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Al qaeda Quote by Christopher Hitchens

“Remaining for a moment with the question of legality and illegality: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368, unanimously passed, explicitly recognized the right of the United States to self-defense and further called upon all member states 'to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers…” quote by Christopher Hitchens
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““Remaining for a moment with the question of legality and illegality: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368, unanimously passed, explicitly recognized the right of the United States to self-defense and further called upon all member states 'to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of the terrorist attacks. It added that 'those responsible for aiding, supporting or harboring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of those acts will be held accountable.' In a speech the following month, the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan publicly acknowledged the right of self-defense as a legitimate basis for military action. The SEAL unit dispatched by President Obama to Abbottabad was large enough to allow for the contingency of bin-Laden's capture and detention. The naïve statement that he was 'unarmed' when shot is only loosely compatible with the fact that he was housed in a military garrison town, had a loaded automatic weapon in the room with him, could well have been wearing a suicide vest, had stated repeatedly that he would never be taken alive, was the commander of one of the most violent organizations in history, and had declared himself at war with the United States. It perhaps says something that not even the most casuistic apologist for al-Qaeda has ever even attempted to justify any of its 'operations' in terms that could be covered by any known law, with the possible exception of some sanguinary verses of the Koran.””

Christopher Hitchens

About This Quote

Source Speech: UN Security Council Resolution 1368, 2001; statements by Kofi Annan and President Obama

The quote argues that the legal justification for the bin‑Laden raid was solid, citing UN resolutions and the self‑defense right, while dismissing claims of his being unarmed as naive.

In simple terms: Legal basis for the raid is strong; claims of him being unarmed are weak.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the legal framework supporting decisive action against terrorism.

Themes

law self‑defense terrorism military action

Mood

serious analytical

Type

political legal

When to use this quote

  • policy debate
  • military planning
  • public discourse
  • media analysis

Key Concepts

International law UN resolutions ethical justification

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do international resolutions shape national military decisions?
  • What ethical limits exist on self‑defense claims?
A Different Perspective

Legal justification may be contested by differing interpretations of international law.

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