Scenario:
You are the head of a “tiger team” charged with determining what course of action is to be recommended to the National Security Adviser and ultimately, to the President of the US. Country X has been a problematic adversary for year. Its current leader is “A,” the third in a line of unelected despotic heads of state that not only leads Country X’s armed force but leads an authoritarian regime. There is increasing and validated intelligence that the intelligence agents of Country X have been engaged in a campaign of intimidation and harassment against opponents of “A” who reside overseas.
In the latest incident, an active dissident opposed to “A” was poisoned and lay dying in the hospital, along with his young son who was with him at the time. The dissident resided in Europe at the time of the attack but also holds US Citizenship. The intelligence collected by US and Western sources, confirms that intelligence agents of Country X, operating out of Country X’s embassies in Europe conspired to attack the dissident with the intent to kill him. The intelligence also indicates that Leader “A” intends to extend this campaign globally and is currently looking at the possibility of relocating agents in the US to engage in actions against dissidents residing there. There is no question that the anti-dissident campaign is controlled by Leader “A”.
The US has an asset with regular contact with Leader A, who could, if deemed necessary seriously injure, incapacitate or even kill Leader A.
As leader of the “tiger team,” it is responsibility to provide two different courses of action – but also to present those with a rationale based on “Just War Theory”. Write the paper on what you would advise and why?
