Yes, back in the good old days when Europeans fought each other nobly, respecting a gentlemen's code of honor! (somehow I can't see treating those crazy Al Queda dogs with any such respect..)

Reminds me of an incident in the 1st Gulf War. American troops were together with Kuwaiti soldiers, and a group of Iraqis came forward offering to surrender...one Kuwaiti soldier had a sword and with a great scream lept forward and chopped off the head of a unarmed surrendering Iraqi. The Americans were horrified and tried to explain to the Kuwaitis that this was dishonorable and unacceptable behaviour. In warfare there are certain rules of honorable conduct which should be respected, such as the avoidance of civilian casualties, and not killing opponents who are trying to surrender (incidentally, there is a story that Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, also murdered 3 Iraqis who were trying to surrender, when he was a soldier in the Gulf War)