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May 03, 2011

Why Patriotic Americans Should Be Angry That Bin Laden Was Killed

Trial By Hit Squad

by BRIAN J. FOLEY

The widespread jubilation at reports of Bin Laden’s death is misplaced. Patriotic Americans should be angry.

After 9/11, the United States government shredded our Constitution and took away our rights not be be spied on and not to be tortured and not to be assassinated abroad. Our government built Guantanamo. The goal of destroying our laws was, we were told, to usher in an era of "enhanced interrogation" to get information to prevent terrorist attacks.

Instead of killing Bin Laden, the U.S. should have captured and interrogated him. Think how much information we could have gained! If alleged low-level members of Al Qaeda are thought to have information important enough for our government to lock them up at Guantanamo for almost 10 years, then wouldn’t it have been smart to ask Bin Laden a few questions instead of shooting him? He’s been called the "mastermind" of 9/11 and all things Al Qaeda.

If anyone thinks our military couldn’t have captured Bin Laden alive and that the killing was somehow necessary, well, they lack faith in our troops. U.S. troops are amazingly well-trained — the world’s best — and can achieve miraculous results.

Perhaps revenge is sweet, but when it comes at the expense of gaining actionable intelligence that could help the U.S. win the ongoing, Constitution-shredding War on Terror, it’s a feel-good emotion we can’t afford.

Brian J. Foley is a law professor. Email him at brian_j_foley@yahoo.com Visit his blog at http://brianjfoley.net/