‘Acceptable’ Risk - Bill Burck & Dana Perino - National Review Online

‘Acceptable’ Risk - Bill Burck & Dana Perino - National Review Online

I really like how Burch and Perino chronicled AG Eric Holder's view on how the United States should prosecute individuals in the War on Terror. It's not a terribly long read, nor is it bogged down in legal jargon that could have made it a hard read. My only issue with the article, and one I know is not directly addressed, is the definition of where the battlefield exists.


If one looks at hostile actions against the United States by groups similar to or Al Qaeda itself, one can see that the battlefield is where the hostile group determines it to be. That could be the Iran Hostage Crisis 1979-81, the Beirut Barracks Bombing 1983, the World Trade Center Bombing 1993, the U.S.S. Cole Bombing 2000, or September 11th. These are not arbitrary battlefields to be determined by politicians, delegated to military leaders, and briefed to soldiers. My point is, I think that our elected officials (regardless of political affiliation) and military leaders need to first come to grasp with the fact that the battlefield is worldwide including the United States. Once this is done, much of the contention in how the US should prosecute individuals becomes moot.