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NewsOne’s Bakari Kitwana interviews Vijay Prashad about the implications of the recent killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Ladan. Kitwana and Prashad discuss the American public’s euphoria surrounding this news and what this death means for the war in Afghanistan, and the future of America’s enemies—from Al Qaeda to the Taliban.

They also talk about the meaning of Bin Laden’s demise to the 2012 presidential race. Says Prashad, “Forget Obama. Forget 2012. What are the long-term implications for American power and authority in a world where others are trying to build up international law as a counter to cowboy-ism?”

Prashad also shares insight on the way he sees the death of Bin Laden already playing out in civil rights and human rights circles: “In 1981 Ronald Reagan signed Executive Order 12333, which disallows the US from pursuing targeted assassinations. Likewise, international law forbids this type of action. I’m very disturbed that there is no qualified discussion about the legality of this type of action. People on the liberal to progressive side seem to have lost their bearings and are no longer able to be serious when it comes to the question of utilizing armed force overseas.”

Vijay Prashad is professor and director of International Studies at Trinity College. He is the author eleven books, including his most recent The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World.

Bakari Kitwana is CEO of Rap Sessions, Editor at Large of Newsone.com and author of the forthcoming Hip-Hop Activism in the Obama Era. (Third World Press, 2011)

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  • http://www.blackplanet.com/jazzwatch/ jazzwatch

    One terrorist EXPUNGTION doesn’t a PEACEFUL country(U.S) make…………..

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/germandog21/ germandog21

    PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA IS THE HERO OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

    HE DID IN 2.5 YEARS WHAT BUSH AND CHENEY COULD NOT DO IN 7 YEARS!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Gospeltruths/ Gospeltruths

    Actually, it wasn’t Obama that did anything new. This search for Osama was started under Bush, and it just so happened that Osama made a mistake at this time, got caught, and got shot. If McCain had been elected, we probably would have had the same result.

    As for the article, I believe Mr. Prashad is ignoring certain aspects of the law that allow us to pursue terrorists and criminals. I am not aware of them, but as with all laws, there are usually exceptions to all laws. To pretend otherwise is dishonest.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Gospeltruths/ Gospeltruths

    By the way, good riddens to Bin Laden, terrorist and criminal who deserves the death he received.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/blackbizman2008/ blackbizman2008

    Actually, I agree with some of what Prashad is saying (not all, but some). I do think it is important to raise questions about the legality of what happened, regardless of the person in office. We can’t just turn on the blinders and act like the world is at peace just because the news media tells us to. Rational answers require rational questions. I voted for Obama, but that does not mean I won’t question U.S. foreign policy. I always have, and I always will, and I invite others to do the same. If we don’t question things, are we truly a democracy, or an Orwellian totalitarian regime?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/germandog21/ germandog21

    Time wasting analysis and pulling moot controversies out of a hat is silly.

    Osama was marked, it was good the president got em, families of 9/11 victims

    are happier, millions of citizens feel safer and are happy, the operation was clean,

    the dow went up 35 points so far, nobody is going to do a daman thing about removing

    bin laden, on to the next issue.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Rdawta/ Rdawta

    There was absolutely nothing LEGAL about this. The new reality is if you are a student in International Law, please change your major or throw your degree in the trash because there is no international law, none that can be applied to the US. We have seen countless egregious acts of the US to treat ppl’s land and soveriegnty as slices of cake that need to be destroyed. Obama is really on a roll, he assassinated Gaddafi’s son and grandchildren the other day, he’s droned more innocent ppl in Pakistan and Afghan than Bush, at this point they can just go in pluck out whoever they want assassinate them with their private mercenaries (Xe form. Blackwaters) and beat their chest in victory. But it is a false sense of victory because just like the war on drugs, the war on terror is a facade, that will keep the elite treating nations like football games, with all the carnage, blood and innocent lives that the US media/military complex continue hide while dumbing down the public to its core.

    This orchestration was indeed illegal, no matter what, and the US shows it has no sense of justice or rule of law. You can just assassinate your way out of problems that one creates. But as Malcolm said, when the chickens come home to roost…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Dr_Detroit777/ Dr_Detroit777

    Depends On What JURISDICTION (Of The DIVINE ORDER) You Speak From, Though I Would Think Considering The TIMEs Any Relative Argument Saying Yes It Is Illegal Is Empty And Possibly Vain Rhetoric.

    Non-the-less, What Is Illegal And What Is Unlawful; Rather It Was Illegal Or Not Is Debatable For Some, But, Rather It Was Unlawful Or Not, Hands Up, No It Was Not Unlawful.

    Furthermore, Relative To These TIMEs, I Rather Have The Temporary PATRIOT Act Policies, Permitting Superseding Of Legalities At The Discretion Of ORIGINAL LAWs Than The Worldly Abuse Of Original Laws Permanently As Would Be The Case Had The Wicked Axis Prevailed.

    Legalities Are Irrelevant, Particularly When It Corrupts The ORIGINAL LAWs And The DIVINE ORDER, Thereof; Unlawful No It Wasn’t.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/MSLOVELYV7/ MSLOVELYV7

    I think what Obama decided to do was justice. All non-Americans should be grateful to be in America.
    Eye for an Eye! And the brother did it! Don’t hate… appreciate…….recognize the true President
    One love for all good people and that means you! the one reading this post come check me out.
    Come on black people I’ve read your post and they suck big time. On the President … for real tho?
    The first….down in History…………………………Your Mslovelyv7 @ Blackplanet

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/MSLOVELYV7/ MSLOVELYV7

    At Germandog,
    I luv your post. Keeping it real.
    Dude talking about if Mc cain had been elected he would have the same result. WRONG!
    Key word “elected” he didn’t get the vote chump so step off… Stop hating give he black man some credit for being brave enough to make the final call. I hate haters. One luv

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/krazygem/ krazygem

    dr. detroit777 deep. I agree. Thanks for saying it for me.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Rdawta/ Rdawta

    @Dr_Detroit you raise an interesting paradigm, because in actuallity, the US government is not even a legal entity by divine law, but only by their own. For there is a divine law which governs the operative functions of societies that must be adhered to, if not, that society will indeed fall, despite all of its might. Many civilizations existed before this one, and in most cases, there was a spiritual or divine law that governed their behavior and system. We have lost the art of representing divine law, held in balance by Maat. When we as a ppl return to this mechnism of living, the turmoil we see in the world will no longer be of consequence and failure to adhere. For ex: to western man’s law it is legal to dig to the depths of the earth to remove its celestial water, oil, for profit. yet the laws of the environment prove that this is not only dangerous but absolutely against the divine order, if the earth must be constantly circ**sized for this practice. How long can it continue if it is indeed ‘legal’?

    On the other hand, I don’t believe Patriot Act policies would be necessary if our own society was not impeding and destroying other ppls. After a while ppl tend think everything the US does in the name of its brand of democracy–is excusable under any menace. This is only a ploy to steal all the resources from the most vulnerable at any time. The above idea expresses again, this is not legal by divine law. For if the insaitable thirst of acquiring oil, or any othe resource requires going to other ppls lands, occupying and confiscating their resources by the bomb or the gun, it is not only criminal, but against divine law. So there appears no need for ethics. We as Black ppl should be most aware, for slavery was once ‘legal’ in their eyes, but divine law says it is not.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/jazzwatch/ jazzwatch

    They also want to FORGET that HE is the president, too, even if this DIDN’T happen…..

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/blackbizman2008/ blackbizman2008

    I like the philosophical tone the comments below set. I might add that “legal” and “law” have unfortunately become very subjective terms. What the U.S. defines as legal in the international context is not the same as what China might consider legal, for instance. Muslim countries would also disagree (and they disagree with each other, hence Sunni vs Shiite Muslims). Not all countries are on board with the UN’s version of International Law, and the U.S., Western Europe and Israel have their version of International Law, hence the ongoing Middle East crisis that pits the Palestinians/U.N. against the U.S./Western Europe/Israel. And if we take this debate to the supernatural level, the Christian view of law is different from the Muslim view, and also the Jewish view. And secularists have a different view of legality from all these others, hence their desire to legalize drugs, prostitution, and so on. Extreme environmentalists want to outlaw houses of a certain size, gas guzzling SUVs, and anything harmful to their view of the environment. So then whose idea of legality should prevail? That’s the crux of the problem.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/curious24_7/ curious24_7

    What this professor is commenting on is partial facts! Ignorant statements like what he is making is what makes me laugh! The order was to capture or kill! CAPTURE WAS WHAT THEY TRIED TO DO BUT HE RESISTED AND WAS DEALT WITH! YOU COMMIT A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY AND RESIST YOUR FATE IS SEALED! LEARN THE TRUTH BEFORE OPENING YOUR MOUTH PROFESSOR!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/cheka_member/ cheka_member

    I think the professor is very right. America is trying to hold unto power and worldwide people believe the US is just a joke city. Did you see the statement of Obama? Today, we made the world a little bit safer..well even Jesus didn’t made that statement, so Obama must really think highly of himself.

    US go around the world bombing nations if these nations do not what they want. Well, I believe if you keep hitting your neigbour that one day he or she will hit you back. It seems that US has lost its mind and is falling and in their fall they are holding to anything and anybody. The fact that Bin Laden is not here anymore does not change anything to the fact that the US and its CIA are the biggest legal killing machine on this earth under the name of democracy…if you want facts, go back and read history and don’t read to many of the propaganda such as CNN and all those corporate US crap!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/tastejustlikehoney/ tastejustlikehoney

    @Cheka Do you really think other non-Muslim countries didn’t want Osama dead? Do you forget Al-Qaida has bombed many other countries? If not for the US, innocent people would still be dying under Gaddfi. Look how many missions the US have jumped on in order to protect the lives and freedoms of others. I know we are far from perfect but the US actually helps unlike other countries that turn a blind eye. All this animosity in the world for the US, the way I see it, let’s not give any aid to other nations, do not offer help in times of crisis, and then we will see how things turn out. I’m pretty sure which ever country you live in will be happy to do the worlds dirty work the US has been forced to do for so long.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/tastejustlikehoney/ tastejustlikehoney

    @Gospeltruths Bush stated several times that Osama was not an important factor anymore. So yes, he started the search but that was because he had no choice. If McCain was president we’d probably be in WWIII by now. It’s sad how so many choose to overlook the good Obama has done.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/NanRub77/ NanRub77

    The real question is: Is what Osama Bin Laden perpetrated on 9/11/01 legal? The answer is I think not! Osama has attacked our embassy in Kenya and Tanzania back in 1998, The USS Cole back in 2000 and then was brazen enough to plan a hit right on our own soil on 9/11/01 with the WTC bombings in NYC (where I am from) and The Pentagon in Washington DC. He is a big part of why our economy is as messed up as it is now. A lot of businesses have closed and a lot of jobs were lost since that day, the War on Terror came as a result costing this country billions of dollars to fund. He has caused us to lose some of the freedoms we once had. You can’t even travel without scheduling your plans hours in advance because of all the security check points at the airport. The way people are searched before boarding a plan has changed and the what you are allowed to carry on a plane has changed. Even taking mass transit in NYC has changed. You can get randomly stopped and searched by police before going through the turnstile, Penn Station and Grand Central Station have military guards with rifles and dogs patrolling the area.

    I know we are a long way from being safe but getting Osama is a step in the right direction. We could have gotten him a long time ago if Bush Jr. had focused our war efforts more in Afghanistan than in Iraq in the beginning. We did get Saddam Hussein but he should not have been our target at that particular time. If anyone thought that Osama was done with us before he met his demise on 5/1/11 is sadly mistaken. He was still plotting more attacks on our lives and had people in place to carry out those plans. Al Qaeda was just waiting for us to start to feel safe again then catch us off guard. I believe he was a criminal who was being captured and then resisted arrest so he was killed. He could have surrendered quietly and maybe he would still be alive today. Osama probably said if you want me you will have to kill me first. So our military obliged. Nothing illegal about that to me.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Memette/ Memette

    I’m not sure if the intention was to assassinate him or merely capture him dead or alive should he resist. I think people are quickly jumping to conclusions.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/NanRub77/ NanRub77

    Oh for people who think Bush Jr. started the real search for Osama is also mistaken. Bush used Sept. 11 to mislead us into Iraq away from Afghanistan where Bin Laden was known to be. He had a personal grudge against Saddam Hussein and he used the citizens of the USA to settle that grudge.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/SoCo_Nes12/ SoCo_Nes12

    Hell. what Osama did was illegal yet we’re supposed to handle this situation the “legal” way? He gave up his rights to being treated right when he went missing for almost a freggin decade. Yes, I had a co-worker yesterday try to tell me and another co-worker that Bush 2 started the search but hell, he also said there were WPD and he focused more on the criminal he wanted to capture/kill: Suddam. It’s not as though he said after Suddam was killed, Bin Laden you’re next! smh ppl need to gtfoh with this mess of legality and justice cuz hell, many people that should be behind bars don’t because of these legal loop holes..tired of this mess..THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR KEEPING YOUR WORD FROM NOV. 2009 ABOUT GETTING OSAMA BIN LADEN!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/juniorsayouh/ juniorsayouh

    Mr Bush And his sidekick Cheney Talked loudly but carried a small stick! President Obama talks softly and carries a BIG! stick! So the question is? Who gets the results?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/smittyboy7/ smittyboy7

    Now for the next month we’re going to be bombarded with a bunch of freaking lies about this BinLaden story.This sh*t is sickening already,i hate liars.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Khandi00/ Khandi00

    FIY: The search for Osama started under Former President Clinton’s term. Osama was known to have had a relationship with Bush Sr.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/odoggz/ odoggz

    when was assassination ever legal? lol

    @khandi00
    Yeah and he also became notorious on Clinton’s watch for bombing the USS COLE and Clinton kept ignoring the mounting evidence of the rise of Osama. Either way, proves Obama is better than the Bushes and Clinton!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/NSABMORE-1/ NSABMORE-1

    I would have killed him myself for 25 Million.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/markee5/ markee5

    I could,nt care less what some paki a*****e has to say President Obama did his job true to his word Bush could,nt do it he just left a big friggin mess ,Bin Laden is dead f**k vijay prashad his type just kisses white mans ass if bush had have caught bin laden you would,nt hear any comments trying to discredit the president or whatever from any paki bastards screw prashad and the rest of his type.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/greggf2k3/ greggf2k3

    So, what would this so-called professor call the murder of THOUSANDS of innocent people on 9/11 and every other act of terrorism that Osama bin Laden was responsible for? He deserved to die & is now aware that the 40 virgins was a bunch of BUNK!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/LIB_buster/ LIB_buster

    Mr Prashad, the reason there is no discussion about this is that in the eyes of the US it was not an assasination by intent. US went to capture him or kill in that order, but this was not the order that OBL would allow. Thus, he was shot dead. But, if you want to pick a bone over this, Pakistan is a soveriegn nation, this alone without Pakistani government and Pakistani law enforcement involved would have been a violation against Pakistani Soveriegnity. As a result, the Pakistani people will never feel safe because they feel the US can move in anytime unannounced and take you out without Pakistani intervention. This will cause a fraction umong Paki government and it’s people. There will be political fall out over this move as it developes.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/lilq2286/ lilq2286

    i think the assassination is complete bulls**t and it goes to show how gullible the Americans are dumb asses! If they had him they would have kept the supposedly disposed at sea body for evidence

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/tonkski_1963/ tonkski_1963

    Who cares what Prashad thinks. I was lated when hearing this news as a US Military Veteran. This was a war-time actions and Pakistan should also be held accountable for harboring this known mass-murderer within their shores. Also, this wasn’t a targeted assassination; they attempted to bring him into custody and he threatened their lives. You can write this however you want, but this criminal had to pay.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Black-Is-Power12/ Black-Is-Power12

    Obama Gets Osama

    Hmmm….

    TRUTH IS:

    THOSE TWO FOREIGNERS NAME ARE ABOUT THE SAME ISN’T IT?

    OBAMA AND OSAMA

    THOSE FOREIGNERS DELIBERATELY BLEW THOSE TWIN TOWERS DOWN BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T WANT PRESIDENT GEORGE W.BUSH IN THE WHITE HOUSE FOR THE REASON OF HIM BEING A REPUBLICAN (in other words they wanted for president bill clinton to stay in the white house because he was a democratic) SO,PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON WAS SET UP FOR THE REASON OF HIM HAVING ORAL SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH MONICA LEWINSKY.

    THOSE WICKED FOREIGNERS WOULD HAVE BETTER HAD A CHANCE ON DOING WHAT THEY HAD PLANNED TO DO IF PRESIDENT GEORGE W.BUSH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE BECAUSE THOSE WICKED LYING FOREIGNERS WANTED TO TAKE OVER THIS AMERICAN UNITED STATES COUNTRY SO,WHAT THEY DID WAS TRICKED EVERYBODY INTO BELIEVING THAT PRESIDENT GEORGE W.BUSH WAS NOT A GOOD MAN TO HAVE BEEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE BECAUSE HE WAS A REPUBLICAN.

    THOSE WICKED LYING AND TRICKY FOREIGNERS NEEDED FOR PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON TO STAY IN THE WHITE HOUSE INSTEAD BECAUSE THEN THEY WOULD HAVE HAD A MUCH BETTER CHANCE GOING THROUGH HIM TO GET INSIDE OF THERE INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH PRESIDENT BUSH SO,THEY HAD GOTTEN MAD AND STARTED A WAR WITH US BY BLOWING UP THOSE TWIN TOWERS IN NEW YORK CITY.

    IN OTHER WORDS THEY WANTED FOR A FOREIGNER WHOM WAS A DEMOCRATIC TO BE PRESIDENT IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE FOREIGNERS NAME IS “BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA”

    DON’T EVER BE TRICKED BY THOSE LOW DOWN AND WICKED LYING DEVILS.

    usfg

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/bossdog220/ bossdog220

    Have any of you people seen any pictures or videos showing his corps? I don’t think any of you did so don’t buy into the bulls**t. It’s amazing that they say they caught the most wanted terrorist in the world but yet they hurry and throw the body into the ocean without even broadcasting his body live first? Obama and the rest of these politicians are only pulling another bs lie over the people.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Chocolate_Gul/ Chocolate_Gul

    Uh do you think most Americans really care if his assassination was legal or not?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/bathsheba22/ bathsheba22

    If it was any other president beside President Obama, would these questions exist? My goodness, when will it all end?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/CHIKN-N-COLARDGREENS/ CHIKN-N-COLARDGREENS

    Stop praising Obama, the US Military took out Osama give them the credit. Obama had little 2 nothing to do with it, he just happened to be in office. Support our troops!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Haitian_Sausage/ Haitian_Sausage

    hmm was WTC illegally bomb??

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/panamaniak/ panamaniak

    @CHIKN-N-COLARDGREENS ,no disrespect bro but you seem like a vet (I am one also) so you should know this as well: ANY sitting president is according to the constitution, Commander in Chief. Now of course the POTUS is not a member of the armed forces he is the “man”,lol! Now yeah he didn’t pull the trigger but he gave the order. I support our troops because I was one at one time. But I also must give credit where it’s due. And it’s due to the current administration. I would say the same thing if Bush was still in office. I wasn’t a huge fan and didn’t vote for him. But I also didn’t lay every problem this country and the world had at Bush’s feet. Just like being a cop,being president is a HARD job. What must go through the minds of these men who have not only a countries future at stake but now that the US is nearly a sole super power,the world. I would not want this job! Peace fam

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/glennxx/ glennxx

    I want adress some of the stupid people who made comments, Obama found out last fall where Bin Laden was and he had everything to do with this mission, He gave the kill order. Also, showing a pic of Bin Laden dead only gonna lead to more revenge from extremist and Obama don’t owe it to you to show you pics of this matter so grow up. Support our President and troops.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/BakkByPopularDemand/ BakkByPopularDemand

    *SIGH*…

    America make up your mind….Do you want the people to be happy about the death OR do you want them to question the government?

    My goodness the way this country yanks people back and forth is atrocious……And people wonder why I am ANTI America…..(yes I said it..)

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/boy1der1/ boy1der1

    What kind of bulls**t question is that???
    Now use your imagination and ask that same question with the idea of Bin Laden being killed while George Bush is president…

    Boy…. some people need a swift kick in their asses… smh

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/panamaniak/ panamaniak

    @Black-Is-Power12 My man you’re buggin’ ESPECIALLY typing in ALL CAPS. You’re theory is flawed. So “they” didn’t want Bush in office? Uh….may I ask you a question? (and this one my 11 year son who’s in the 5th grade can answer if you can’t) How many terms can a United States president serve? How many did Bush serve? The way your speech patterns are I think YOU may be the “foreigner”. I don’t know how it is where you come from but there’s no such office as “president for life” here in the States. As for the Towers(which I used to work in when I was employed by ABM) What about the OTHER explosion? Yeah there was one BEFORE 9/11. Feb 1993. I remember since I was working in the city. Was Obama behind that? You’re entitled to your opinion but these wild ass theories hurt your credibility. Wonder would folks be saying these things were it Bush,Bush or Reagan…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/deshawzn/ deshawzn

    @lilq2286 Damn if you are a non believer take your ass to a recruiter sign up and see how real it is being deployed to remote locations with your M16 so you can prove to some of these blackplanet members its his body. Oh wait you were busy watching house of payne or meet the browns you simpleton.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/MRLONELYNCT/ MRLONELYNCT

    think they should of capture him, and take him to america and put him in rakers island
    to see how long he will stay a live in there, with nyc niggas

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/MRLONELYNCT/ MRLONELYNCT

    MONICA LEWINSKY WAS A WHITE HOUSE FREAK

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/HedonisticPlzur/ HedonisticPlzur

    @Soco_Nes12 those “legal loop holes” that you said was keeping people from behind bars are called constitutional rights(something that is guaranteed to all American Citizens).I’m not even addressing the legality of OBL’s assassination because any well-knowing person knows that the US can give a f*ck about international laws.I’m addressing the comment about people not going to jail because of loop-holes.First of all,these loop holes you speak of are applied sparingly and disproportionately.There are hundreds of Black men sitting in prison now because of an illegal search and seizure or some other constitutional violation that the so-called justice system did not properly address or honor.You need to be careful when you try to take a”lock them up and throw away the key” stance because justice is not always blind and there has been many of innocent men who have been freed from prison because of a wrongful conviction,and yet,many more who will be exonerated in the future after spending the better years of their life in jail for a crime they did not commit.The constitution was made for a reason and it serves its purpose in a democratic society.If only it was applied equally and fairly to all who it applies to.If that, indeed, was the case,then so many young and old black men would not be in prison as a result of the misguided war on drugs which in all actuality is a war on us.Based upon what you said I get the sense that you are someone who is fed up with crime that is running rampant in our communities.Well,you are not by yourself on that.But please believe that jail is not the solution for everyone’s problem(only if you’re a republican or conservative zealot, that is).We need to FOCUS more on prevention rather than punishment,like providing meaningful resources to our youth to deter them from joining gangs and committing crimes.It’s way cheaper to do this than to send a person to jail for a petty crime that’s going to cost taxpayers a fortune.It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that prison does not deter or reduce crime.Just look at the recidivism rates and you’ll see this.Prison should always be a last resort for those who have proven that there is no other choice.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Jamereia/ Jamereia

    it wasn’t illegal to assassinate osama bin laden bc the punk isn’t dead!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/godzjustice/ godzjustice

    Prashad can get on his goat and ride back to whatever third world country from which he or his parents came…

    As a former vet, I know that the last thing you think about when you burst into a room is how many people do you want to “capture”… (Special Forces don’t train to capture people but to kill them, that includes the Navy Seals, HOOAHH)…

    SO give the men their due… military life is hard; for the President, sending troops into combat is even harder because as President everyone will want to ask you why their son or daughter will never come home…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/smittyboy7/ smittyboy7

    You mean @devilsjustice,you need to be locked in a cage.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/kalwel002/ kalwel002

    My friends told me about — Bla ckwhi teCu pid. C’ 0- M —–told It’s the best place to me’et bl’ack wh’ite sing’les. Come in and stay a while. Complete your profile. Post a message, a picture of yourself and check out the photo galleries

    Give it a try, you will find someone you like there… ;)
    @@@@MONICA LEWINSKY WAS A WHITE HOUSE FREAK

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/RayAlonzo/ RayAlonzo

    As early as 1998, the proscription against assassination, in Executive Order 12333, was reinterpreted, and relaxed, for targets who are classified by the United States as connected to terrorism. The university professor was incorrect on this order.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/JSD/ JSD

    The professor Didn’t Tell The WHOLE Truth, He Left-Out/Forgot/Didn’t Mention ALL the Other Executive Orders that were Enacted during The Bush Administration.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/shippper2009/ shippper2009

    the us had no right to go into pakistan to get him

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/saysuntin/ saysuntin

    It doesn’t matter if it WAS illegal bcuz the goal, at last, was achieved. They say 2 wrongs don’t make a right but obviously that only applies 2 some ppl – We wasted more resources than we even had on this war that can never b one – the least that could come out of it is Bin Laden’s death. Pakistan had no right 2 help and hide him so they are basically the same as the houses here where they have drugs – it can b ur grandma’s house but if she hides a drug dealer n there, the pigs r kickin it n right? Pakistan can kick rocks on this one.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/craig185/ craig185

    They murder Bin Laden…..don’t get me wrong, he deserved what he got, but we’re America. We are not suppose to do what are enemies do. They keep changing the story…first he used someone as a human sheild, second he was unarmed….We’re not suppose to kill unarmed people…if he didn’t show signs of a threat then we should have taking him in. I very much believe he would have supplied much more information alive then dead. But what am I talking about here…we’re talking about the C.I.A…they probably didn’t kill him at all. He’s probably getting waterboarded right now for information…who knows.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/missbetty/ missbetty

    Shipper2009,did you think he was going to lawyer up and give himself up?Friend of the Bush family,maybe the Bushes thought he was going to rat them out.We’ll never know the truth about this. Still don’t know all the facts behind Lincolns asassination,remember the Pope that died as soon as he was crowned or whatever you call it.What about Kennedy,Oswald was killed,the guy that shot him died before talking.Martin Luther King,still a mystery,Bill Clintons best friend found dead in the park. The list goes on.CIA=licensed to kill.History is His story.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/lighthouse/ lighthouse

    So what I lied (satan’s reply)

    I lied to you and everyone else

    “Hell” I don’t even care about myself

    How you think I ended up here

    Because it was God I decided not to fear

    I rebelled against everything that He said

    After I did that

    I knew my home would be a place of the dead

    After I was tossed out on my rear end

    I decided to spread upon the earth: hate and sin

    This is why my home is this gloomy den

    That I will eternally dwell in

    You see I was once a favored one

    Now my worth is zero to none

    Written by Marvin Crutchfield through Jesus C

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/nurredin/ nurredin

    I do believe the law was about assassinating heads of state. Ben Laden WAS NOT the recognized leader of any country. No illegality commited.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/2Queens11434/ 2Queens11434

    First of all NewsOne (if that is your sole news channel) has not revealed to you that it was confirmed by US intelligence that Al-Qaeda is being armed by US to overthrow the Libyan government.

    How do WE know that this was part of a deal between the US and the so called Al-CIAda?

    And why are these white folks killing the sons of muslim leaders–not anglo-saxon or children of european leaders only muslim?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/curious24_7/ curious24_7

    To find the answer or truth just do a little research. The professor didn’t tell the truth about everything. Was he killed Illegally? The professor needs to ask a jury of his peers! all 3,000 of them! People kill me how they come from all these other countries then come here and try to belittle the same government that gave them citizenship and freedom!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/OreoNygga/ OreoNygga

    I personally took part in combat operations in Iraq……..I could’ve told you the whole time the mothafugga wasn’t there.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ProBlackfist/ ProBlackfist

    It was fake anyway dummies….

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lola-Wants/100002747603916 Lola Wants

    Took the words right out of my mouth! If bush were still president this question would never have been posed.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rasulnasir Rasul Nasir

    People of color need to prepare for the worst conditions. The reality is before us all over the country as weak minded individuals begin to increase their activities. Learn to defend yourself and your property from those in the know.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_W4URVX2AFXHIKJ2ZF7PVKDRJOY Meangrl

    Um, let’s see, was 911 ILLEGAL? Is the systematic kidnapping and killing of our war reporters/ peace volunteers/ Red Cross workers ILLEGAL? This artricle is a slap in the face and I KNOW why it was written and the REAL reason it was written. This is yet another attempt to take something Obama has done and make it wrong. What is wrong with you people? By that I mean stupid people. HOW LONG was Bin Laden on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list? And NOW all of a sudden someone wants to get all warm and fuzzy over his death? Really? I’m a journalist and I see right throught this BS and I’m sad to say that many of my fellow journalists have just sold out and have no idea what true journalism is anymore. How many would even think this way had it been the Bush administration that killed Bin Laden? SMH.

  • Ghetto Saint

    I thought you was tighter than this dear bro?????????

    I does not matter because Bin Laden died sevral years ago.

    Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said herself that he had died and shortly there after because of her costly leak she was killed!!!!!!!

    Blacks need to seriouly quit listening to tha wite man when gettin info.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Nabil1020/ Nabil1020

    What p!sses me off is that those hillbillies and lawn jockeys, on the right, won’t give 44 his props on a job well done. As a Muslim, that son of a b***h killed over 100 of my co-religionists that day and he got what he had coming to him as far as I’m concerned

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