The Pirates Challenge Obama's Pre-9/11 Mentality

by Mackubin Thomas Owens - April 11th, 2009 - Wall Street Journal

As the eminent military historian Sir Michael Howard argued shortly after 9/11, the status of al Qaeda terrorists is to be found in a distinction first made by the Romans and subsequently incorporated into international law by way of medieval and early modern European jurisprudence. According to Mr. Howard, the Romans distinguished between bellum (war against legitimus hostis, a legitimate enemy) and guerra (war against latrunculi, pirates, robbers, brigands and outlaws).

Bellum became the standard for interstate conflict, and it is here that the Geneva Conventions were meant to apply. They do not apply to guerra. Indeed, punishment for latrunculi, "the common enemies of mankind," traditionally has been summary execution.

Do you really think the pacifist and gutless Barack Obama would have the effrontery to order summary execution for anyone but his partisan enemies in the Republican Party? I can assure you I have no doubt. The Magic Marxist Messiah has lived his entire life in the sheltered world of anti American anti capitalist socialist loving radicals. This article would seem like Greek to Obama. The very idea that you might seriously contemplate killing someone just for attacking America is beyond his comprehension.