So what?

An "American" was among 6 killed by that Predator-launched Hellfire missile, according to today's NY Times. The article also notes, however, that unamed "United States officials stressed that they still believe that all of those killed were linked to Al Qaeda". American is in ironic quotation marks, since it is impossible for me to consider as citizens those who, foreign or native born, live willingly with our enemies, and actively take up arms against the United States. They are not worthy of the title, and have abandoned our country. We owe them nothing but swift justice.

The Washington Post, for a change, out-analyzes its Gotham rival, and, in a subhead, notes that the "Action's Legality, Effectiveness Questioned". The individual questioning the effectiveness is Jeffrey Smith, former general counsel of the CIA, who goes on state that "[T]o the extent you do more and more of this, it begins to look like it is policy," Smith said. "It is not clear that that is an effective tool." Worse, he goes on, in his Clintonian muddle-headed way, to state that "after a while such pinpoint targeting of individuals might suggest that it's acceptable behavior to assassinate people. . . . Assassination as a norm of international conduct exposes American leaders and Americans overseas."

Well, let's look at what might be acceptable and what might not. First, does the good counselor believe that Americans are not now "exposed" overseas? Does he think that future would-be terrorists would be more, or less, likely to engage in high profile mayhem, if they know that death is coming when they least expect it? And, yes, these were "assasinations", in that sense, and, yes, they were "extralegal", although it is unclear what legal system with any moral credibility exists for al queda scum killed outside the United States, regardless of citizenship.

Those who would make an issue over "extralegal" strikes against out enemies have a moral blindness that is hard to understand. Is it better to let al queda scum live to kill innocents again? Is there any realistic likelihood that these terrorists just stamped out like the roaches they were are not but the visible salient of a larger nest? Not to mention the obvious, but terror-loving "nations" like Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, are not likely in our lifetimes to willingly start letting our law enforcement types make "legal" arrests within their terror-tory.

Logic and a moral sense of purpose, when that purpose is to protect and defend American interests around the globe, both dictate that Hellfire strikes against al queda are, indeed, acceptable.

Finally, another, sane, voice on "effectiveness", also in the Post story:

"[T]his is an extraordinary change of threshold," said one former intelligence operative who praised the tactic as particularly effective.

Keep 'em coming.