashing a war that kills many innocent civilians, but not Gadaffi, is legal. The people always suffer when there's dispute between world leaders.