Are there any plans?
International tribunal court?
Automatic life sentence in secret prison in Gotyastan?
“Accidental” fatal accident?
I can’t imagine they would bring them to the US and put them in a prison here - or would they?
One of your options has some concern because Pres. Bush has said he doesn’t care if Osama is alive or dead. My guess is that he feels the same about Saddam.
However, I believe that, and it is only my belief, that dead is not quite as “fulfilling” as cature and a bit of a purp. walk.
I am talking about Bin Laudin here. Being able to parade him in front of the U.S. people would bring ease more than a body. If it’s just a body then the theories would begin flying that it’s not really him, he’s not really dead, etc.
If I had my way - Saddam - off to another country - Iraq elects its own govenment and the process is surpervised by the UN (which means the US mainly) for a period of time. Then we get out of the way.
I am not a dove by any stretch, but this this scares the heck out of me.
As for Bin Laudin. I would prefer capture and trial. Just a body wouldn’t “end” it in enough people’s minds. This man is a terrorist so success in his end would be offering the U.S. people as much a feeling of safety as possible.
(as possible…)
While I would enjoy seeing both of them have their toenails, fingernails and eyeballs ripped out one by one while they lie in a pool infested with pirhanas and fire ants devour their exposed flesh (if you read Octave Mirbeau’s Torture Garden, you will recognize that my punishment is rather light), to do that would discredit our Constitution and set us on a path which descends towards a state which would feed those who hate us.
No, just put them on trial, throw them in solitary confinement for the rest of their lives, and forget about them - don’t make them martyrs.
I would rather have a dead martyr then a living one. If either of those men are alive in a US prision crazies will spend years trying to get them freed. I don’t want to see innocent people killed in an attempt to get either of them out of jail.
By all means, treat them as humanly as our laws require and give them a fair trial. I would hope they get the death penalty.
Good point, inconceivable. I’m with you.
You know, I don’t think life imprisonment for Osama would be such a bad idea. After the Peruvian government captured Abimael Guzman, leader of the Shining Path guerilla terrorists, they famously put him in a ridiculous convict’s outfit and kept him in a cage in the middle of a prison courtyard. They still allowed journalists to televise his rants, but given his setting, it managed to make him look utterly ridiculous and harmless, completely undermining whatever fear or respect he inspired previously. Can you imagine how great it would be to have bin Laden in a cage wearing prison orange, maybe with his beard shaved, ranting about the jews and the Americans and whatever, complaining about prison meatloaf? His idiocy would be completely exposed, the mystery would be gone, and terrorist plotters would just have to find a new cult of personality. And of course the same goes for Saddam, except that I doubt he still has any fans.
The Washington Post ran an article today that partially dealt with the Q: Bin Laden dead or alive ? And if alive what then.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54025-2003Mar6.html
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Attorney General John D. Ashcroft and Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet, among others, oppose any attempt to capture bin Laden alive, according to participants in meetings where they have said so. Among their arguments is that bin Laden is unlikely to know, much less reveal, significant operational details. They predict that his eventual trial and execution, in a military or civilian tribunal, would discomfit Arab and Islamic allies and transform some al Qaeda sympathizers into active recruits.
-----------------------------------QUOTE---------------------------
Later in the article “other officials” in the administration say OBL is the “the quintessential” candidate for the military tribunal and that he may indeed yeild Intel after time.
In any event, re the OP – the Adminstration has made clear, and the article states again, that no high level Al Queda folks are going into any criminal court – & I’d bet for the same reasons a international civilian trial is out: the U.S. would need to expose - perhaps to OBL himself-- intel sources and methods, it would give
them the opportunity to speech, screech & recruit against the circus backdrop the trial would offer.
BOTTOMLINE: For OBL DEAD or ALIVE is the debate and, if alive, it will almost certainly end in a military tribunal.
Kill one, imprison the other. Let everyone know that Saddam is dead.
Imprison OBL in a secret prison and hold that prison as secure as Area 51. No pictures, no visitors, no communication at all. In fact, dont let anyone know hes in there. Deny having him. Have decoy prisons and transfer him regularly.
Take OBL and let him loose in Times Square.
Makes me wonder who will get the crappy job of cleaning that mess up…
The perfect solution for Saddam is for US forces to hold him in Iraq until the new Iraqi government gets organized. Then hand him over to them, and let the Iraqis try him. It shouldn’t be too difficult to pin a few thousand murders on him. That takes care of Saddam.
Well, what did we do with LAST ‘rogue’ leader of a foreign country that we captured?
Yes, Manuel Noriega is still in jail in Florida. We haven’t heard about/from him in a long time. That’s the point.
Here’s a cite from a reputable outfit, the ‘President George Bush’ in the article is not the same one we have now:
Typo alert:
Well, what did we do with THE last…
Damn.
Place him in the center of the pit of the World Trade Center, in shackles. Have the families of his victims enter the pit from all four directions. Televise.
Life imprisonment for ObL. Put him in a cell with Charles Manson. Film & edit their interactions for television. Donate advertising profits to rebuilding Afghanistan.
An Iraqi friend of mine had an interesting proposal for Saddam Hussein: line up all Iraqis & Kuwaitis. Allow each of them to slap, punch or kick him once.
actually not a bad idea for all politicians
Doesn’t Osama have about 50 children? Well, we might need to catch them too.
Folks, this is General Questions, not the Pit or Great Debates. The question on the table is “what, if any, plans exist if the United States were to capture ObL or Hussein alive?” Not “what should we do?” Not “what would I, personally, do?”
Please stick to the facts. Thank you to those who tried to do precisely that.
When asked what the intentions are with Khalid Sheik Mohammad, an unnamed Senior Administration Official said, “He killed 3000 American citizens on a single day. We will try and we will execute him.” From Time.
I suppose the same will be OBL’s fate.