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Originally posted by manalone
That's factually incorrect. They are not prisoners of war. If they were, they would be subject to the Geneva Convention, which the U.S. Govt. has flouted repeatedly.
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Very good point about the Geneva Convention. You are, of course, correct about the US position here. But I think my point still stands about how they will be tried... it will be in a military setting.
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Originally posted by manalone
to quote the red cross on the third geneva convention:
"Everyone must enjoy basic judicial guarantees and no one may be held responsible for an act he has not committed. No one may be subjected to physical or mental torture or to cruel or degrading corporal punishment or other treatment."
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I think they will be accorded all judicial guarantees. I really feel they are well represented - and will continue to be. American lawyers love high-profile cases - no matter who they are representing they will do it for no charge.
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Originally posted by manalone
But to even go so far as effectively giving these people show trials and then executing them is scary. It should scare everyone, especially people in the US.
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Again, we differ here. I think the system will treat these men fairly. You can't just put someone to death. The crime needs to be well documented, as well as the involvement.
Finally, I went back to look at this article again. I truely think it is quite biased - more than I originally thought - and may even be propaganda. The lead quote quotes another newspaper - which is just awful practice. The author uses action verbs like "would" were "could" is much more appropriate. And the use of the phrase "death camp" attempts to classify this in the same vein as Nazi camps in the minds of readers. When you think of "death camp" that's what you think of. I think one thing everyone can agree on, this is not a "death camp." To compare it to one is to lesson the memory of the horrors faced by those who knew all to well what a death camp was.
Thank you for your points about Geneva. It is important to introduce it into any discussions about US policy and these prisoners.