Wait. Condone assassinations when they're "convenient?"
If we condone it on others, then we cannot be surprised when it's turned on us.
I wouldn't be surprised when it's turned on us now. There's not a country currently whose government has animosity toward us that I would be "Surprised" if they attempted to assassinate our political leaders.
My view on war is much like my view in regards to individual combat. If you take things off the board in regards to what you'll do to defend yourself, you're an idiot. If you expect that a real fight is going to be anything similar to a boxing or MMA match, you're an idiot. Sure, if America went to war with Britian then following the general "rules of war" makes sense to a point because there's a reasonable expectation that both sides will actually follow through fully (or mostly fully) with those rules (similar to the expectatoin of people following the rules in a boxing match or MMA match). However if you're talking about interactions with a country who you have no reasonable expectation that they're going to follow the rules then trying to go out of your way to handcuff yourself with rules while they do whatever is akin to trying to go into a fight on the street stating you're not going to draw a weapon, you're not going to hit below the belt, you're not going to bite, you're not going to knee their head if they're on the ground, etc. It's dumb.
When it comes to war, or significant and relevant national defense, I don't have an issue with targetted assassinations. I also realize the political ramifications of having an "open" stance on Assassination and agree that publicly and "officially" we should have a negative stance on it. But I also am a realist and understand that there's things our government may well need, and should, do that they don't actually publicly avow. My view in regards to how war should be conducted isn't exactly a popular one, definitely not a politically correct one, but personally I feel is the pragmatic and realistic one. I don't believe assassination should be something we use routinely, or even often, but I do believe should be an option in some form within our capabilities.
Then again, I view my morals as a country in terms of defense largely as I do with my family. I'd violate every act morally, legally, and ethically to save the life of my family and would not for a moment feel that I made the wrong decision. And if I was the person threatening someone elses family, while I may dislike them taking similar actoin against me (because it would be harmful to my famliy to lose me), I would not disagree with the notion that its reasonable for them to take such actions. Similarly with regards to countries, while I may dislike and wish to act against a country acting in its self interest, I don't blame them for taking such action because I expect countries to worry first and foremost about what is best for themselves and their people not necessarily what's best for the world community.
