Norms and Security: The Case of International Assassination - Essay Example

Thomas Ward in this article discusses in detail, the often overlooked and underestimated policy issue of security, especially security of life of national and most importantly, international political figures. Thomas Ward, it goes without saying in a very straightforward manner addresses this controversial policy issue and/or option without mincing any words or by giving a partisan stance to the problem at hand.

His article is extremely credible and his style of writing is that of a person intimately associated with the intricacies of international political scenarios. In this article, he poses three very pertinent questions. One, where this norm originates? Two, to what extent does it influence state actions? Three, why does this norm exceed other “ethical injunctions”? This article is full of anecdotal and verifiable historical facts dating from Roman times to the present as Thomas Ward writes: In Britain, a former M15 agent created a stir by claiming that Her Majesty’s Secret Service plotted to kill Libyan leader Muammar Qaddhafi in 1996…And Writer 2in the United States, the dual conundrums of an intransigent Saddam Hussein and terrorists such as Osama bin Laden have raised calls in Congress and among the media for an assassination to be considered as a policy option (105).

He points out that historically political assassination has not been resorted to by “great powers” and a whole-scale war has been the preferred option even though the collateral damage in the case of a full-scale war is much more and leads to the loss of many innocent lives and destruction of property. He cites that,”…ethical concerns usually place assassinations off-limits as a policy option especially when the target is an international leader” (105), but due to monumental changes in the way international politics is conducted today, reality has taken precedence over idealism and by extension ethics and morality have been sidelined in international affairs.