International terrorists raise new questions to international and domestic law, an area in which I have absolutely no credentials.
It seems, however, that when a person kills and plans to kill across international boundaries, brags about that killing, lives in a country without a fully functioning government and bears no allegiance to that country or any other, then he has forfeited the legal rights provided to citizens of most countries. Historically these people were considered pirates and were killed when caught.
Had al-Awlaki been in a country with an effective law enforcement agency, the U.S. could have requested extradition. Living in Yemen, he (probably intentionally) denied the U.S. that option.
Steve Packard
Retired Air Force Officer
IT Specialist
Student Health Care Center
