November 24, 2005

Bizarro World law...

The Geneva Conventions, especially the Fourth Convention, are intended to reduce the brutality of war, primarily by keeping it separate from civilians. The rules concerning prisoners are not the main purpose of the Convention, rather they are a carrot, a reward, for fighting according to rules.

The rules forbid attacking civilians, obviously, but also forbid placing troops in civilian neighborhoods, or storing military supplies in schools or churches, or using symbols like the Red Cross to hide combatants. And the requirement for wearing distinctive uniforms is important because it protects all those NOT in uniform from being shot by mistake, or because they might be spies. And from being imprisoned just because they might be an enemy. (There are circumstances where uniforms may not be available, but you must still bear arms openly.)

IF you fight war by the rules, you are entitled to privileges, such as having your people protected by POW status. A status the US always extends to lawful combatants, such as the Iraqi soldiers we captured in the invasion of Iraq. If you don't obey the rules, you are not entitled to POW status, and to be given that status is itself a violation of the Convention.

Unfortunately, the Rules of War are being intentionally and cynically corrupted by those who hate America and any allies who are willing to fight with us. A new standard is being promulgated in a thousand sneaky ways, always implying that war crimes don't matter as long as you are opposed to the US. And that "International Law" exists only to hamper the United States, and that everyone else (wink wink nudge nudge) need not fear any penalties.

By the lunatic standards of these moral imbeciles, terrorists can shred a crowd of children with a car bomb, or blow up a wedding party, or put fighting positions in a mosque and not get so much as a raised eyebrow. And if these war criminals are captured we are supposed to give them POW status. And their American captors are to be given the harshest scrutiny, and threatened with "war crimes" prosecution.

This is a total inversion of the idea of rules of war. Those who break the rules are rewarded. Those who obey them are penalized and demonized. This is sickness. Lefty sickness. During the Second Battle of Falluja, the terrorists were openly broadcasting from the minarets their intention to torture and kill any Americans they captured. None of our fake peaceniks took the slightest notice, or made any criticism.

This sort of Bizarro World International Law is often pushed in the name of "peace," but, like so many things put under that label, actually encourages war and violence, and the killing of civilians.

Posted by John Weidner at November 24, 2005 10:17 PM
Weblog by John Weidner