In a retaliation for the barbaric murder of a Jordanian pilot by ISIS terrorists on Tuesday, the tiny nation hanged two militants it had been holding, including a woman, reports are saying. And the country seems intent on executing more ISIS and Al-Qaeda prisoners to avenge the death of their countryman.

Few observers can blame them, and I’m betting a lot of people are cheering Jordan’s actions. But I don’t think you would ever see nations like the United States and the U.K. openly support that sort of thing. Indeed, some reports I am seeing are suggesting that Jordan’s actions may fuel even more barbaric acts by ISIS and Al-Qaeda, and the circle could get more and more vicious.

What do you think of Jordan’s approach to this? Do you think other nations — including the West — should respond the same way: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth? Should all ISIS and Al-Qaeda prisoners be hanged or burned to death or beheaded without any sort of trial? Or should they be given fair trials and treated as war prisoners to be released after it is all over?

And do you think ISIS actually cares if its captured fighters are executed in such manner?

I know that many readers feel the West and its allies should never stoop to ISIS’ level, but the fact is, ISIS is being bombed into hell and before it is done, tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of ISIS supporters will have been killed. We, of course, justify it and cheer on our forces, but the deaths are no less horrific.

What makes a hanging death or a beheading any more terrible than bombing and artillery deaths? Executing terrorists eliminates the possibility that they will ever harm anyone again (in this life). I suspect that’s the same logic ISIS uses, no matter how perverse their methods: executing the Jordanian pilot eliminates the possibility he will ever drop a bomb on them again.

The killing game is dirty, now matter how you look at it. ISIS does not play by the rules of traditional warfare, and Jordan has now responded in kind. No doubt, other other nations will follow suit.

Thoughts?

— Jillian