Ethical Issues: Targeting Killings

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Introduction:

Targeted killings are killing of a suspect or member of a terrorist organization by having suspensions on them. However, the justification of targeted killing is the most vital and hard part since an individual is being killed without a proven guilt. There are numerous views on targeted killings some says it is a legitimate act to counterterrorism for pre-planned and pre-mediated terrorists acts or ‘’self-defense’’ while some other says it is more of an extra-judicial execution (Kretzmer, 2005, p. 188). For instance, if an Afghan intelligence services found out credible information of an individual out of the country planning for an attack against Afghanistan or its citizens. The Afghan intelligence services can ask that country to arrest the individual. However, there are fears that individual might not be arrested or extradited and he might plan for a new risk and attacks against Afghanistan. The question is: should the Afghan government be allowed to kill the suspect in a foreign territory without even trying to arrest? Government have the monopoly over the use of force against a citizen but it is reserved both by domestic and international human rights. Targeted killings brought tensions between addressing terrorism as a crime or as a war. In law enforcement, individuals would be punished once they guilt is proven. The individual will face trial in a court of law and will enjoy the protections. Thus, there should be ways to solve this problem or at least give it a justification on why these people are being targeted or killed. There is another question, which ways to use for solving this problem, the domestic law or the international law? To my understanding there are several reasons why the regulation of te...

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Application of Targeted killings through international law is risky and takes civilian’s lives usually. However, there are numerous advantages of it through applying domestic law. As mentioned earlier, we shall apply domestic law in targeted killings for certain reasons such as accepting the principles of legality, not undermining the legitimacy of state and its constitution, distinction between civilians and combatants. However, there were some disadvantage of it through domestic law too like corruption can corrupt this process as well as time consumable. Therefore, application of targeted killings through domestic is better than international law.

Works Cited

Kretzmer, D. (2005). Targeted Killing of Suspected Terrorists: Extra-Judicial Executions or Legitimate Means of Defense. Targeted Killing as Active Self-Defense : Noah Feldman.

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