[Fletcher J]

Difficult questions, to be sure.

Based on what I've read, prisoners being held by the US are being treated far better than the Geneva Convention requires. Pretty nice of us since the terrorists haven't signed the Geneva Convention anyway.

In fact, if we don't saw their heads off with a dull butcher knife, then I think we're treating their prisoners much better than they are ours.

One thing I do know - if we put our military in a situation where the taking of prisoners is counter-productive to their safety, and a no-win situation for them, the individual soldier will soon logically decide that taking prisoners is not a good idea. If these terrorists are as innocent as you imply, I don't think that is an improvement for any of them.

Fletcher J

[xenophiles]

Based on what I've read, prisoners being held by the US are being treated far better than the Geneva Convention requires.

My impression is that the ones at Guantanamo Bay aren't, but until some neutral party like the Red Cross is allowed free access it's hard to be sure. And then there's Abu Ghraib... but perhaps we're talking about different prisoners.

Pretty nice of us since the terrorists haven't signed the Geneva Convention anyway.

A good point, but the central question remains: why not have open and fair inquiry into which of the prisoners are actually soldiers of "the terrorists"?

If these terrorists are as innocent as you imply[...]

Just a moment. I never said that the prisoners were innocent. I never said that any terrorists were innocent. I never said that the prisoners were terrorists. I am arguing for due process, not immunity.

[xenophiles]

Based on what I've read, prisoners being held by the US are being treated far better than the Geneva Convention requires.

My impression is that the ones in Guantanamo Bay aren't, but until a neutral party like the Red Cross is allowed free access (see Article 10) it's hard to be sure.

Pretty nice of us since the terrorists haven't signed the Geneva Convention anyway.

Good point, but the Bush administration says that these people aren't POWs anyway, so it's a moot point.

If these terrorists are as innocent as you imply[...]

Just a moment. I never said the prisoners were innocent. I never said any terrorists were innocent. I never said the prisoners were terrorists. I'm arguing for due process, not immunity.

[xenophiles]

Sorry for the double post. Browser glitch.