Text 9391, 101 rader
Skriven 2009-02-22 17:25:00 av PETER COGGON (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av JOHN FITZGERALD
Ärende: PRISONERS OF WAR
========================
Hello John, since this is about prisoners of war, I'll keep
to those guidelines.

 JF> When it comes to non citizens, enemy combatants, outside of the US,
 JF> during a war, I believe the rules are quite different.  Seems to me
 JF> the  law that allows someone to shoot an enemy combatant, also gives
 JF> one the  latitude to treat him in other ways in order to save other
 JF> lives.   Evidently, where that line is drawn can and has been changed
 JF> before.

The designation "Enemy Combatants" was coined by the US administration
now gone.   

As for "war" there was no declaration of war, and if so, then against
whom?  What country?  And then by International Treaty both sides
must live up to what are the rules or Geneva Convention.

If by law and in accordance to the convention, a soldier from either
side can be executed if he or she is not in uniform.

There is no latitude, as you coin for these soldiers, if they are
prisoners to be tortured, as this is against the convention, and
the trials after the wars have proven this point.

If they can be called soldiers, then they better have uniforms
that are recognized, and at this point they are not.  So what
are they?   Freedom fighters?   Resistance?   No ... they don't
fit that as they clearly have targetted civilians which is 
contary, they have have demonstrated as being outlaws, criminals
and are being held to determine just what part each of them
played.
 
 JF> Regardless, the debate here over waterboarding, as I am sure you 
 JF> are aware, is not a legal debate, it is a moral and ethical debate.
 JF> ie.Someone is caught transporting a truck load of explosives, and
 JF> knows where the bomb factory is.  What do you do to that person to get
 JF> him to talk?  Give him a blanket and the Koran?  Sit down and have a
 JF> chat,  while the clock ticks, just so you can keep your pinky in the
 JF> air when guests are over for tea?  Sounds sort of vain and selfish.

I'd sooner do that, then torture.   There are war crimes and cases
over this one, and both sides know it all full well.

 JF> In a POW camp, persons are often detained and not allowed to see a
 JF> lawyer because often that 'lawyer' will pass information from the
 JF> inmate to the enemy, or vise-versa.  Besides, some people are under the
 JF> notion that a prisoner of war is allowed all the "rights" a citizen has
 JF> in  his own country.  They do not, nor should they not, for (what
 JF> should be) obvious reasons.

 JF> If they allowed 'lawyers' to come and go as they please in a POW
 JF> camp, they might as well just open all their prisoner files and throw
 JF> them  into the wind.

Excuse me, but these people were caught, some by other foreign troops
and they were supposed to go to local prisons, which they didn't
and instead were wiskered away to somewhere secure where torture
can be performed, to the likes not nearly as bad but comparible
to the Nazis and their methods.

They are not in POW camps. If they were the International Red Cross
would be allowed access at anytime to check on the conditions of
POWs.   Please don't try that one.  It doesn't float.  They are
not soldiers.     By their dress not soldiers.

OK...so they are detained, and held by US forces, and thus they
can not be held ...without just process, which some have got
but only after being investigated and storys checked and
verified.

The rest, should have lawyers.   The US says no, and appoints
them US Forces lawyers, and they demand the same thing.  SO?

Check the storys. Verify them and let them go...or charge them
formerly and get on with it.   Being out of the loop this
long, means there is no reason to resort to torture as this
is just bullies with their own sick agendas.

Mr. Obama has this thorny issue to tackle.

I hope he brings the USA into the world community again and
signs the treaty of the Hague for the World Court where a
few Americans will I hope find themselves in the dock for
war crimes...and torture is one of them.

Close the Hotel Gitmo ...

My opinion ... I but echo those other many voices heard 
around the world.

ttfn

Peter




... Hotel Gitmo reminds me of the Concentration Camps
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