Should all US Soldiers be sent to the Hague to be tried for War Crimes?

Question

Even the Nazis wouldn't have done Abu gharib.

Answer 1

really? Are you sure?

Answer 2

It might not be a bad thing if the GUILTY one's who go untried went to the Hague but as far as what the Nazi's did, you'd need to be having a lot worse than Abu Gharib.

One really only goes to the Hague if the country of origin is unwilling or unable to prosecute, the US is neither, the Navy/USMC and Army have both held internal tribunals and carried out some fairly stiff penalties, however, it won't probably be until after this war is finished that others are prosecuted more fully and likely never to the satisfaction of the aggrieved - however.

The Navy and the Judge Advocates office have already protested the administrations decisions in unprecedented terms, clearly finding the administration's thinking isolated from their own, more considered judgement and very likely unconstitutional overall.

Abu Gharib and the introduction of legally questionable detentions of prisoners around the globe is very hopefully an artifact of the Bush administration, and without a doubt is one of the biggest systematic administratively encouraged mistakes of this whole conflict.

Their disregard for basic human decency in the treatment of prisoners of war is a plague upon our nation and a mistake that unfortunately is all but assured to cause what will certainly be called "unforseen" or "unforseeable" conseqences. But really the consequences are not that hard to imagine."

This disregard will really only become distinctly uncomfortable for all the conservatives who supported these measures and are about to suggest I'm wrong about the same time some supply non-combatant soldiers or innocent contractors are tortured and imprisoned by some other country rather extensively, where we can't do "anything" about recovering the prisoners. At that point we won't even be able to complain! Worse, we'll probably just get bodies back! The next "Hanoi Hilton" is likely to be - a whole lot worse than the last one. One can only hope President will (if there is any justice) live to sorely regret.

Since the virtual certainty of this contingency is now all but assured, one can only sincerely hope President and those responsible will (if there is any justice) live to bitterly and sorely regret and feel the pain of consequence in his decisions.

Among the elites of Washington, John Mc Cain - himself a prisoner of war during Viet Nam will likely not be too terribly fond of keeping prison camps open for business under his watch should he become president. Furthermore the democrats certainly won't allow them to continue much longer anyways, over the next several months you'll see Mr. Bush back away
from most all of the really bad decisions made.

To be perfectly honest, if someone should be tried at the Hague it should probably be the President and Mr. Cheney themselves.

Regarding the Nazi's - hummm let's put it this way, while I didn't research too much for your question, and history doesn't really go into what passed for treatment for "detainees", since Germany and the US were both fighting "nations" and party to the Geneva Conventions, looking at solider's treatment is clearly not totally inappropriate but here again There are more than a few soldiers who can attest to the brutality or sadism of a prison guard or guards or the harshness of conditions at a particular camp etc.

But that's not really where you look....look at how the Nazi's treated irregular troops or forces, they were generally not given the humiliating experiences or degrading treatments or even moderate to even in some cases severe torture.

Almost invariably as standing Wermacht policy and especially during more difficult deployment situations (i.e.; Stalingrad, Moscow, Warsaw) "irregulars" were generally summarily killed - unless they were of intelligence of other value - no large prisoner camps for irregular troops were erected - they were not and never will be "compensated" as we don't even know who many of them were. It still happens from time to time that mass graves of prisoners are "discovered" in the western parts of white Russia and the old Warsaw Bloc countries from time to time - sometimes with more prisoners in one grave than have been abused in all of this conflict.

Furthermore, if you want to get into creativity or depravity, ask any of the folks who had 5-10 (or more) year stints at the fun-filled - sun-soaked, vacation spot of Greater Germany, known as Auschwitz, or perhaps "sunny,scenic" Bergen-Belzen? Need I say anything more.

To be more clear, the analogy while intellectually attractive to some to draw direct comparisons between US administration's policies and those of the administration of the Third Reich are not generally accurate, although they can be considered analogous in some unfortunate respects.

As a final simple point of contrast,Nazi prisoners certainly didn't get their images plastered all over a free Nazi press -during the war - in some lurid and p o rnographic display of images and an accompaning mea culpa coming from the "liberal" side of the regime or Nazi party. Herr Doctor Josef Mengele wasn't forced to resign and/or explain himself to a joint session of the Reichstag for his "activities", that was for Nuremburg to discover, He died some 30 years later from a stroke.

Are war crimes bad - certainly , have they been committed in this war and probably every war in human history - certainly. But before casting too many allegorical discussions around, a more clear reading of history is in order.

Personally, every time I see the adminstration endeavour to go off onto one or another misbegotten misadventure, I must remind myself of a quote once mentioned to me by my grandfather.

"Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing in the end....after all other possibilities have been exhausted." - Winston Churchill

Answer 3

the soldiers are foloowing orders from the officers which is following orders from Washington..whomis following orders from the Commmander-in-Chief George W Bush..so he should be the first person tried..you can't blame soldiers for following orders..because if they didn't they wouold be in serious trouble and lose benifis and pay among other things

Answer 4

The soldiers were just doing what they were told to do. So my answer would be no. But I would like to send a certain highest ranking officer in the US there.

Answer 5

Why don't you go to the Hague and stay there

Answer 6

No, They shouldn't but maybe they ought to try you for stupidity.

You would be found guilty beyond any reasonable doubt.

Answer 7

Yes the Nazis would have,No they should not go to the hague for warcrimes,are you antiamerican,if you are then go away.

Answer 8

The soldiers aren't the problem.
It's the leaders.

Answer 9

No, but there Commander In Chief should be.

Answer 10

I think they should