Oh dear Pr00ne - I knew it was only a matter of time before you stuck your left oar in here.
Try going back to Afghanistan and seeing exactly what has changed and how many women are “free” in “democratic Afghanistan.”
Been to Afghanistan recently, have you? Thought not......
Those Iraqis are so grateful for the freedom we brought them that they are killing us on a daily basis
...or Iraq? Of course you haven't. But don't let that stop you 'telling it like it is' now.
I think you'll find that the majority of strife in Iraq is being caused or stirred up by foreign Islamists, helped along by some of the 'vested interests' you so decry, of the former regime.
Sunfish,
Oh please! Both world wars were fought by conscripts and we didn't have to make special pleadings about soldiers not obeying the Geneva Convention on our side!
er....I'm sure you are aware of when the Geneva Conventions regarding PWs (GCIII and IV) were enacted. Discussions about 'war crimes' committed in WWI and WWII are pointless, since few actual 'war crimes' were committed in either confilct in respect of PW handling - the Hague Convention 1907 contained many get-out clauses which basically allowed a party to a conflict to use almost any means necessary to maintain discipline or extract information, if it was 'militarily necessary'. This was not superceded until GCIII and IV came into force in 1950.
Even under GCIV (mainly concerned with 'protected persons), individuals can forfeit their protected status - Article 5 States that if a person is suspected of being an 'illegal combatant' (basically not wearing a uniform or readily identifyable markings, or not conducting themselves in accordance with the laws and customs of war - GCIII Article 5), they forfeit their rights to protected status. Article 42 provides for their internment for as long as they remain a threat to the security of the state or occupying power. The only 'right' that they retain is to be treated humanely, althought 'humanely' does not appear to be defined.
It follows therefore, that an 'illegal combatant' can be interrogated using ANY means, so long as those means are not 'inhumane' - again, this remains undefined, which IMHO only adds weight to my assertion that these Conventions need to be reviewed. This will ultimately be to the benefit of BOTH parties, as captured terrorists will have a legally defined status, rather than the currently ill-defined no-man's land, and there will be a framework defining exactly what we can and cannot do, as in the case of legal combatant PWs. (NOTE: They only have to be SUSPECTED of being an illegal combatant for the above to apply, as stated in GCIV Article 5, not PROVEN to be terrorists).
GCIII Article 42 provides for the use of force and weapons against PWs. It defines such use of weapons as an 'extreme measure', particularly against PWs escaping or attempting to escape. IT DOES NOT PROHIBIT THE USE OF SUCH FORCE - but does require that it 'shall be preceded by such warnings as are appropriate in the circumstances' - in other words, if a PW is resisting arrest, rebelling or attacking his captors, force CAN be used against them. There also does not appear to be a bar on lethal force, if deemed necessary. Again, none of these protections apply to 'illegal combatants'.
In summary:
1. If a person is not wearing a uniform or readily identifyable marks, OR is not acting within the constraints of the various conventions governing war, they ARE NOT ENTITLED TO PW STATUS
OR PROTECTED PERSON STATUS, and are an ILLEGAL COMBATANT. Suspicion of the above, and not unequivocable proof, is all that is required.
2. An illegal combatant can be interned indefinitely by the occupying power as long as they are considered a security risk.
3. The only right an illegal combatant has is to be treated 'humanely' - this term is not explicitly defined.
One more thing to consider, Pr00ne -
To most of the population of this planet soldiers bring repression, enslavement, deprivation, exploitation, bereavement, horror, fear, pain, injury, torture and death.
Exactly what freedoms do you think we would enjoy today were it NOT for these soldiers whom you so readily berate?
16B