Is it acceptable for Israel to assassinate a known terrorist leader ?

[nedflanders]

Or do you think this was a step too far and will onlt create more problems in palestine.

[andy hughes]

It's not acceptable on purely humanitarian terms, but to be objective, it is utterly counter-productive. Assasinated leaders become martyrs very quickly, especially if they are aware of the possibility, as in this case, and pump up their followers in advance of the assasination. As Messrs. Bush and Blair are rapidly discoering, you cannot fight a 'war' against people who want nothing more than to destroy another race who live their lives by different rules. A blue touch paper hass been lit ...

[sft42]

Not unless your name is Bush apparently....How duplicitious can the US government be?

Considering the comments from both governments I can only say I hope no one was considering the "Holy Land" as a holiday destination...get set for another blood bath.

It may well have stopped one man from organising terror but it may well have spurred on a thousand other young men to join in his cause in his place and wreak havoc.

For all the people in that area I hope and wish that the worst doesn't happen.....Peace to all.

[monty0703]

I agree with andy and sft42 and it's only a matter of time before retaliations happen (maybe they have already - I haven't caught the news this morning).

[happysax]

Killing the known leader of a cause will not kill the cause. It will only make a martyr, and a thousand will rise up in his / her place. The German Nazis and Russian Communists knew this only too well. They would secretly arrest a political opponent, make them 'disappear' and destroy all records of them ever having existed. Ariel Sharon may expect more trouble now. We may hope the Israeli people see that he's made them a target and vote him out, but sadly it's not that simple. They are worried about losing their country, so they tend to vote for 'hard liners' who will stand up to hostile Arab nations. A tragic situation.

[worder]

Ariel Sharon is nothing but a butcher in power. The Palestinians should formarly get half of Israel back. Erasing a country to form another was the dummiest thing ever, what were they thinking? And for the States to be supporting that injustice makes my blood boil. I love this country but our foreign policy sucks.

[scooby-doo]

i do not see the point in assassinate a known terrorist leader as there will always be another one next in line to take other and it will cause more problems indeed

[del_1690]

Yes. Kill anyone who has inflicted suffering and heartbreak for any sort of people.......that includes Dale Winton!

[JohnPPotts]

No, it's a clear example of political expediency that's storing up trouble for the future. Ariel Sharon is moving against Palestinian extremists to shore up hardline support for his own government, but no legiimate government should deliberately assassinate its own citizens.

[archbishop]

Yes I think it is perfectly acceptable as a means of counter-terrorism.