As a American Red Cross Chairman, I have a question for you.

Have you ever read the Geneva Convention? I never had till joining the RC, and at last night's board meeting my Executive Director pulled out a pamphlet that we have in our lobby that has them listed (I recommend you visit your local Red Cross and get a copy, they are always free :). When you read it you will realized how much Bush & Co. have relay done that the media has not ever mentioned. Peace from the Hoosier Hills Chapter of the American Red Cross, home of Nora Burton a founder of the Red Cross in 1881. And the first Red Cross Farm. www.hhredcross.org

The first Geneva Convention ("for the Amelioration of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces and Field") and the second Geneva Convention ("for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea") are similar, covering land and sea respectively. They embody the main idea which led to the founding of the Red Cross: if a member of the armed forces is wounded or sick, and therefore in no condition to take an active part in the hostilities, he is no longer part of the fighting force and becomes a vulnerable person in need of protection and care.

The main points of these two Conventions are: The sick, wounded and shipwrecked must be cared for adequately. Belligerents must treat members of the enemy force who are wounded, sick or shipwrecked as carefully they would their own. All efforts should be made to collect the dead quickly; to confirm death by medical examination; to identify bodies and protect them from robbery. Medical equipment must not be intentionally destroyed and medical establishments and vehicles must not be attacked, damaged or prevented from operating even if, for the moment, they do not contain patients.

The third Geneva Convention ("Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War") covers members of the armed forces who fall into enemy hands. They are in the power of the enemy State, not of the individuals or troops who have captured them


Prisoners of war MUST be:

- Treated humanely with respect for their persons and their honour.
- Enabled to inform their next of kin and the Central Prisoners of War Agency (ICRC, the International Red Cross) of their capture.
- Allowed to correspond regularly with relatives and to receive relief parcels.
- Allowed to keep their clothes, feeding utensils and personal effects.
- Supplied with adequate food and clothing.
- Provided with quarters not inferior to those of their captor's troops.
- Given the medical care their state of health demands.
- Paid for any work they do.
- Repatriated if certified seriously ill or wounded, (but they must not resume active military duties afterwards) .
- Quickly released and repatriated when hostilities cease.

Prisoners of war must NOT be:
-Compelled to give any information other than their name, age, rank and service number.
- Deprived of money or valuables without a receipt (and these must be returned at the time of release).
- Given individual privileges other than for reasons of health, sex, age, military rank or professional qualifications.
- Held in close confinement except for breaches of the law, although their liberty can be restricted for security reasons.
- Compelled to do military work, nor work which is dangerous, unhealthy or degrading.

The fourth Geneva Convention ("Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War") covers all individuals "who do not belong to the armed forces, take no part in the hostilities and find themselves in the hands of the Enemy or an Occupying Power".


Protected civilians MUST be:
- Treated humanely at all times and protected against acts or threats of violence, insults and public curiosity.
- Entitled to respect for their honour, family rights, religious convictions and practices, and their manners and customs.
- Specially protected, for example in safety zones, if wounded, sick, old, children under 15, expectant mothers or mothers of children under 7.
- Enabled to exchange family news of a personal kind. - Helped to secure news of family members dispersed by the conflict
- Allowed to practise their religion with ministers of their own faith. Civilians who are interned have the same rights as prisoners of war. They may also ask to have their children interned with them, and wherever possible families should be housed together and provided with the facilities to continue normal family life. Wounded or sick civilians, civilian hospitals and staff, and hospital transport by land, sea or air must be specially respected and may be placed under protection of the red cross/crescent emblem.

Protected civilians must NOT be:
- Discriminated against because of race, religion or political opinion. - Forced to give information.
- Used to shield military operations or make an area immune from military operations.
- Punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. - Women must not be indecently assaulted, raped, or forced into prostitution.

For more information see the Red Cross web site.

From: http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/texts/doc_geneva_con.html

Is that many of the people we might capture are neither Prisoners of War or Protected Civilians. They aren't soldiers, per se. And if they are shooting at our troops they aren't protected civilians. He suggested that they should all start wearing uniforms of some kind, to qualify as a Prisoner of War.

Wasn't sure what to think of that, but he's in the national guard and he was referring to his training.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

I guess that's as important as uniform.

they are still POWs. That is international law.

So the "enemy combatants" and "detainees" still fall under the category of POW under the Geneva Conventions.

We used to drive through Bedford on our way to Petersburg from Versailles when we would visit my grandmother while I was a child!

We hear of "abuse" instead of the more accurate "torture" for the crimes we have seen on the Abu Ghraib photos. Almost all of the photos show horrific violations of the Geneva Convention, yet the TV media almost never relates the crimes to the Geneva Convention requirements.

My thread on the Bushites' cynical rejection of the 2002 UN Anti-Torture treaty is here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1575556