dailyutahchronicle.com-Law_prof_advocates_stifling_extremism
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dailyutahchronicle.com Law professor Amos Guiora speaks on targeted killing and extremism when he was colonel in the Israeli Defense Forces. http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/?p=2564902 Law prof advocates stifling extremism by: Jake Stout on February 2, 2012 A law professor spoke on religious extremism and targeted killing through the lens of his experience in the Israeli military. “I had five minutes to decide whether to go ahead with the mission — whether to kill this person or not,” said Amos Guiora, as he spoke of a judgment he had to make during his time as a colonel in the Israeli Defense Forces. “I had to know if there would be collateral damage or if the target were better to us dead or alive and, if alive, if he posed an imminent threat to Israel’s national security.” All these questions were predicated on decisions of morality and ethics, the key issues behind extremism and targeted killing, which Guiora spoke about at Hinckley Institute of Politics forum Wednesday. After the Sept. 11 attacks, Guiora was asked to come to the United States and advise the government on Guantanamo Bay. He warned officials in the Bush administration that detaining terrorists violated important principles of counterterrorism, and he advised them to end their detention program. The Obama administration is far more apt to employ targeted killing than the Bush administration was, and it is important to be aware of international law and the ethical implications of said acts, Guiora said. Guiora believes the targeted assassination of Osama bin Laden was unnecessary, as he no longer posed a significant threat, and felt it was a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. Michael Vigil, a graduate student in political science, asked Guiora if the targeted killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemeni al-Qaida recruiter, was a justifiable act. “Well, here’s your answer: He was killed,” Guiora replied. Guiora argued for limiting the First Amendment rights of religious officials, saying that religious freedoms occasionally go too far. “As a secular Israeli American Jew, I find it absolutely disturbing that some people would put the laws of their god above those of the state and people’s lives,” he said. “These people tend to think of state laws as nice but are actually beholden to higher laws. Religious extremism’s goal is to undermine state laws.” Ultimately, Guiroa advocates for stifling extremist religious movements around the world. “I refuse to be passive,” he said. “We must address these issues head on.” Short URL: http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/?p=2564902 Posted by Jake Stout on Feb 2 2012. Filed under News, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently
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Transcript of dailyutahchronicle.com-Law_prof_advocates_stifling_extremism
dailyutahchronicle.com
Law professor Amos Guiora speaks on targeted killing and extremism when he was colonel in the IsraeliDefense Forces.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/?p=2564902
Law prof advocates stifling extremismby: Jake Stout on February 2, 2012
A law professor spoke on religious extremism and targeted killing through the lens of hisexperience in the Israeli military.
“I had five minutes to decide whether to go ahead with the mission — whether to kill this person ornot,” said Amos Guiora, as he spoke of a judgment he had to make during his time as a colonel inthe Israeli Defense Forces.
“I had to know if there would be collateral damage or if the target were better to us dead or aliveand, if alive, if he posed an imminent threat to Israel’s national security.”
All these questions were predicated on decisions of morality and ethics, the key issues behindextremism and targeted killing, which Guiora spoke about at Hinckley Institute of Politics forumWednesday.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, Guiora was asked to come to the United States and advise thegovernment on Guantanamo Bay. He warned officials in the Bush administration that detainingterrorists violated important principles of counterterrorism, and he advised them to end theirdetention program.
The Obama administration is far more apt to employ targeted killing than the Bush administrationwas, and it is important to be aware of international law and the ethical implications of said acts,Guiora said.
Guiora believes the targeted assassination of Osama bin Laden was unnecessary, as he no longerposed a significant threat, and felt it was a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Michael Vigil, a graduate student in political science, asked Guiora if the targeted killing of Anwaral-Awlaki, a Yemeni al-Qaida recruiter, was a justifiable act.“Well, here’s your answer: He was killed,” Guiora replied.
Guiora argued for limiting the First Amendment rights of religious officials, saying that religiousfreedoms occasionally go too far.
“As a secular Israeli American Jew, I find it absolutely disturbing that some people would put thelaws of their god above those of the state and people’s lives,” he said. “These people tend to thinkof state laws as nice but are actually beholden to higher laws. Religious extremism’s goal is toundermine state laws.”
Ultimately, Guiroa advocates for stifling extremist religious movements around the world.
“I refuse to be passive,” he said. “We must address these issues head on.”
Short URL: http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/?p=2564902
Posted by Jake Stout on Feb 2 2012. Filed under News, Politics. You can follow anyresponses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently
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