Moral justification for the execution of criminals of war?

[Jehanne]

The problem with this claim is that you are being selective. You are deciding who lives and who dies according to your morals. What if someone else says taliban should live? What if someone says you should die for certain action?

A general rule needs to be established. Otherwise we are gods of death and justice.

Of course it's selective.  Otherwise I would just say, "Kill them all".

Child rapists - proved beyond a shadow of a doubt.  They make the list for me.

YMMV

Since the first execution at Jamestown of Captain George Kendall in 1608 (or thereabouts), there have been less than 20,000 executions in the United States. I will let others do the math here.