Wet Work

[Geee]

National Review:


Osama bin Laden sleeps with the fishes. His deputy, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, sleeps between clean sheets, eats three square meals a day, and receives the same quality of medical care as U.S. military officers. Yet for many people, not least the president of the United States, what happened to OBL — shot dead by Navy SEALs — represents justice and victory, while what happened to KSM — waterboarded under conditions designed to ensure no lasting physical harm — was unjust and outrageous. Is there any logic to this?

Let me concede that there may be a little. OBL was confronted in a private residence in a suburban community in an allied country. But because he was engaged in unconventional warfare, his presence transformed that area into an unconventional battlefield. KSM, by contrast, was subjected to waterboarding after his capture and while in U.S. custody. An American captive becomes an American responsibility. That raises the question: Precisely what are we responsible to do?


Because KSM violated the most fundamental laws of war, he does not merit the rights and privileges due an honorable soldier who, once captured, becomes a prisoner of war obligated only to reveal his name, rank, date of birth, and serial number, and entitled to such privileges as cooking implements, musical instruments, and a modest salary.