mroptimistic- You didn't mention OBL's name, but he WAS the direction the thread was taking. For all intents and purposes, he has confessed. Or maybe bragging about it doesn't amount to a confession? As much as I would like to see him (I'm talking about OBL here, not any hypothetical somebody else) caught and punished I'd like to make a few points. First, if caught and run through ANY justice system, while he is tried, he would be a rallying point for other extremests to take hostages and demand his release. Second, if put to the death which he so richly deserves, he would become an inspiring martyr to those of a like mind (or lack thereof). Taking these two points into account, maybe the troops who find him would serve humanity better if they just put a bullet in his head, and buried him in an unmarked grave.
That being said, please don't take the words I applied to a specific case, and try to imply I was making a blanket statement, and then whine that someone is putting words into YOUR mouth! I realize we read more into what Dean said than he actually did say, but that's politics, and both sides are equally guilty, but we don't have to try to verbally ambush each other.