| If you take the story on face value and there is, in fact, one less bomber on our streets, then it's a good thing that they pay the price before destroying innocent lives.
But we are on dodgy ground here, firstly because if people are willing to blow themselves to smithereens to pursue their misguided cause then being shot in the head is no real deterent.
Secondly, I can understand the security forces caution right now, but in an atmosphere of heightened tension we are expecting them to make very rapid, snap judgement decisions that are quite litterally life and death.
As I say, if the police shoot the right people that's good (although the chance to question them might be better), but....how long might it be before the police shoot somebody who is completely innocent.
"There was this moslem bloke running along the platform with a rucksack sarge, I saw some wires coming from the rucksack and he didn't stop when I shouted at him so I shot him"
"Yes PC Jenkins, but he was running because he was trying to catch the train, his rucksack was full of sports kit and the wire was coming from his deaf aid"
It could happen. Try being a member of the security force who has to make that sort of decision in the heat of the moment and when they are probably a bit twitchy themselves. It's a bugger of a job innit.  |