[Serious] Tit for tat.

[Jehanne]

Well, like it or not, the Taliban are running the show in Afghanistan, and are the recognized government there, and so, the United States just committed an act of war, by their lights at least.

al-Zawhiri is not and has never been Taliban.

Boru

They must have known that he was there; why did they tolerate him?  And, besides, the United Stats is harboring (i.e., "granting asylum") to wanted fugitives of other governments.  If they (maybe China or Russia) would launch some hypersonic missile, killing that "fugitive", how would our government react??

[The Grand Nudger]

Exactly. The agreement that brought them into power was pretty clear on harboring guys like him - and they'd been signaling to the world that they fully understood and wanted normalization. Youthink that the taliban perceives a strike against an aq leader as an act of war - but that's not the way it's going down. Condemned, yes. Act of war, no. A problem for them, not us.

The us has extradition treaties with 107 nations. If china or russia wanted to get their hands on such fugitives - they should come to the table and sign one of those agreements.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

al-Zawhiri is not and has never been Taliban.

Boru

They must have known that he was there; why did they tolerate him?  And, besides, the United Stats is harboring (i.e., "granting asylum") to wanted fugitives of other governments.  If they (maybe China or Russia) would launch some hypersonic missile, killing that "fugitive", how would our government react??

A ‘wanted fugitive’ isn’t the same as a war criminal (though there is admittedly some overlap). Also, it’s kind of silly to equate ‘granting asylum’ with ‘harbouring fugitives’.

Boru

[Jehanne]

They must have known that he was there; why did they tolerate him?  And, besides, the United Stats is harboring (i.e., "granting asylum") to wanted fugitives of other governments.  If they (maybe China or Russia) would launch some hypersonic missile, killing that "fugitive", how would our government react??

A ‘wanted fugitive’ isn’t the same as a war criminal (though there is admittedly some overlap). Also, it’s kind of silly to equate ‘granting asylum’ with ‘harbouring fugitives’.

Boru

I'm not justifying how others think, only making the observation that US policy, in this instant at least, is counter-productive.

[The Grand Nudger]

Counter productive with respect to what? What us goal do you think killing zawahira works against? For russia and chinas part - neither country has any interest in condemning the principle - even if and as they criticize the us - because they too use similar justifications for strong action (whether we believe them or not when they issue them).

[onlinebiker]

They must have known that he was there; why did they tolerate him?  And, besides, the United Stats is harboring (i.e., "granting asylum") to wanted fugitives of other governments.  If they (maybe China or Russia) would launch some hypersonic missile, killing that "fugitive", how would our government react??

A ‘wanted fugitive’ isn’t the same as a war criminal (though there is admittedly some overlap). Also, it’s kind of silly to equate ‘granting asylum’ with ‘harbouring fugitives’.

Boru

The difference between wanted fugitive and war criminal is the point of view of whoever has enough followers to believe it.

The crap movie Red Dawn had one good part - 

When the Soviet officer accused the mayor' s son of "being part of an elitist paramilitary organization".

The mayor says "For crissakes - he' s an Eagle Scout!"

Neither is really wrong....

[Jehanne]

Counter productive with respect to what? What us goal do you think killing zawahira works against? For russia and chinas part - neither country has any interest in condemning the principle - even if and as they criticize the us - because they too use similar justifications for strong action (whether we believe them or not when they issue them).

In my opinion, the killing of al-Zawhiri will simply perpetuate the cycle of violence, at least until Humanity annihilates itself.

[The Grand Nudger]

In some views there's very little that won't do that. Not so much a comment on the killing of zawahira himself. Eye for an eye till the whole worlds blind.

IDK if violence actually needs a cycle to be perpetuated, or if a violent cycle is the explanation for perpetual violence. There will be some future militants...probably from here in the us, that don't give a shit about zawahira. That have their own reasons. Reasons, as we can see today in the us - that are not at all a sober appraisal of reality based in fact - and so not a product of some actual cycle of violence.

[Pat Mustard]

That was one of their huge fuckups.  Russia has no love for islamic militants.  They're the wrong flavor of islamic militant for aspirant iran.  Isreal lolno.  So what's the smart play..why...to attack the us, ofc!

That will surely make things better for your lives back home.

The September 11th attacks were a desperation move by al qaeda a monstrous crime committed in the hope that the US would act in such a manner that they would be able to revive their moribond terrorist group. The US was attacked because it had a history of reacting to terrorist crimes in a stupid and counterproductive manner. And they reacted to 11/9 in a manner that was beyond al qaeda's wildest imaginings.

[Belacqua]

Ayman al-Zawahiri was still entitled to due process under the Law.  I find it ironic that President Joe Biden, who opposes the death penalty, would authorize the deliberate killing of another human being.

For years now the US has operated outside the law. This is true no matter which party is in the White House. Wishing for due process of law from any President will do as much good as praying to baby Jesus. 

It doesn't matter if the next leader of al Qaeda wants to retaliate. The US intentionally armed al Qaeda in Syria and encouraged violence there at a time when jihadists were also attacking in Europe. Once we give the weapons to Zawahiri's friends we have no idea what they're used for. 

The US keeps things violent, because that's what they want. Even if Zawahiri's colleagues decided to give up and go home, the US would find willing jihadists to arm.