With all due respect to Col. North... I could give a rat's ass.  In fact, given what has happened since Clinton took office, and the debate over previous failings, and our current efforts, I find it disingenuous to complain about it:

"I worked hard to try to kill him. I authorized a finding for the CIA to kill him. We contracted with people to kill him. I got closer to killing him than anybody has gotten since." -- William Jefferson Clinton, Sept. 24, 2006

Now there's a passage for the next edition of "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations"! It was a stunning, blatant confession -- made in the midst of a heated exchange on FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace -- that as president, Clinton sanctioned the assassination of Osama bin Laden. To put this little piece of braggadocio in context, it should be noted that no other American head of state -- sitting or former -- has ever before admitted to such a serious violation of law. Though assassination is specifically forbidden as a course of action open to U.S. officials -- including presidents -- no one seems to have taken notice -- perhaps because they were so caught up with the theater of what was happening on the screen -- and not listening to the words being said.

To a certain extent, this is much like the debate over torture.  Many people are squeamish over it, but given what we're facing, are willing to do it.  In fact, I think it reasonable to say that killing Osama wouldn't even fit what most people consider to be an assassination.  Does it fit the technical definition?  Probably.  But it doesn't fit most people's idea in their head of one government covertly taking out an official of another government.  What government does Osama bin Laden represent anyway?  And just imagine if we had killed him in the 1990's.

Do we consider it assignation to take him out now?  Of course not.  And what changed it?  September 11th.  So it's no longer an assassination after he declared war on us?  But as so many people have said before... bin Laden attacked the United States and declared war on us long before September 11th.

Via Guide to Midwestern Culture.