Should Convicted Terrorists Be Executed?

[Devil505]

With the rash of recent FBI arrests of individuals charged with trying to make bombs & intending to blow up buildings, if convected, what is a proper punishment for these crimes.
I favor the death penalty, if convicted.

Thoughts?

 

[jamesrage]

Some guy blowing up a building or vehicle or aircraft full of people or ramming that plane full of people into a building or masterminded it and it was carried out then yes that individual should be executed.


Some guy convicted of attempting to do one of the above( like that one dumbass on tv right now who thought he bought explosives and attempted to set off a truck bomb) and actually attempted it then life without parole(actual life without parole not UK/Scottish life without parole). Cases involving just the murder of an individual or two should be treated no different than any other murder case.

Some nuts just talking about then no life without parole and no execution, talking about something shouldn't be a crime.

 

[Devil505]

Some guy blowing up a building or vehicle or aircraft full of people or ramming that plane full of people into a building or masterminded it and it was carried out then yes that individual should be executed.


Some guy convicted of attempting to do one of the above( like that one dumbass on tv right now) and actually attempted it then life without parole(actual life without parole not UK/Scottish life without parole). Cases involving just the murder of an individual or two should be treated no different than any other murder case.

I don't see the difference really. Just because that terrorist was arrested before he could commit his heinous crime does not make the attempt any less terrible. (it's not like he changed his mind.....He intended to kill innocent people & was just stopped b4 he could actually do it)
I say Death in either case.

 

[Ikari]

I wouldn't necessarily think we should outright execute people. Well first off, I don't think the death penalty is a good thing. Second, some of this stuff seems rather suspect. The one dude from Illinois was entrapped by the police for sure. So at this point I don't have enough information to say if I would back execution since I'm not sure the government acted saintly in all the cases. It has to be on the individual level.

 

[rathi]

Execution might be practical in some cases, but it really depends on the circumstances. For the current case in question, the death penalty would not be appropriate. The man has no outside connection to any real group, and we just as safe if he is in prison than if we kill him.

 

[jamesrage]

I don't see the difference really. Just because that terrorist was arrested before he could commit his heinous crime does not make the attempt any less terrible. (it's not like he changed his mind.....He intended to kill innocent people & was just stopped b4 he could actually do it)
I say Death in either case.

Do you feel the same way regarding other crimes? For example soliciting someone under the age of consent for sex, someone attempting to steal a car, someone attempting breaking and entering, someone attempting to deal illegal drugs, someone attempting to hack a computer? Should those individuals be charged with the actual crime or an attempt and be punished the same as though that individual did do that crime?

 

[Ikari]

(it's not like he changed his mind.....He intended to kill innocent people & was just stopped b4 he could actually do it)

If I try to kill someone and someone else stops me, I can't be charged with murder. I can be charged with attempted murder or conspiracy to commit murder, but not murder itself as I had not actually murdered anyone.

 

[Devil505]

Do you feel the same way regarding other crimes? For example soliciting someone under the age of consent for sex, someone attempting to steal a car, someone attempting breaking and entering, someone attempting to deal illegal drugs, someone attempting to hack a computer? Should those individuals be charged with the actual crime or an attempt and be punished the same as though that individual did do that crime?

Hmmmm....Good point....Let me think about that b4 I just jump in with an answer.



Edit:

OK....I took a few minutes & I can't see the justification for a lesser punishment than one for the actual crime itself, just because the criminal was stopped by the police b4 he could carry it out.
So........(I'm not dead settled on this but) my quick opinion would be that while the charge would be different....(ie attempted murder as opposed to murder itself.... as an example) The punishment should be the same unless defense can establish that his client would not have actually gone through with the crime, even if he hadn't been stopped.

Good question though!:applaud
(I'll watch the arguments on the other side with an open mind though)

 

[Devil505]

Hmmmm....Good point....Let me think about that b4 I just jump in with an answer.



Edit:

OK....I took a few minutes & I can't see the justification for a lesser punishment than one for the actual crime itself, just because the criminal was stopped by the police b4 he could carry it out.
So........(I'm not dead settled on this but) my quick opinion would be that while the charge would be different....(ie attempted murder as opposed to murder itself.... as an example) The punishment should be the same unless defense can establish that his client would not have actually gone through with the crime, even if he hadn't been stopped.

Good question though!:applaud
(I'll watch the arguments on the other side with an open mind though)

The more I think about this...the more complex the issue:

Punishment for the commission of the actual crime is punishment for an act.
Punishment for an attempt can be for little more than what the Conspiracy laws specify...which is to communicate the idea of committing an illegal act (with one or more people) & to commit at least one "Overt Act" in furtherance of that conspiracy.
In other words, simply thinking about a crime or even planning one is not a crime unless an overt act is performed. (an overt act can be as little as driving by a bank to check its security in the case of the crime of Conspiracy to commit bank robbery)

So...that brings to mind what stage was the attempted bombing in when the arrests took place & from what I've heard...the bomb makers had actually acquired some materials to make a bomb & therefore I would still say the death penalty would be warranted as these guys were obviously serious in wanting to actually kill people with a bomb.

 

[Voidwar]

What really needs to happen to them, is Magneto's prison, with a webcam.

Plexiglass box, no privacy, the world can view them round the clock in their cage, pickin their noses or pinchin a loaf.

You want to destroy the enemy's heroes and cost the enemy morale, put them in a 24/7 internet zoo.

 

[Apocalypse]

What really needs to happen to them, is Magneto's prison, with a webcam.

Plexiglass box, no privacy, the world can view them round the clock in their cage, pickin their noses or pinchin a loaf.

You want to destroy the enemy's heroes and cost the enemy morale, put them in a 24/7 internet zoo.

So they can preach terrorism to the masses?

 

[Devil505]

What really needs to happen to them, is Magneto's prison, with a webcam.

Plexiglass box, no privacy, the world can view them round the clock in their cage, pickin their noses or pinchin a loaf.

You want to destroy the enemy's heroes and cost the enemy morale, put them in a 24/7 internet zoo.

I still favor execution for 2 reasons:

1. Cheaper to just execute them than to pay for their needs for life.
2. As long as their alive, their terrorist friends may try to get them released by taking hostages & trying to bargain for their release. (Happens all the time, IRL)

 

[Voidwar]

So they can preach terrorism to the masses?

How effective do you think that will be when you can stay tuned and watch his face twist up as he takes a crap ?

The man becomes an anti-martyr if the remainder of his existance is an embarassing zoo exhibit.

 

[Voidwar]

1. Cheaper to just execute them than to pay for their needs for life.

Propaganda like this cannot be bought. Cheap doesn't factor.

2. As long as their alive, their terrorist friends may try to get them released by taking hostages & trying to bargain for their release. (Happens all the time, IRL)

Scum will do this anyway. When they do, kill them.

 

[Alex Libman]

All convicts should be "incentivized" to work in order to pay the cost of housing them and pay restitution to their victims - then it doesn't make any rational sense to kill them.

 

[Devil505]

Scum will do this anyway. When they do, kill them.

Do you mean that we should kill the terrorists we have in prison?......(For the actions of their friends??)

Or did you mean to kill the hostage takers somehow?

 

[Voidwar]

Or did you mean to kill the hostage takers somehow?

I mean B.

Like this : Peru to mark Japanese embassy hostage crisis after 10 years - Monsters and Critics

 

[Devil505]

I mean B.

Killing the hostage takers is rarely possible & much more dangerous than just eliminating their incentive to take hostages in the first place.

 

[Voidwar]

Killing the hostage takers is rarely possible & much more dangerous than just eliminating their incentive to take hostages in the first place.

Bull, look at the link.

Hostage takers are stupid and poor soldiers.

Kill them with excellent soldiers, and call it a free training exercise.

Further, eliminating their incentive, = capitulation to demands.

 

[Devil505]

Bull, look at the link.

Hostage takers are stupid and poor soldiers.

Kill them with excellent soldiers, and call it a free training exercise.

Further, eliminating their incentive, = capitulation to demands.

If your argument is that it's ever easy to rescue hostages, taken anywhere in the world by ruthless well armed (often suicidal) killers .....then that is not a serious argument. Have successful rescue operations happened?..Of course (Entebbe, London SAS, etc) ....but the advantage is always with the hostage takers.

Execute convicted terrorists & you take away one incentive for hostage takers.

 

[Voidwar]

....but the advantage is always with the hostage takers.

No, its not. They are poorly trained and poorly disciplined. They are immobile.

Execute convicted terrorists & you take away one incentive for hostage takers.

Simply false, they will take the hostages and demand some other concession.

More importantly, WE decide what happens, not the enemy.

Keep him in a zoo with a live webcam, and you create an anti-martyr, pinchin a loaf for the world to watch, for the rest of his life, because HE MESSED WITH THE WRONG FOLKS.

 

[Ikari]

If your argument is that it's ever easy to rescue hostages, taken anywhere in the world by ruthless well armed (often suicidal) killers .....then that is not a serious argument. Have successful rescue operations happened?..Of course (Entebbe, London SAS, etc) ....but the advantage is always with the hostage takers.

Execute convicted terrorists & you take away one incentive for hostage takers.

You take their incentive to keep the hostages alive away, that's for sure.

 

[Devil505]

You take their incentive to keep the hostages alive away, that's for sure.

They would not be taking hostages in the first place......At least not with the incentive of getting their imprisoned buddies out......Their buddies would all be in the cometary (costing us nothing) after conviction & execution.
Could terrorists take hostages for other reasons?...Of course.
(but one major incentive for hostage taking would have been eliminated)

I've never heard of terrorists taking hostages & demanding their dead buddies bodies be dug up from a cemetery & returned to them. Have you?:lol:

 

[Kal'Stang]

Weather or not they should be executed is entirely subjective at this point in time. It will depend on weather or not you are for or against the DP. Since I am for I think they should be executed. If you are against the DP then you will no doubt say no they shouldn't be. Unless of course you're a hypocrit.

 

[Devil505]

Weather or not they should be executed is entirely subjective at this point in time. It will depend on weather or not you are for or against the DP. Since I am for I think they should be executed. If you are against the DP then you will no doubt say no they shouldn't be. Unless of course you're a hypocrit.

I agree & am a bit surprised that at this point, the poll results are split almost down the middle. (I would have guessed much more support for the DP)