TelePolis writes about doctors and torture in Gunatánamo and Abu Ghraib. ¹ They are not *real* doctors, because they work for the military. The interests of the military come first. The enemy combatants are not *real* prisoners – neither of the US, nor war-prisoners. But we knew that. They do what the third Geneva convention was designed to prevent.
[...] the present Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them. [...] The Convention shall also apply to all cases of partial or total occupation of the territory of a High Contracting Party, even if the said occupation meets with no armed resistance. [...] To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons: (a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, *cruel treatment and torture*; (b) Taking of hostages; (c) *Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment*; (d) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions *without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples*. ²
!DoD – Department of Dorture...
What I would like the *rest* of the world to do:
The High Contracting Parties undertake to enact any legislation necessary to provide effective *penal sanctions for persons committing, or ordering to be committed*, any of the grave breaches of the present Convention defined in the following Article. *Each High Contracting Party* shall be under the obligation to search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered to be committed, such grave breaches, and *shall bring such persons, regardless of their nationality, before its own courts*. It may also, if it prefers, and in accordance with the provisions of its own legislation, hand such persons over for trial to another High Contracting Party concerned, provided such High Contracting Party has made out a prima facie case. [...] Grave breaches to which the preceding Article relates shall be those involving any of the following acts, if committed against persons or property protected by the Convention: wilful killing, *torture or inhuman treatment*, including biological experiments, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, compelling a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of the hostile Power, or *wilfully depriving a prisoner of war of the rights of fair and regular trial prescribed in this Convention*. ³
I would like these knights of torture to be brought to court.
#USA