Abu Ghraib and the Empty Chair (No More Photo Releases)

[mhr]

Abu Ghraib and the Empty Chair
Sarah Whalen, Arab News

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, 29 May 2004 — American will not release any more photos or videos of US military abuses at Abu Ghraib. They are too horrendous, too demoralizing, and paint too truthful a portrait of moral corruption. The Pentagon worries that publicly releasing them could place Americans in danger from enraged Muslims. US senators and congressmen viewing new materials have reportedly emerged shaken and ashen-faced.

“What you see in these pictures,” declared US Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy director for coalition operations in iraq, “may reflect the acts of individuals, but by God, it does not reflect my army.”

Gen. Kimmitt may well be right.

Whose army did this, then?

Whose army is responsible for the tortures, degradations, deaths, and perhaps even murders at Abu Ghraib?

Someone knows, and someone’s not talking.

Snip ......

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=45858&d=29&m=5&y=2004

[boobooday]

1. Ahem. I beg to differ with the General.

According to the Geneva Convention:

"Prisoners of war are in the hands of the enemy power but not of the individuals or military units who have captured them. Irrespective of the individual responsibilities that may exist, the detaining power is responsible for the treatment given them."

That seems to make it pretty clear who is responsible. It isn't Pvt. Lynndie.



http://www.wgoeshome.com

[bobthedrummer]

2. There is necrophilia and ritual abuse, among other crimes being reported

by returnees and their social networks to professionals and their social networks-law enforcement is aware of this SRA link to military, so is Congress-but why aren't these released?

NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.

[Wright Patman]

3. The article

suggests that we have studied and adopted the tactics of the Israelis. If indeed our interrogation techniques are similar to theirs, I have a question. Is Israel a signatory to the Geneva Conventions? This is a serious question.

[TahitiNut]

4. Israel ratified the Geneva Conventions ...

... on July 6th, 1951, with reservations (as did the US), but neither Protocol I nor Protocol II.

The full list of signatories (whether by ratification, accession, or succession) is maintained at http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/party_gc/$File/Conventions%20de%20GenSve%20et%20Protocoles%20additionnels%20ENG-logo.pdf

[Dover]

5. Here are the signatories to the Geneva Convention:

Not sure what the exceptions are (indicated by asterick)


Done at Geneva this twelfth day of August, 1949, in the English and French languages. The original shall be deposited in the Archives of the Swiss Confederation. The Swiss Federal Council shall transmit certified copies thereof to each of the signatory and acceding States.

Here follow the annexes and the signatures on behalf of the Governments of Afghanistan, People's Republic of Albania*, Argentina*, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic*, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgarian People's Republic*, Canada, Ceylon, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, Ecuador, Spain, United States of America, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Hungarian People's Republic*, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Israel*, Italy, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Mexico, Principality of Monaco, Nicaragua, Norway, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Netherlands, Peru, Republic of the Philippines, Poland*, Portugal*, Rumanian People's Republic*, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Holy See, El Salvador, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Czechoslovakia*, Turkey, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic*, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics*, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia*.

<*An asterisk beside the name of a country indicates that that country signed the Convention with one or more reservations.>

http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/g-3/whole.html


The Fourth Geneva Convention

------------------------------------------------------------------

The Fourth Geneva Convention on Rules of War was adopted in 1949 by the international community in response to Nazi atrocities during World War II. The international treaty governs the treatment of civilians during wartime, including hostages, diplomats, spies, bystanders and civilians in territory under military occupation. The convention outlaws torture, collective punishment and the resettlement by an occupying power of its own civilians on territory under its military control. In the fifty years since its adoption, the Fourth Geneva Convention has never been used to condemn world atrocities including those in Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, Tibet, etc.

Since 1997 the Arab group at the United Nations has been trying to invoke the Fourth Geneva Convention against Israel, in regard to its settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and in particular at Har Homa in Jerusalem. The UN General Assembly has adopted a number of non-binding resolutions condemning Israeli settlements, and calling for a convening of the signatory nations of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In February 1999, the GA adopted a resolution calling for a special UN session to be held on July 15, 1999, in Geneva to examine "persistent violations" by Israel.

Israel rejects the interpretation of the Fourth Geneva Convention applying it to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, stating that those territories were captured in 1967 as a result of a defensive war against countries which had illegally occupied them since 1948.

Switzerland is the Depository for the Fourth Geneva Convention. This means that the Swiss are technically responsible for organizing and convening a meeting of the signatory nations. However, the Swiss may only convene the meeting if a majority of the signatory nations agree to do so.

ADL have vigorously opposed convening the Fourth Geneva Convention in regard to Israeli settlements arguing that it could dangerously politicize the international legitimacy and high standings of the Geneva Conventions. It could open a Pandora’s box across the globe haphazardly applying the convention to a plethora of nations. Furthermore, it would give credence to the Palestinian tactic of using the international community to air grievances regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and thereby threatens the peace process itself.

International efforts led by the United States were successful in scaling down the July 15th special UN meeting in Geneva. The closed-door meeting lasted a mere 45 minutes. However, a resolution was unanimously passed stating that the Fourth Geneva Convention does apply to Israeli settlements in the "occupied territories."

[KittyWampus]

6. Thanks For Info Dover & Tahiti Nut!

lately, I'm actually having to skip the news. Getting close to overload.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. This is an opinion piece.

It probably doesn't belong in LBN.