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The practice of targeted killings is not a recent phenomenon in International Law. It has been practiced over the years and has been debated. In recent times, the term was popularized by the killing of Osama bin Laden. On 2 May 2011, U.S. Special Forces conducted an operation in Pakistan in which Osama Bin Laden was killed. He was said to be the leader of the Al-Qaeda Terrorist Group that claimed responsibility for the September 9/11 attacks on the U.S. that resulted in the death of thousands. There have been several other incidents of this nature and it is important to determine the legality of such strikes in order to regulate them better. This study comparatively examines state practice of those nations including the U.S., Israel and Russia that have carried out targeted killings while paying special attention to the justifications put forth in defense of the practice. These defenses range from national security and self-defenses. The paper goes a step further to examine some court cases that have particularly dealt with the issue of targeted killings to ascertain the judicial attitude to the practice. It also looks at the main killing techniques which include kill or capture raids and air strikes from unmanned aerial vehicles known as drones. The targeted individuals are alleged terrorists or others deemed dangerous, and their inclusion in kill/capture lists is based on undisclosed intelligence applied against secret criteria. The number of targeted killings that have been specifically carried out by the US has steadily escalated through the different presidential administrations. With reference to some prominent incidents of targeted killings, this study will present an international law perspective analyzing whether this practice can be legally justifiable. The study also focuses on the interaction between international law and the practice of targeted killing. An examination of the pertinent principles of the two branches of international law will be necessary to determine which one is applicable and when. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Public Law / unrestricted

The United States use of Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV) or drones for targeted killings of terrorists has been on the rise in recent years and the method has become the core element of president Obamas strategy in the war against terror. This study examines the deterrent effect of targeted killings on terrorism using UCAV/drones as a method of counterterrorism. Building on the literature on counterterrorism, UCAV, targeted killings, deterrence theory and statistics on terrorism the study provides a case study of the CIA drone operations in Pakistan between the years 2004-2010. The goal has been to analyze drone operations and the extent of terrorism from the beginning of the drone campaign until 2010. This as a means of identifying possible trends in terrorism activity due to the occurrence of drone strikes. Findings suggest that the possibility of a deterrent effect is far from evident and that there are some indications of increased terrorism.

Thesis (M.A.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-104).

Thesis advisor: Charles Gallagher / Thesis advisor: Peter Krause / Drone strikes are sensational events. The United States Government uses remotely piloted aircraft (or drones) equipped with precisions weapons systems to unilaterally hunt and kill its enemies across the globe. The American public, and many around the world, are startled by the pervasiveness of American lethal force. In many ways, drone strikes are unprecedented. The technology, the frequency of use, and the geographic scope are all by-products of the twenty-first century. However, the United States government has a deep history of debating whether to kill individual enemies, and has a history of authorizing operations to do so. Beneath the rhetoric, the arguments, and the opinions that dominate drone policy today there is something missing: the history. This thesis argues that there are historical precedents for targeted killings and signature strikes in American history that predate the September 11 terrorist attacks and examining these past operations can inform modern policy. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: History.

This research explored the topic of professional caregivers who commit serial murder in institutional settings. In-depth case studies were created for individuals convicted of serial murder in institutional settings in the United States. The purpose of this research was to identify the characteristics of this group of institutional serialists and compare the current data to existing data on serial killers. A technique of secondary data analysis was utilized to gather information on the sample of 17 individuals. Only public information was reviewed. Results of the data comparison between the current sample and existing information on serial killers indicated that institutional serialists share many similarities with previously identified serialists, but differences between the groups were identified as well. The characteristics of this current sample that were similar to those identified in previous research include sex of offender, race of offender, the offender's age at first murder, marital status of offender, number of victims, and victim characteristics. The characteristics that differed from those identified in previous research include sex of offender, the offender's childhood family situation, the offender's birth order, method of murder, number of victims, and victim characteristics.

The issue of honour killings has become a prominent topic of discussion in the Western discourse of violence against immigrant women. In Canada, particularly, the recent high-profile cases of honour killings have drawn increased attention from the media, academics and the public. The prevalent discussion links these murders to the broader issues of immigration, multiculturalism, and violence against immigrant women. In this thesis, I examine the nature of honour killings, their components, and the discourse of honour killings in its Canadian context. In doing so, I conduct a textual analysis of the representation of three recent honour killings in two major Canadian newspapers; The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. Results suggest that honour killings touched a nerve in Canadian media leading to the use of culturalist approaches to understand and represent these killings. This culturalist approach to the debate created serious obstacles for clarifying or explaining this form of violence against women. It further hindered any constructive public debate about ending these killings. The consequences of the culturalist approach to honour killings as well as recommendations for future research and theoretical developments in this area of violence against women are suggested. / UOIT

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 78 pages. / Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: This research explored the topic of professional caregivers who commit serial murder in institutional settings. In-depth case studies were created for individuals convicted of serial murder in institutional settings in the United States. The purpose of this research was to identify the characteristics of this group of institutional serialists and compare the current data to existing data on serial killers. A technique of secondary data analysis was utilized to gather information on the sample of 17 individuals. Only public information was reviewed. Results of the data comparison between the current sample and existing information on serial killers indicated that institutional serialists share many similarities with previously identified serialists, but differences between the groups were identified as well. / ABSTRACT: The characteristics of this current sample that were similar to those identified in previous research include sex of offender, race of offender, the offender's age at first murder, marital status of offender, number of victims, and victim characteristics. The characteristics that differed from those identified in previous research include sex of offender, the offender's childhood family situation, the offender's birth order, method of murder, number of victims, and victim characteristics. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Drug-related violence in Mexico has increased exponentially in the last five years, killing near 50,000 people. Even though the country has been a producer of marijuana and opium poppy for nearly a century, it was not until the beginning of the new millennium that drug violence skyrocketed. Up until now, academic studies and policy papers have focused primarily on the political changes Mexico underwent over the last decade and on ingrained corruption as the central factors in explaining the increased violence. But such a jump in homicides rates, as well as the sheer brutality of the violence involved, also reflects the evolution of the country's drug organizations -- which went from being merely feared and ruthless drug producers and smugglers to far-reaching criminal empires that now dominate all aspects of the illicit drug underworld in the Americas. Many have become so powerful that they have formed their own armies of hit men and foot soldiers that operate like full-fledged paramilitary groups protecting their territories and smuggling routes to American soil. Further feeding the cycle of murders in Mexico is an increasing diversification of drug gangs' businesses, which now range from drug production and smuggling to extortion, kidnapping and human trafficking. Through an historical, spatial and statistical analysis, this study sets out to deconstruct the current wave of Mexican drug violence, show how it is spreading and why, and how that reflects the evolution of Mexican drug organizations. / text

This thesis traces the roots of women's honor killings in the tribal areas of Pakistan from the British rule in South Asia. The British colonial presence gave the tribal areas autonomy through landmark colonial legislations. The colonizers needed a harmonious relationship with tribal and rural notables in order to gain from the land. Thus, the British gave precedence to the tribal legal structure and as a result we see the beginnings of tribal autonomy in today's Pakistan. Women's honor was also dictated by tribal laws thus tribal councils dictated women's mobility and rights. / After the creation of Pakistan in 1947 much colonial legislation was preserved in the Constitution. The tribal areas maintained autonomy and their legal systems also gained legitimacy on a national level. Therefore, cases of women's honor killings were dealt with in the rural areas but moreover, were justified in Pakistani law as well. Thus this thesis seeks to trace this legacy to the modern period and look at the evolution of the relationship between tribal autonomy and women's rights in the context of the pre and post-independence periods.