Would you bomb this city?

[MisterChief]

Ok, here's the situation:

You are a high ranking official in the air force. The war has been going on for several years now. You have just recieved vital intellegence which locates the whereabouts of a large bomb and munitions factory. You and the other officers know that by destroying this factory, the war could be shortened by several months, but by bombing the facility, you will kill hundreds, maybe thousands, of civilians whose houses are built beside the building.

Question: Is killing thousands of non-combatants a justifiable price to pay for shortening the war, and possibly saving thousands of soldiers?

My answer? Absolutley. Why? Think about this: who do you suppose lives beside a bomb factory?

 

[everman]

This belongs in Off Topic or P&N.

 

[MisterChief]

Originally posted by: everman
This belongs in Off Topic or P&N.

Shoot! My bad!

 

[Stas]

 

[Stas]

I would, too. Heck, we should have nuked Iraq instead of losing our soldiers. Look at Europe's mood. I'm guessing we'll need soldiers again pretty soon. For defense.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Originally posted by: MisterChief
Ok, here's the situation:

You are a high ranking official in the air force. The war has been going on for several years now. You have just recieved vital intellegence which locates the whereabouts of a large bomb and munitions factory. You and the other officers know that by destroying this factory, the war could be shortened by several months, but by bombing the facility, you will kill hundreds, maybe thousands, of civilians whose houses are built beside the building.

Question: Is killing thousands of non-combatants a justifiable price to pay for shortening the war, and possibly saving thousands of soldiers?

My answer? Absolutley. Why? Think about this: who do you suppose lives beside a bomb factory?

You don't know much about the world, do you? In Eastern Europe, for instance, there are many poor neighbourhoods situated next to huge industrial sites. No war effort justifies the killing of civilians. The bombing of Dresden was not one of the most glorious moments of WW2, and destroying the Chinese embassy and other buildings during the Kosovo conflict did more harm than good.

Armchair generals... Answer the question only when you reverse it: what if your family lived near such a site, and you were targeted by the "other" side with a similar idea like you?

 

[blahblah99]

Originally posted by: MisterChief
Ok, here's the situation:

You are a high ranking official in the air force. The war has been going on for several years now. You have just recieved vital intellegence which locates the whereabouts of a large bomb and munitions factory. You and the other officers know that by destroying this factory, the war could be shortened by several months, but by bombing the facility, you will kill hundreds, maybe thousands, of civilians whose houses are built beside the building.

Question: Is killing thousands of non-combatants a justifiable price to pay for shortening the war, and possibly saving thousands of soldiers?

My answer? Absolutley. Why? Think about this: who do you suppose lives beside a bomb factory?

Nope, how would you like it if every single one fo your relative lived next door from the factory ten feet away?