Posted on 09/14/2001 11:15:24 PM PDT by Uriel1975
As you've probably heard, Bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist organization is estimated at as many as 20,000 followers in a loose-knit collective spanning as many as 37 countries. While Federal military action is entirely justified against the actual nation-States proven to be active sponsors and harbors of organized terrorist operations, surely we do not expect to declare National War on all of these countries where recruitment, support, and training cells exist. Nor should we trust the (shall we say, not 100% perfect) resources of US counter-terrorist Intelligence, hamstrung in their operations by the "rules of engagement" imposed upon them by the nature of their work and by their host countries to effectively eliminate these cancers. So -- what are we to do?
The Issuance of Letters of Marque and Reprisal is a fully-Constitutional Federal Power which was specifically intended for the prosecution of Vengeance against the "stateless terrorists" of the Founder's day -- Pirates, Brigands, private armies, military adventurers, etc.
The purpose of a Letter of Marque and Reprisal is to create a financial incentive for private-sector military professionals -- trained mercenaries with an ability to travel individually or in small groups without detection -- to bring justice to those "stateless terrorists" identified as enemies of the citizenry. To gather intelligence on the ground, hunt these individuals down where they are hiding, and apprehend or eliminate them in their nests. The advantages of these private, paramilitary units (which are NOT mutually exclusive to a purposeful and directed Military response against defined physical targets) may suggest themselves already; so let's address the disadvantages first:
-- so does the US Criminal Justice system, every year... but we still prosecute Murder, because Murders must be avenged. But - bearing in mind for a moment that this is not a perfect world - ask yourself this: Who is likely to kill more innocent people -- a private mercenary unit who is looking for a specific individual so that they'll get paid, and knows that getting caught "in-country" could leave them at the mercies of a hostile foreign kangaroo court if they hit the wrong target..... or a B-52 bomber at 20,000 feet??
-- They already did try to kill the President (and Congress, too), and the soon-to-be-coming mass bombing raids against diverse and sundry Jihadistans aren't very likely to make them cozy up to us and play nice.
-- September 11, 2001. And what is stopping them from doing it again, using different tactics, against different civilian targets is... what? The point is bloody well moot.
-- Yes, and I'm proposing to pay them a heck of a lot more than the average 18-year old infantryman we're about to put into harm's way - and only if they volunteer for the mission, at that.
-- Puh-leeze. Congress just busted the budget to the tune of $40 Billion for what may turn out to be the preliminary battles in a long war. We could bounty the heads of every single al-Qaeda operative at $1/2 million apiece for a quarter of that. And amounts averaging that level are probably appropriate, given a desire for swift and effective retribution, and the dangers that private contractors will face.
Those objections addressed, let's now consider a proposal.
RESOLVED, That the Senators and Representatives of the United States in Congress Assembled, acting by the Powers granted them under Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution of the United States of America, do hereby issue and grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal against those agents and operatives of the Al-Qaeda Terrorist Organization, such as the Department of Defense acting on the direction of the President in consultation with this Congress, shall specify. Terms:
In support of the prosecution of these Letters of Marque and Reprisal, the Congress of the United States directs the Department of Defense to provide registered contractors with such armaments, equipment, logistical support, and intelligence as the contractors shall reasonably require; and may provide such discrete transportation and assistance in the prosecution of these contracts as the Department of Defense shall deem appropriate. However, in the case of capture by a hostile agency, the Department of Defense shall have the right to disavow any knowledge of, or responsibility for, the contractors in question; especially in the case of any contractor action against targets not specified for Reprisal by the Department of Defense.
I repeat. Intel would be the largest cost. Second best is Most expensive. That's true for doctors, lawyers, and spooks (and PBI).
/john
Well, if the intel product offered gratis by Uncle Sam were insufficient, then you'd be on your own. Probably want to hook-up with meta's idea of private venture capital, and go after significant targets, i.e. $3 mil in private capital for intel to bring in a $10 million-bounty UAE sheik who's funneling cash to Bin Laden (for example). The investors get double their money back ($6 mil), the team clears the net $4 mil as a labor cost (again, just as an example).
Yup. The best that US Intel, UK intel, and Israeli Mossad/Shin-Bet can put together, as certified by Dep't Defense.
See clause 2.
All French paramilitary come pre-packaged with white flags. It's a culturally-conditioned response.
1.) They'd just start new terrorist organizations of their own (assuming they hit the right guys)
2.) Americans want righteous vengeance. Let's keep the payola in the family. Tell you what -- You can slip the Afghan bribes-aplenty to act as travel guides on your way in.
As far as righteous revenge, hell I'd do that part for free!
Please remit one fresh, new, un-spewed keyboard to kd5cts. Thank you. SNERK! LOL! Surrender Monkeys. LOL.
/john (except for Legion Estranger, for them I have respect, sorta)
Thanks for all the kind words.
If you really think so, Murray Sabrin (national Vice Chair of the Republican Liberty Caucus) is an old personal friend of mine. I haven't talked to him in a year, but I could call him Monday and ask him to pass it along to Ron Paul, or get me a phone conversation with Rep. Paul and his fax number. (No guarantees).
This was the key point for me. Righteous vengeance....
You folks might want to research the history of that song, and why it's called a Battle Hymn, and why it was the last thing that was sang at prayers today (nationally). Give your heart to the Good Lord, because your @$$ belongs to a Texan. (This is aimed at the terrorists, and not any particular poster)
To be cold-blooded about this, that means that if, using your pay scale, you manage to kill Bin Laden, you could kill 99 innocent people who were legitimately in the way, and still make $1M before expenses. This seems like a reasonable, but not extreme, incentive to get a clean kill. If you just go around killing people in the hopes that one of them is Bin Laden (say with area weapons), but no attempt to avoid killing innocents, then that would be reckless and malicious, and you could be charged in the US.
Count me in. Not as an investor, but as a contractor. Put a team together, and I'll be more than happy to prove my worth.
It is a modern libertarian free enterprise answer to the islamic fatwa. I think it may be a little too radical for some of our allies but I hope someone introduces this in congress.
Respectfully, NO. I am just an imaginative civilian with a little Constitutional knowledge, but it seems to this civvie that the last thing you want to do is diminish the efficiency of these operations by hamstringing your contractors. If the contractor is 90% certain that he has a specified Target in his sight, you want him to take the shot if he believes it to be a clean kill... not be so worried about being in the hock for a million bucks over that last 10% uncertainty that he practically has to walk up and ask the target for his photo ID and birth certificate.
For this to be done right, you have to trust Market Forces combined with your contractor's best military instincts to do the job. Think about it -- These guys will not be looking to kill civilians for which they get paid nothing (and after all, Letters of Marque and Reprisal do not protect them against getting caught and tried by a hostile court), and they will be looking to hit the right Target, and get Paid. Killing civilians will only draw attention to them in a hostile environment -- it puts not only their payola at risk, but their lives, as it calls unfriendly notice to their operation. That's a pretty strong disincentive if you ask me.
This is not going to be perfect. Nothing in the real world is. But the natural disincentives operating here -- a military man's aversion to unnecessarily killing civilians if he doesn't have to, a mercenary's desire to hit targets for which he gets paid, not targets for which he doesn't get paid, and an in-country operator's desire not to draw undue attention to himself in hostile territory -- these disincentives are going to be enough to keep these contracts focused, as well as can possibly be expected without trying to micro-manage their operation.
IMHO, this is the deal -- You let them choose their target or targets; You provide them the armaments, gear, and supplies they request (if any); provide them with the best US Intel available on the suspected training-camps/safe-houses etc, in the region in question (additional intel purchases up to the contractor); provide them with whatever forged papers and local currency they require; take them as far as Peshawar or Dushanbe or Tel Aviv or Kuwait city or Lake Van, tell them that upon successful completion they can deliver their kills/captures for confirmation and payment at whatever US embassy they can get to, and turn them loose to do their jobs.
That is how a Letter of Marque and Reprisal is supposed to work. Simple, direct, and uncomplicated.
At least, that's what seems to me. I'll defer to any of the ex-military for comment.
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