Hooah! I'm really starting to love this Howard guy.
Posted on 03/07/2003 7:19:15 AM PST by nypokerface
Prime Minister John Howard says he thinks everyone would welcome Osama bin Laden's execution.
Mr Howard told American viewers that if the al-Qaeda mastermind were caught, he would be dealt with in accordance with United States law and that provided for capital punishment.
Asked on the Fox network if he would welcome that, Mr Howard replied: "I think everybody would ... if he were caught and punished and dealt with in accordance with United States law".
Pakistani and US agents have stepped up the hunt for bin Laden in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan and the country's far north.
Investigators have narrowed bin Laden's possible whereabouts to the two regions based on evidence recovered from al-Qaeda's imprisoned operations chief, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, captured near Islamabad on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia would not intervene if bin Laden was to be executed.
Mr Downer said while the Australian government opposed capital punishment in principle, its stance did not necessarily apply to the al-Qaeda mastermind.
"The government doesn't support the death penalty and that has been a consistent position of our government," Mr Downer told reporters in Adelaide.
"(But) I don't think ... if Osama bin Laden was captured, and whoever captured him took the view that he should be tried and then executed, that the Australian government would be using a lot of energy in making representations to try and stop that execution.
"I personally have never supported the death penalty but in the case of Osama bin Laden, I don't think that too many tears would be shed if he was executed, bearing in mind all the people he's responsible for killing."
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd agreed bin Laden should face the full brunt of the law wherever he was captured and tried.
Mr Rudd said bin Laden should be subjected to normal judicial processes without fear or favour.
"Every individual must be subjected to normal judicial processes whether that's Australians currently in Guantanamo Bay or any other person associated or alleged to be associated with the al-Qaeda movement," Mr Rudd said.
"This depends on entirely what jurisdiction Osama bin Laden is charged in and convicted in, if in fact he's apprehended, and if in fact he's not already dead."
Hooah! I'm really starting to love this Howard guy.
It would be very difficult for me to hold a loaded gun on this butthook without pulling the trigger, and putting in another clip.......
So, since terrorism is an international crime against humanity, here's the perfect solution for Osamma bigLabia and his buddies: Erect a gallows on an aircraft carrier somewhere off the coast of Australia in international AND shark infested waters. Hang 'em high on deck for all to see and then evisverate their cold carcasses and toss 'em overboard to sharky.
Just chain him up at Ground Zero....
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