Targeting Enemy Leaders: Panacea or Pandora's Box

摘要

Targeting enemy leaders is neither a panacea nor a Pandora's box. Despite continued conclusion with regard to the law, targeting a specific enemy leader is a lawful action pursuant to justified armed conflict and does not constitute en assassination. However, targeting en enemy leader requires careful consideration of legal, political, and military factors. Certain rules of engagement should he applied before selecting such a course of action. Targeting an enemy leader is not a proper stand-alone course of action. An enemy leader should not he designated as the enemy strategic center of gravity. Targeting enemy leaders requires extensive intelligence and wide spread condemnation of the target.