| Licence To Kill (concept) |
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Information AboutLicence To Kill (concept) |
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There are at least two known meanings:
While the idea of a licence to kill is known to us from the usage from country to country is generally controlled by Statute law, particular and direct Executive Order s, the Common Law , or military Rules Of Engagement . The actual existence of a "licence to kill" is debated. Some feel that the term is a mere literary device, popularized by novels and films, while others believe that such a licence exists in at least some countries, whether in the military, police or counter-intelligence services. In the literary sense, the licence is presumed to be a discretionary one, distributed rarely and requiring extensive training to obtain, and it is only granted to a handful of covert agents of a state, in the interest of National Security . The agent is not necessarily expected to kill the enemy as part of a mission, but may receive immunity from prosecution for doing so, if, in the agent's estimation, it is necessary to complete the mission. In reality, such licences may run afoul of the laws of war: the covert agent would almost certainly be considered a spy or perhaps even a common criminal if murder is committed in a foreign country. For this reason, few governments, if any, are willing to disclose the existence of a licence to kill. Similar is the Fifth Freedom , possessed by Third Echelon agents in the Splinter Cell series of computer games. NOTES |
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