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Killing Terrorists Is a Necessary Undertaking

(Washington Times) Editorial - There certainly is no reason to mourn senior Hamas military commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a longtime terrorist with a track record including arms smuggling, kidnapping and murder. Most recently, he was suspected of being a primary link between Hamas and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, both of which the U.S. identifies as terrorist organizations. This time his luck ran out. Fortunes of war. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, targeting terrorist leaders became an integral part of American strategy. Had al-Mabhouh been a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda, the White House probably would have issued a self-congratulatory press release. Russia killed rebel Chechen leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev in Doha, Qatar, in February 2004. The U.S. is the global leader in what is called "targeted killing." Manned and unmanned aircraft have rained death on terrorists in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen. The most significant difference between what the assassins did in Dubai and U.S. targeted killings is that in the Dubai hit, only al-Mabhouh went down. Some argue that it is useless to target terrorist leaders because there is always another waiting in the wings. Experience, however, has demonstrated that taking out leaders disrupts networks, hampers operations and may deter others considering careers as violent extremists. When Abu Musab Zarqawi was liquidated by an air strike in June 2006, it was the beginning of the end for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Whoever was behind al-Mabhouh's killing may draw some lessons about covering their tracks more effectively. But they successfully eliminated an important terrorist and threat to peace, and for that they deserve thanks.
2010-03-01 08:51:03
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