Center of Gravity: Justification for Assassination.
Abstract
This paper will examine whether identifying a foreign leader who poses a threat to United States national interests and therefore is a center of gravity is sufficient justification for political assassination. In spite of written directions and historical precedent against political assassination, the United Nations Charter provides a legal basis for the U.S. to target political leaders that would not constitute a violation of the law and, therefore, would not be characterized legally as political assassination. However, the political ramifications, the risk, the difficulty, and the moral questions generated by political assassination are far too great and far outweigh the legal justification. The U.S. should never adopt political assassination as one of its elements of power. In fact, in order to fully clarify this issue, the U.S. Congress should adopt formal legislation making political assassination illegal.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 09, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA363034
Entities
People
- J. M. Bolchoz
Organizations
- United States Army War College