'Tell me, what cause can remain noble when you start hacking off limbs in its name?' From Peter Shaffer's Royal Hunt of the Sun

The brutal slaying of the young Korean translator Kim Sun-il by the Iraqi group calling itself the Jama'at al-Tauhid w'al-Jihad has shocked the world, notably the communities of East Asia. While highlighting the failure of the US-led coalition to restore law and order in Iraq; and emphasising the vigour of local Iraqi resistance to the US-led occupation of that troubled country, the deplorable incident also raises many questions that the Iraqis, Americans and the global community as a whole are now forced to address.

Unlike the previous instances of hostage-taking and hostage-killing that has taken place in Iraq, the unfortunate kidnapping and subsequent murder of this helpless Korean translator is unique for a number of reasons.