I'm going to put forth some hypothetical situations for conversation/debate. The first will be related to American citizens being killed on foreign soil, the 2nd set will be on home soil.
Despite my opinions (if I have one), I will do my best to phrase them as objectively as possible. My mind is open on all of them.
RULES: This is not a free-for-all diary, so overtly dickish/baiting/trolling comments will and should be HR'd. I interpreted Kos's edict of "diarist control" to mean that the diarist may HR comments in their own diary if they violate the groundrules. YMMV.
Also, please please please stay on topic. "Drones are bad", "war is bad", "killing civilians is bad" etc may all be true, but will not be on-topic specifically, even if you feel they are somewhat related. They have no place here.
I'm also not saying any of the hypotheticals are EXACTLY like anything that has happened concerning Alwaki (sr or jr), Bin Laden, etc, so "that's not what really happened!" is not relevant, because I'm not claiming it is what happened. These are hypotheticals.
Here we go, past the squiggly:
Hypothetical 1:
Some 3rd-generation German-Americans answer the call to return to the Fatherland in the run-up to WWII. They fight on the front lines and are killed. Were the German-Americans rights violated?
H2:
Some 3rd-generation German-Americans, fighting for the Nazis, are captured by American troops when the AA gun they are manning is overrun. Should they be treated as POW's and released at the end of hostilities? Should they be tried by military tribunal for treason (assume they were not military defectors)? Should they be shipped to the US and tried in civilian courts? Any other alternative better?
H3:
A 3rd-generation German-American left the US to assist Germany in WWII. Said German-American is a scientist, working at a secret weaponized rocket facility deep inside Germany. The US, through intercepted cables between the scientist and his family in the US, has discovered the location of the facility. May the US bomb the facility, knowing that an American is amongst the scientists and soldiers there?
H4:
A German-American, who has returned to the Fatherland at Hitler's behest, is actively working for the Nazi propaganda machine in Germany, including making televised speeches and appearances with Hitler. At least 2 defectors have cited this German-American's work in Germany as the specific reason for their spying and defection. Is this German-American a legitimate military target (meaning ok to be on the end of a bomb/bullet)?
On US soil:
H1:
An innocent bystander is killed by a police bullet during a shootout on a street. With no other details immediately available, is the police officer who the bullet belonged to guilty of a criminal act?
H2:
A person who has never, ever participated in any illegal activity is hanging out with known drug dealers in a garage. The police come, and a shootout ensues. A police bullet kills the person, though they were not in plain sight so they were not being aimed at. Was the person's civil rights violated? Did the policeman who shot the bullet commit an illegal act when their bullet struck the person?
H3:
The FBI get strong intelligence that a local mafia family is about to attack another, and is storing arms in their hideout for tomorrow's attack. The intelligence shows that at least one mafia soldier lives at the hideout, as does his wife and 2 children. Standard procedure for action is to request their surrender, and then launch smoke/flash grenades into the hideout to initiate a SWAT raid. If the occupants of the hideout do not surrender and as a result a firefight ensues, killing some of the children in the process, have the FBI acted illegally? Immorally?
Thanks for your participation!