May 26, 2016: ISIS kills its own terrorists for disobeying orders

NINEVEH PROVINCE, IRAQ – If a terrorist refuses to obey orders does that make him less of a terrorist?

There is an old conundrum in ethics whereby people debate whether it is ok to obey orders if those orders are ‘evil‘. In other words, if you report to someone else and receive an order from that someone to do something that goes against your principles can you refuse to do what you normally must?

This becomes even more complicated when you are in the military and sworn to uphold the chain of command. But what if the chain asks you to massacre civilians?

By the way, there is a current brouhaha in the US over whether bakers who are against gay marriage have to service clients who are gay. This has nothing to do with ethics in my mind but is just a bunch of people letting their personal biases get in the way of providing a public service.

Let us extend this one more time. What if you are a terrorist and are asked to do an act by your terrorist boss? What are your options?

Well, on some occasions one of those options is death.

On this day in 2016

Islamic State (ISIS) executed eight of its members in Iraq’s Nineveh Province for not joining the fight against Kurdish PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) militias. PUK shelling also killed five ISIS terrorists.

The death sentence was carried out by firing squad in the old jail in Nineveh.

PUK spokesman in Mosul, Ghyath Alsurja

So eight ISIS terrorists were killed by…other ISIS terrorists. Gee, can’t this happen more often?

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