Hasn't Bush simultaneously taken on the powers of a wartime president re Al Qaeda and yet said the Geneva...

Question

Convention doesn't apply to incarcerated Al Qaeda suspects because they are terrorists not POWs?

Question from the UK

Is it a war on not?

I know you Americans don't believe in treaties (ask the Indians) but check out article 4 for defintion of POWS.

http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/91.htm

Answer 1

WE are a signatory nation in the Geneva Conventions, and reading them, they apply not just to us, but anybody we fight against...pretty much so long as they openly carry a weapon and shoot at us. Rounding up the local apple salesman of some Afghan village because the local peach salesman took $20 to tip off the local police does NOT make him a terrorist. It makes us look very stupid for holding him for 4 years.

Though I'm sure there's 3 or 4 really dangerous guys in Gitmo...TRIAL THEM and LOCK THEM UP FOR REAL. That's how we work, that's how we've always work. That's what the Bill of Rights says...those first 10 are INALIENABLE RIGHTS. Rights we can't take away or grant because they inherently exist for ALL HUMAN BEINGS.

Torturing ANYONE and holding ANYONE without trial is a massive violation to our Constitution. Bush WILL be in handcuffs for this sooner or later.

Answer 2

The terrorists aren't covered by the Geneva Convention.

The pertinent part of Article 4 which defines who is covered includes the following:

2. Members...of organized resistance movements, belonging to a Party to the conflict...provided that...such organized resistance movements, fulfil the following conditions:

(a) That of being commanded by a person responsible for his subordinates;

(b) That of having a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance;

(c) That of carrying arms openly;

(d) That of conducting their operations in accordance with the laws and customs of war.

The terrorists, with the possible exception of rule #3, definetly do not meet these conditions. If they don't follow the convention's rules, why should they be given it's protection?

Answer 3

Al queda is not a country, we are at war, but not against a country.

But the bigger question is what geneva convention rules have not applied to these terrorist? We have treated them far better then they treat our prisoners (they still have their heads in place). The biggest cry I hear is that we don't give the public trials - I don't know where the geneva convention says we must give these combatants a trial - American style. That is what our lawyers want, but its not granted in the geneva convention.

Answer 4

The only reason it doesn't qualify as a war is because we're technically not at war with another country now (even though it started out that way). Now it's like the war on drugs. You want to get the drug bosses. But I still think it's wrong to say that they aren't protected by the Geneva Convention. When most of them were taken, we were at war.

Answer 5

Yes, it is a war. Terrorist are not covered under the Geneva Convention. Terrorist in Gitmo are not prisoners nor criminals, but are stateless combatants. The Geneva Convention applies to signatory nations. What nation and what army do the terrorist belong to?

Answer 6

Get your facts straight, the Geneva Convention does not apply to these bastards because they are not combatants of a certain country, so therefore, they are not afforded any rights but DEATH!!!

Answer 7

PULL YOUR HEAD OUT