Monday, March 26, 2007

Will AHA Resolve to Condemn Iranian Violation of Geneva Convention

Part of the AHA's recently passed Iraq War resolution condemned the US Government for:
  • suspending in certain cases the centuries-old writ of habeas corpus and substituting indefinite administrative detention without specified criminal charges or access to a court of law;

  • using interrogation techniques at Guantanamo, Abu-Ghraib, Bagram, and other locations incompatible with respect for the dignity of all persons required by a civilized society;
So, the AHA saw fit to condemn the Bush Administration for not treating terrorists as either American citizens or--at the least--regular, uniformed soldiers of a foreign nation. Well, what to do now that Iran has stated it will try uniformed military personnel from Great Britain for espionage (h/t1 and h/t2)? As Captain Ed explains:

The Iranians cannot try the men for espionage if they captured the sailors in uniform. Article 46 of the Geneva Convention states this clearly:

2. A member of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict who, on behalf of that Party and in territory controlled by an adverse Party, gathers or attempts to gather information shall not be considered as engaging in espionage if, while so acting, he is in the uniform of his armed forces.

The indictment of British sailors in uniform as spies will violate the GC. Can we expect the same level of outrage over this explicit violation as the supposed violations of the US government?

And, as Wretchard at the Belmont Club reminds us, the Nazi's knew all about this:

By gum, even the Nazis knew that, which is why they landed spies and saboteurs on American beaches in uniform.

Burger, Dasch, Heinck and Quirin traveled from occupied France by submarine to Long Island, New York, landing in the hours of darkness, on or about June 13, 1942. The remaining four boarded another German submarine, which carried them down the Atlantic coast to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. On or about June 17, 1942, they came ashore during the hours of darkness. All eight wore full or partial German uniforms, to ensure treatment as prisoners of war should they be captured on landing.

I eagerly await the AHA's forthcoming resolution on this matter.

What? Oh, that Iraq War one was a "once-in-a-generation" deal? Oh.

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