Madam, – Even by Irish standards, the letters published in The Irish Times concerning the killing of Osama bin Laden are depressing. One would have thought they were decrying President Obama personally killing Bambi’s mother. The piety about American tactics, and the pseudo-legal babble, show how utterly naive and morally blind so many of my compatriots are. There is no terrorist, anywhere on this Earth, whom so many of my compatriots would not defend passionately against “American aggression”. Decontextualised citing of various sources of “international law” is rife.
However, moral consideration is lacking. A state cannot claim sovereignty if she fails to police within her borders, to prevent those within from harming or threatening those without. That Pakistani intelligence and security forces are considered “suspect” is but a tongue-in-cheek understatement. Islamabad’s failure to prevent known mass-murderers from living unhindered within her borders destroyed any claims of sovereignty. – Yours, etc,
Madam – Would the residents of The Hague, or any other city, have welcomed bin Laden for a 10-year trial? I think not. I wonder how many Westerners would have been kidnapped and murdered if he was held captive? Thousands, probably. – Yours etc,