The paradox of enemy combatants

Wesley K. Clark and Kal Raustiala note an inherent contradiction in treating terrorists as "enemy combatants":

Labeling terrorists as combatants also leads to this paradox: while the deliberate killing of civilians is never permitted in war, it is legal to target a military installation or asset. Thus the attack by Al Qaeda on the destroyer Cole in Yemen in 2000 would be allowed, as well as attacks on command and control centers like the Pentagon. For all these reasons, the more appropriate designation for terrorists is not “unlawful combatant” but the one long used by the United States: criminal.

Comments

[troop 406]

Mr Neham thank you for providing the link to this essay.

We completely agree with Wesley and Kal they should be convicted as civilians not as soldiers.

If they are convicted as soldiers if convicted as soldiers they will be released when their “holy war” is over. But convicted as civilians we can punish them until justice is served.

Sincerely,
Matt
Spencer
Jordan
John
Troop 406