On Wed, Apr 04, 2007 at 05:22:30PM +0000, Arnt Karlsen wrote: > On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:31:11 -0400, Roberto C. Sánchez wrote in > [🔎] 20070403223111.GA18304@santiago.connexer.com: > > > I'm sorry, but who decided that the memos were of "dubious legal merit"? > > The media? Please forgive me if I consider their motives suspect. > > ..the Red Cross have suspect motives? > > > Now, if there has been a court decision which invalidates the Justice No, the media has suspect motives. The Red Cross generally has OK motives, though they are a bit left-leaning in their official views. > > If it weren't for the fact that the prisoners often attack or otherwise > > harrass the guards I might be more sympathetic. IIRC, Gereman soldiers > > were held in POW camps in Canada during WWII. Now, I'm sure that some > > tried to escape (what POW wouldn't). But despite how despicable the > > German military's actions were, my understanding based on history is > > that as POWs they were still professional soldiers. > > ..actually no, the vast majority was draftees. > I did not mean professional as in career volunteer soldiers. I was referring to their comportment while POWs. > > They did not sling feces and urine at their guards. > > They did not attack their guards and > > try to infect them with disease. > > ..this is actually an old Christian Feudal European military strategy and > proved very effective against the native "Indian" American, use the > complete medieval Christian lack of hygiene as a biological weapon > against the Maya etc civilizations, one such conquistador brought 300 > pigs across to somewhere between NOLA and Boston around 1500-1525 to > introduce pig borne deceases to kill off 95 to 99+% of the "redskins", > AFAIR what I read. Early intruders reported "big cities" and "public > baths", all this was gone by 1600-1650AD and the native Americans were > living in the "Wild West", when the English started to arrive in numbers. > > ..and keep in mind the victors are the ones who get to spin History > itself, Their Way[TM], whenever you read whatever purports to be History. > What are you babbling on about? All as I was saying was that the incidents of prisoners' abusive behavior towards the guards can make it very difficult for the guards to treat them nicely. > > Just go read some of the accounts of > > the people who have served as guards in some of these places. The > > accounts read worse than those of guards in maximum security prisons or > > death row. > > > > My perspective is this. We start off treating them nice and > > professionally. > > ..where? Sissy Boy George started these war crimes by policy, > before invading Afghanistan. > Cite? > ..or, is "treat them nice" just your personal wannabe ambition? > I did say "My perspective is this" to start off with. As in, if I were in charge, that is the policy I would institute. > > When they start acting like animals, then we treat them > > as such. By all accounts, the prisoners are treated quite > > professionally at first. It is only when they become vicious towards > > the staff that incidents of retribution or what might be considered > > humiliating and degrading treatment happen. > > > >> Televising pictures of them. (funny, how we now condemn Iran for > >> doing similar. I'm not defending Iran's actions, but it's rather > >> hypocritical for us to criticize them for doing things that we > >> also do) > > > > Umm, the "we" you are talking about is the news media. > > ..you forget the Iranian media here. > I don't get it. Why should the US be hed responsible for the actions of the Iranian media? > > Nothing. I am in agreement that GC protections should be accorded. > > ..define "accorded", or tell me why you argue against the full 4 Geneva > Conventions. > "Accorded" means to be conferred. As in, they should be accorded the protections to which they *would* be entitled were they lawful combatants. Of course, they are not lawful combatants and so not legally entitled. However, it is a show of goodwill and civility. Regards, -Roberto -- Roberto C. Sánchez http://people.connexer.com/~roberto http://www.connexer.com
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