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During WW2, Benito Mussolini, the leader of Italy supported Hilter. He (Mussolini) was incarcerated when the allies began the invasion of Italy. He was rescued from prison by a German Special Forces. Benito Mussolini, then headed the Italian Social Republic in parts of Italy that were not occupied by Allied forces. With total defeat looming in late 1945. Benito Mussolini, attempted to escape to Switzerland. But was captured, killed on the spot without trail near Lake Como by Italian Partisans. His body was taken to Milian where it was hung upside down from a lamp post at a petrol station for viewing and to prove confirmation of his death. The pictures of this hanging was printed in newspapers world wide. From Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.
Summary executions are practiced by the police, military, and paramilitary organizations and are associated with guerrilla warfare, counter-insurgency, terrorisms, and criminality.
History repeats its self. So Gaddafi is the latest name added to the list. Nor will Gaddafi be the last name on the list by worlds end.

Benito Mussolini, then headed the Italian Social Republic in parts of Italy that were not occupied by Allied forces. With total defeat looming in late 1945. Benito Mussolini, attempted to escape to Switzerland. But was captured, killed on the spot without trail near Lake Como by Italian Partisans.

Yes, but I can't use a summary execution from the past to justify it now and make it right, it's still wrong.

As you imply, they most certainly can be expected in cases where leaders are widely hated by the citizens of their nation. There is a verse in the Bible that says exactly that. Tryants are often overthrown, and often it ain't pretty. I doggedly advocate that nations under the grip of despotic tyrants should overthrow them as opposed to citizens from other nations being "do-gooders" and coming along and providing the necessities for the downtrodden. Doing that provides an enormous help to the tyrant and removes all motivation for the downtrodden to overthrow their tyrant, as accepting the aid is much less personally dangerous than attempting an overthrow. But I get flak for that view a lot.

Of course, revolt and forced removal of the leader of a nation usually does not involve an attempt at arrest, but only assassination. In this particular case, however, there was no reason why the leader could not be jailed and held over for trial. Saddam Hussein's whole process only took a little over a month, IIRC, and I believe he had a lot more dedicated followers than Gaddafi did.

Where execution without trials runs rampant there is anarchy and chaos which creates misery for the citizenry; it's wrong.

That's why even though we realize that violent overthrow happens and depending on the situation can in fact be a righteous act, summary execution without even an attempt at a trial is never condoned by a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Until now.

And Lord willing, not again.

IMHO.