Officials admit abuse violates conventions

[UpInArms]

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/8664890.htm

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Marine Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told a congressional panel that they know of no U.S. military rules that would allow prisoners under interrogation to be deprived of sleep for up to 72 hours, threatened with dogs or jailed in extended isolation. They also said they did not know who approved such interrogation techniques for use in Iraq.

The two faced sharp questioning from Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"General Pace, if you were shown a video of a United States Marine or an American citizen in the control of a foreign power, in a cell block, naked, with a bag over their head, squatting with their arms uplifted for 45 minutes, would you describe that as a good interrogation technique or a violation of the Geneva Convention?" asked Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.

"I would describe it as a violation, sir," Pace said.

...more...

If not for copyright laws, I would paste this entire article for reading - there is not one line in here that is superfluous or unnecessary - it is one of the best news reports I have read in a non-political forum in a very long time.

Please go and read the entire article in the Duluth, Minnesota paper (a Knight Ridder paper)

[ze_dscherman]

1. German news: Wolfowitz admitted breach of Geneva Convention

German only link from Germanys biggest online news source:

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,299743,00.html

I wonder how/if this will be spun in U.S. Media

[teryang]

2. Disregard the evidence: no torture?

<On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified that the U.S. military in Iraq is adhering to the conventions.>

This is not exactly what Mr. Rumsfeld said. What he said was he wasn't sure if the Conventions applied directly.

Interesting that an ex FBI expert on interrogation techniques on cable tv yesterday linked "exception" to application of Geneva Conventions to "terrorists." Ordinarily he said civilian detainees and former soldiers in Saddams armed forces, including fedayeen, would be treated in accordance with the Conventions. He distinguished "terrorists" like al qaeda who would "not be protected."

This policy he said, came directly from "(p)resident Bush."

Since a "terrorist" is nothing more than an "unlawful enemy combatant," this suggests that any person who is suspected on any arbitrary basis of unlawfully taking up arms or commiting crimes of violence against the Coalition or interim government may be subjected to torture and coercion during detainment. This is exactly what has been going on. This however is not what the law of war or the conventions provides. Those detainees determined to be unlawful enemy combatants (criminals) (terrorists in the Bush lexicon) are to be tried with certain guarantees of due process. There is no waiver of human rights or due process in the Conventions in such a situation or in international law. The Bush administration is making one up and still pushing it on the American people and the international community. It is a systematic attack on the rule of law and a justification for human rights violations and war crimes.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. If you are just coping the text

from things such as Senate hearings or other transcripts published by the government, then copyright rules do not apply.