8/4     Why can't U.S. allow assassination of say, Sadam or Bin Laden? Why
        is bombing (which is messier) preferred over assassination? Wouldn't
        both effect to take out or weaken leadership, hence both are
        equivalent?
        \_ AFAIR, there was a long standing executive order that assassination
           is not to be used as a policy.  I believe Georgie Jr. nullified that
           order.
           \_ Gerald Ford signed the executive order in the 70s and it has
              never been revoked.
        \_ you really think we haven't sent out special forces teams
           to try and hunt down and kill him?
        \_ I believe we used laser-guided bomb / cruise missle to do the same
           thing, caused some collateral damage.  But when other people
           do it, it's called act of terrorism
           \_ who let the tamil tiger hippie have a soda account?
           \_ yeah, they really wanted to kill just that one guy who jumped off
              the Twin Towers but accidently killed everyone else. Take your
              hate America B.S. somewhere like Cuba or Iran or Germany
              \_ Or France and Belgium.  I honestly wonder sometimes if the
                 various EU countries lost too many real men during WWI/II and
                 literally just don't have the right stuff in their genes now.
                 \_ is this your explanation for russia, china, new zealand,
                    canada and most of the rest of the world as well?
                    \_ Yes. And California, New York and all those wussies
                       in Hawaii, too.
                       \_ No, that's just a case of trash flocking to trash.
                    \_ China?  Pacifists?  Are you nuts?  The Russians aren't
                       either, they just can't afford an army.
        \_ Who says we can't allow the assassination of anyone?  That isn't a
           law, it isn't in the constitution, Congress never voted on it, the
           Senate never affirmed it.  That was just Jimmy Carter telling the
                                                          \_ Bzzt.  Read a book.
           world, "we're nice! don't attack us!" shortly before the whole Iran
           hostages embassy fiasco.  Being nice always worked well in world
           politic.  We can, we do and we should.  What's the question?
           \_ You're an asshole.
              \_ Yes, I am, but that has nothing to do with what I said above
                 about the US/Carter assassination policy.  It is all 100%
                 factually correct.  Maybe next time you'll show up with some
                 counter-facts instead of your little dirty-boy's mouth.
                 \_ 100% except for the Carter part.  Oh, and the Iran hostage
                    part.
                 \_ You scare me. I hope someday you read a book.
                    \_ You still haven't corrected anything with facts, just
                       useless personal attack.  It's too bad facts scare you.
                       \_ It's too bad you haven't gotten laid lately.  Or
                          ever.
                          \_ only by yermom
                          \_ Keep trying.  I'm an asshole, I get laid, and I'm
                             still right and you're not.
                             \_ Hey asshole.
           \_ I don't usually waste my time with morons, but since you
              keep spouting the same lies, I am going to smack you down:
      http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/terrorism/execorder12333.html#2.11
              Guess who was President in Dec 1981? Not Carter, dumbass.
              \_ now start your stopwatch and wait for the thread to get
                 nuked...
              \_ Carter freed the hostages, but due to "unusual circumstances"
                 their flight to Germany was delayed so that it would land
                 a few hours into Reagan's presidency, so he could steal all
                 of the credit for their release.
                 \_ No unusual circumstances. The Iranians did it on purpose
                    as a final slap against Carter. Of course they did get
                    all of those swell spare parts, a cake, and a signed bible
                    from Reagan later on...
        \_ Because assassinations work both ways. At a certain point in
           "civilized warfare," specific targeting of enemy officers became
           "uncivil." It was thought that the lack of officers would lead to
           chaos in the field and uncontrolled slaughter would result. This
           was a "do as I say, not as I do" policy and officer targeting
           continued for the most part although officer ransoming and prisoner
           exchanges were much more prevalant then. IOW, we say no assasination
           but we'll do it given half a chance. If they did it, we'd call them
           barbarians. Neat, huh?