The "Civilian contractors /= Geneva Convention" argument is BS

[jmowreader]

Let's drop this line that "the contractors were sent to torture the prisoners so that the Geneva Convention wouldn't apply" right now.

The Conventions do apply.

The Conventions relating to humane treatment of captives aren't written from the point of view of the military who holds the prisoner, but from the POV of the prisoner. The people who wrote the Conventions knew about mercenaries, organizations like the CIA, and even evil dictators. They knew that if they said, "military personnel will not rape prisoners," a nation who would use rape as a standard part of their SOP would just get some guy from the Bureau of Weights and Measures to come over and do it. By saying "prisoners will not be raped," that means they can't be raped by anyone.

[Kellanved]

1. exactly

By my reading turning prisoners over to personnel not bound by the Geneva Convention would constitute a breach of the Geneva Convention.

[keithyboy]

2. Well, the Geneva Convention didn't apply is this war. Bush said so.

Thereby setting the tone for our military to perform abuses without fear of reprisal. If the responsibility doesn't lie with Bush and his Justice Department and Defense Department where does it lie? The tone is set at the top. Since Bush announced the war on terra he has sent the message to the world that the US would do anything it wants, invade any country, kill any people, disregard any rights, and defy the civilized world to kill as many "terrorists" (defined by us) as necessary. The entire nation of America is losing its grip on decency and morality. We are a nation in hysterics. All Osama has to do is sit still in his cave and watch us self-destruct!

[oblivious]

3. insanity

In an interview at the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas, for his book, "Bush at War," the Washington Post's Bob Woodward wrote that Bush told him shortly after the tragedy of 9-11 --

"I will seize the opportunity to achieve big goals," and -- "We will export death and violence to the four corners of the earth in defense of this great country and rid the world of evil..."

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3792.htm

[DulceDecorum]

4. Killing mercenaries is legal

and there are reasons why this is so.

Ask Tom Delay what he used to do with vermin.