Why can't we use normal POW camps in the War on Terror?

Question

It seems reasonable to me to keep enemy combatants locked up for the duration of the conflict, however long it takes, so why do we have to have Quantanimo bay on one hand, with crazy treatment of inmates, and then a capture and release program in Iraq on the other?

What the hell happened to the old, effective way of doing things?

Any serving personel who can spare time to answer this would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

What I mean by "crazy treatment" is sleep deprevation, constantly being handcuffed and blinkered. Let

alone "water bording etc"

I don't like most of the answers I've had so far, they seem to be all bile and rage and moral relativism. "They've done something nasty so we'll do something nasty to them". It dosen't give me much hope that calmer heads are running things...

By capture and release, I mean that many Iraq's have been taken into custody multiple times, according to US records, and later have been caught carrying out insurgent attacks. It seems reasonable to hold them in a POW camp for an extended period, but not to carry out torture.

Answer 1

If we did that, we'd have to treat the people we've swept up as humans, and then all the crap we did to them would come to light.

Much more convenient to invent some sort of sub-human class where we can take away all the fundamental rights the Founding Fathers deemed to be inalienable, torture them, make them disappear and never allow them to see anyone for an indefinite period of time.

That's the way all respectable totalitarian wannabes behave.

Here's the thing about all the people who say they are not technically combatants:

What authority do we have to detain these people?

Plus, all the folks who say "they don't have these rights because they are terrorists" ignore the fact that the FBI said early on that probably 90% of those detained had nothing to do with terrorism, and that, out of the thousands detained, we've only charged a handful with anything, and the vast majority have been released, with no charges.

That would mean we detained them and deprived of their rights for no reason at all.

Pull your heads out of the sand and look at the reality of the situation. For the overwhelming majority of the so-called "enemy combantants," they had nothing to do with our WOT.

Answer 2

During WWII people unable to speak English were few except in certain parts of the country. It is so common now that escapees could blend in very easy.

The link below shows the "effective, old ways". They left out the old resort in Byron California that was for General Officers only. The 2nd link is the full text of the 1949 Convention.

Since you are lacking in knowledge of the Geneva Conventions here is a little update.

We have exactly "0" POW's in custody. We have many that were captured on the battlefield. Since most were not citizens of Afghanistan, a uniformed member of the Afghan Armed Forces, not wearing distinctive badges to ID themselves as members of the Afghan Armed Forces, did not carry weapons openly etc etc.

As these people do not qualify for POW treatment, other than treatment, they do not have to EVER be released. Under the Conventions most could have had a brief trial prior to being executed. Fighting a war on TV does not allow that.

The term "enemy combatant" is not used in the Conventions. It was used for an unknown reason. The correct Convention term would be Mercenary. As they were not paid I guess they made up this new description.

As to "capture and release" I am lacking in knowledge of that so cannot comment.

SSG US Army 73-82

Answer 3

Your average prisoner at "Gitmo" is not defined as an P.O.W.
under the rules of the Geneva Convention:

1. They wear no recognized uniform or other means of identification when engaged in combat.

2. The groups / terrorist organizations they represent, are not affording the niceties of the Geneva Convention to their prisoners.

3. The groups / terrorist organizations they represent, are continually targeting innocent civilians in their terror campaign regardless if they are Muslim or Christian.

4. The groups / terrorist organizations they represent, are fighting a religious war and do not represent any defined State or country.

5. In the old days they would have faced a firing squad immediately after capture, instead they get to spend an all expenses paid vacation on a Caribbean Island, the sun, the surf. . . . .

Answer 4

There are POW camps... and there are POW camps.

Historically, POW camps were merely detention centers for combatants. At least by the US. It was for people who were lucky enough not to be shot.

However enemy POW camps were a little different. Men were habitually tortured to extract information or merely for propaganda statements. Some of the men died under the treatment. Unlike those in the US POW camps, those in the enemy camps were the unlucky ones.

Today the US camps are pretty much along the same lines. But now, for some reason we're allowing the enemy to dictate what is "crazy treatment." Remember the enemy publicly tortures prisoners, forces them to beg for their lives on television, then, when he;s done, disembowels and decapitates them and leaves their bodies in the streets. But if a soldier looks cross-eyed at a book he pretends is holy to him he claims we are being cruel and inhuman. This guy was shooting at us... or at least suspected of shooting at us. And, rather than shoot him, we captured him. That should be enough. Three square meals a day? Some of our guys who were prisoners didn't get that much to eat in a month. Freedom to pray? The only thing that gave some of our guys the will to survive was the prayers they were able to perform in the dark of their small, cold cells between torture sessions. These guys are capable of terrible atrocities. And they complain that we don't pay our respects to the very religion they say forces them to kill us?

The problem with just detaining terrorists is that they are not dead. They want to die in the act of taking our lives. Incarceration is nothing for them. They don't care. No matter how badly we treat them, it's almost certainly better than they had it when they were free. And it infinitely better than they would treat us if we were their captors.

The "effective way of doing things" isn't politically correct. Nobody wants to face the fact that the war we're fighting isn't a game to be played by a set of rules. It's a street fight. And one of the fighters isn't going to walk away.

Answer 5

Guantanamo is a normal detainee camp (they are not POWs, they don't qualify).

Capture and release is also pretty normal. Soldiers in war have always had the right ot detain anyone they though was supsicious, or just to keep them out of the way for a particular reason. In the past it was easier to tell civilians from combatants though.

You want the old effective way of doing things? Get the enemy to wear uniforms.

Answer 6

I am not sure what you mean by a normal POW camp? How many different types of POW camps are there? Terrorists do not qualify as POWs and are not entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions. The currently detained Terrorists are at summer camp when compared to the treatment of true POWs of past wars.

Answer 7

This isn't a conventional war so using conventional methods will not work. Even though there may be some who may get caught up in sweeps and held...the U.S. is trying hard to determine which prisoners to release and which to keep...if this were a conventional war.there would be no releases what so ever.
The prisoners in Gitmo are being trated with more respect and dignity than prisoners in prisons around the world.

Answer 8

The "War on Terror" isn't an official War per say. Pres Bush deployed to protect and retaliate against what happened on 9/11. Congress hasn't done a vote to declair the War on Terror an actual WAR. POW camps don't exist because of this minor fact.

Answer 9

Define normal pow camps? The people that are held are not a member of any nation, or organized army. They are terrorists. This isn't a video game.

Answer 10

Better idea than that.Release them all in a blaze of publicity thanking them for their cooperation and help.This will then create doubt and suspicion in the minds of their comrades,and we all know what happens to traitors.They will do the job for us.