General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Remember how FDR executed American Nazi sympathizers? [View all]stevenleser
(32,886 posts)Al Qaeda and its affiliates tend to operate from the places they operate because law enforcement is slim to non-existent and the ability to bring them to justice is scant. That's the whole point.
I'd be happy to call for indictment if the people in question were in the US or Western Europe or Russia or China, or even in the capital city of Saudi Arabia or Egypt or Jordan.
Reality is, we have two Americans who decided to be Al Qaeda. How many Americans have traveled abroad? Are you trying to claim the danger of a slippery slope from two Americans who decided to become Al Qaeda? You're suggesting the government is going to track down and drone strike the Griswolds on their vacation in Antalya?
I'm still waiting for a realistic alternative for any President from any party who wants to interdict terrorist operations in the planning state in areas where law enforcement cannot reach. You better do something, because your are politically toast if it comes out you knew and did nothing. We know we dont want a war of occupation, we cannot reach them with law enforcement, so what does that leave.
The bottom line is, we have no good answers for this. It's a problem we are going to be pondering for decades precisely because we don't have a good solution for it.