People in the Pentagon had colleagues killed and maimed by bin Laden. They're trying to find bin Laden and kill him and his cult. Naturally they consider that a legitimate thing to do, but they're having mixed success at the job.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Sterling notes the moral complexity of vengeance in counterterrorism, acknowledging the legitimacy of the goal despite mixed results.
- In plain terms
- Pentagon staff want to kill those who hurt colleagues, but success varies.
- What can you take from it?
- Vengeance drives counterterrorism efforts despite mixed outcomes.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is revenge legitimate?
- How do we judge success?
Another view
It overlooks the risks of framing war as personal vendetta.
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