American Justice, what does it mean?

What does it mean, justice? Justice is a sense of right over wrong. I have been listening to Laura Flanders on Air America Talk Radio. She made a very good point. Something I really hadn't thought about. She said what separates a democracy from the terrorists is the rule of law. Yes, the president doesn't have the authority (really) to simply order the assassination of someone (usually a head of state).

Yet, we are all excited about how this Zaqawi character was summarily assassinated by the US military. How is that really justice? Why not simply try to go in and arrest this individual? Then have a trial where the crimes against him are read and he is given a chance to respond to them. Then a trail ensues with a verdict by a jury/court.

I think George Bush has become overwrought with the Saddam Hussein trial. It is not going well for the court in Iraq (i.e., the United States) that is trying Saddam and his cohorts. Perhaps, Bush would have simply had Saddam summarily executed by the soldiers who found him hiding in his spider hole. King George wanted a big trial, where the Iraqi court would move things quickly, then order Saddam executed...easy peasy! At least it is a form of justice, to a certain degree.

We should have a discussion about how criminals are dealt with. Can the government/military simply order someone executed without regard to due process and the long established rule of law?