roachboy...from your NY Times article:
Quote:
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.........Mr. Libi was returned to American custody in February 2003, when he was transferred to the American detention center in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, according to the current and former government officials. He withdrew his claims about ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda in January 2004, and <b>his current location is not known.</b> A C.I.A. spokesman refused Thursday to comment on Mr. Libi's case............
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Quote:
chapters.redcross.org/tx/corpuschristi/ICRC.htm
Questions and Answers
1. Is the American Red Cross involved with visiting the detainees?
No, the American Red Cross does not have a specific role in conducting visits to prisoners of war. This is the responsibility of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
2. Will donations to the American Red Cross be used to fund the visits to the detainees?
NO
3. What do we call the people held by the U.S. government and being taken to Guantanamo Bay - prisoners of war or terrorists?
The terms prisoners, prisoners of war (POW), detainees, terrorists and criminals have all been used when referring to these individuals. For the time being, the American Red Cross refers to the individuals being held by the U.S. government in connection with the hostilities in Afghanistan as detainees. There are complex legal issues relating to their status and the use of other terminology might convey unintended legal or political messages, incompatible with Red Cross impartiality and neutrality.
4. How does international humanitarian law apply to this situation?
The United States in engaged in an international armed conflict (war), with Afghanistan. International humanitarian law (IHL), including the Geneva Conventions, provides certain protections for persons not taking an active roll in an armed conflict. Protected persons include civilians, wounded, sick and shipwrecked combatants, and those held in connection with the hostilities, such as POWs. <b>Types of protection provided include the overall requirement of humane treatment as well as the registration of prisoners by the ICRC. Further protections for POWs are detailed in the 143 articles of the Third Geneva Convention, which address such issues as food, medical care and communications with family members.</b>
5. What is the role of the American Red Cross?
A specific role for the American Red Cross has not hyet been determined and will depend upon the needs identified. Under the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC is reponsible for visiting detainees and taking the lead to ensure that they receive treatment in accordance with those treaties. As an auxiliary in humanitarian service to the U.S. government as provided for by its Congressional Charter, the Geneva Conventions and the Statues of the Red Cross MOevement, the American REd Cross will also provide appropriate humanitarian assistance to detainees during armed conflic int he situations where the authorities call upon us for help. In keeping with the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, the American Red Cross expects to support any ICRC tracing and Red Cross message services between detainees and family members.
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The fact that the NY Times reports that Mr. Libi's whereabouts are currently "unknown", along with the recent U.S. practice of extraordinary rendition, provide evidence that our leaders do not seem to be following the Geneva Convention humanitarian rules with regard to registration of detainees with the ICRC. It obviously is impossible for the ICRC to "monitor" the current condition of Mr. Libi, or the circumstances of his confinement. This also seems true of detainees on the "business end" of rendition.
If our country sets this example of lawlessness and violation of the human rights provisions of key treaties,
1.) How can we expect our citizens who are detained by other governments to be treated lawfully in the future?
2.) Aren't our elected officials required by provisions of our constitution to uphold provisions of all international treaties that our country is a party to?
3.) What principles are our troops and our civilian intelligence operatives fighting and risking life and limb for.......again?
4.) Why aren't we demanding that our elected representatives in congress investigate reports like the one about Mr. Libi, and holding chairmen of their own committees and the executive branch officials that they oversee, accountable for violations of the Geneva conventions and international law?
Why would we vote for politicians who are not committed to upholding the law and setting a positive example for the community of nations?
<b>I am growing weary from reading the glib, one sentence posts that are predominant on most of the TFP politics threads. Those who post them bring down the overall quality of the discussion, not up.</b>