Case 318 - The Extraordinary Rendition of Abu Omar: Ethics and the War on Terror

Kempton, Daniel R. and Matthew Rossow

Although this case study deals primarily with a specific instance of "extraordinary rendition"—the clandestine snatching of alleged drug traffickers, terrorists, and criminals who have fled to countries that cannot or will not extradite them back to the United States—it is designed to help students grapple with a larger issue: the lack of clear rules for conducting the so-called "war on terror" (a term rejected by many European and American political leaders). The case should help students understand the implications of the lack of a paradigm for combating terrorism.