Extrajudicial killings, or targeted killings as they are sometimes called, are "the deliberate and specific killing and killing, by a government or its agents, of a alleged terrorist or an alleged 'illegal combatant' (i.e. someone who takes direct part in hostilities in the context of an armed conflict) who is not in the custody of that government” (“Targeted Killing”, Wikipedia). Targeted weapons have been an integral part of modern warfare and have in recent times also become integrated into everyday law enforcement. An example of the former would be the United States' consistent use of this tool as a central component of its counterterrorism operations, and a. perfect example of the second would be its use by Bangladesh's elite anti-crime force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The tactic, as a whole, has been under attack for a long time human rights around the world as an “atrocious” act that deprives a human being of his most fundamental right: the right to life. However, what these critics fail to note is that sometimes extrajudicial killings must be implemented as a necessary means, especially when all else fails. The rate of crime and terrorism in the present has increased exponentially compared to that of 15-20 years ago. There are literally hundreds of cold-blooded murders, rapes, and genocides occurring as these words were written, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Therefore, on certain occasions, extrajudicial killings or targeted killings are morally justified. These opportunities include law enforcement self-defense, disruption of criminal operations, and reduction of collateral damage. The most important topic that o... middle of paper... history, George Jonas, Foreign Policy (magazine)www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/20/assassination_a_brief_history?page=fullTargeted killing of terrorist suspects: extrajudicial executions or legitimate means of defense?, David Kretzmer, The European Journal of International Law, vol. 16 No. 2 (2005) Brazil: Curbing Police Violence in Rio, Sao Paulo, Human Rights Watch, 08/12/2009 www.hrw.org/news/2009/12/08/brazil-curb-police-violence -rio- so-paoloThe Role of Targeted Killings in the Counterterrorism Campaign, Col. Peter M. Cullen, United States Army, US Army War College Strategic Research ProjectFatal Choices: Israel's Policy of Targeted Killing, Steven R. David , The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Israel http://biu.ac.il/Besa/david.pdf Ethics, Killing and War, Richard J. Norman, Cambridge University Press, 1995