Whether the United States violated international law in the killing of Osama bin Laden depends not only on how one defines what has been going on since September 11, 2001, but also how this particular operation was carried out on Pakistani territory.

The popular and patriotic narrative is that the United States is at war with Al Qaeda; Osama bin Laden commands Al Qaeda; thus under the law of war bin Laden is a legitimate target for a lethal assault regardless of his personal situation (armed or unarmed, awake or sleeping) at any particular time.

The more complicated view is that bin Laden is under federal indictment for terrorist attacks against U.S. civilians and government personnel on U.S. territory and at diplomatic and military targets in various parts of the world—attacks that violate federal antiterrorism law—and as a matter of law enforcement should be captured and brought to trial, preferably before a federal criminal court in the United States.

Despite the certainty with which proponents of either view argue their respective policies, the fact is that the United States has been pursuing both agendas for almost a decade: waging war and enforcing antiterrorism law. The Afghan and Iraq wars and various military strikes in Pakistan and Yemen testify to the logic of a war.

I think Obama gaffed a slip-up.

I see we got a real "clear" response from somebody !

A senior administration official is denying to CNN that President Obama made a mistake in publicly revealing what had been classified information about U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan.

Asked whether it was a mistake or part of some larger strategy, the official said the president’s on the record admission on drones during a Google + video chat Monday, was “neither a slip up or a secret message to the Pakistanis”

Opps !

why would "some larger strategy" be a "secret message to the Pakistanis” ??

Boing Boing !

The official downplayed the significance of what happened, pointing out that what the president said was widely known. The president, the official said was making the point that the drone missions are “precise” and “targeted to avoid casualties.”