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Global Ethics Corner: Is a "Kill List" of Terrorists Ethical?

From: Carnegie Council
Series: Global Ethics Corner
Length: 01:59

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After a recent "New York Times" story on Obama's "kill list" of terrorists, many are questioning the president's counterterrorism strategy. Is it ethical for President Obama to be selecting targets? Should the United States be doing more to keep civilians from becoming collateral damage? Read the full description.

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Global Ethics Corner is a weekly 2 minute segment devoted to newsworthy ethical issues. It presents both sides of an issue, asking viewers to weigh the information and make up their own minds.

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Piece Description

Global Ethics Corner is a weekly 2 minute segment devoted to newsworthy ethical issues. It presents both sides of an issue, asking viewers to weigh the information and make up their own minds.

Transcript

The New York Times reported recently on a secret White House "kill list" that President Obama himself oversees and approves as part of a weekly counterterrorism meeting. The kill list even includes some American citizens.

The front page story made headlines around the world. Some say it shows Obama's desire to take personal responsibility for U.S. actions in the fight against al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

Times reporters Jo Becker and Scott Shane called the depth of Obama's participation in the approval of deadly drone strikes "without precedent in presidential history."
The New Yorker's Amy Davidson concluded that Obama "has given the presidency a novel power."

But for others, news of a president making regular decisions about whom to kill called to mind President Lyndon Johnson's personal selection of bombing targets in North Vietnam. This practice disturbed the American pub...
Read the full transcript

Additional Credits

Deborah Carroll – Executive Producer
Julia Kennedy - Content Editor
Robert Smithline - Editor
Terence Hurley - Editor
Gusta Johnson - Production Assistant

Related Website

www.carnegiecouncil.org