You are dogging the issue. America did not sign on. Do not justify a bad action with an equally bad excuse.
No.. IT IS YOU who are AVOIDING THE ISSUE.
If I enter into a contract with you related to nature of our business affairs (such as not embezzling your funds), we ARE BOTH OBLIGATED TO FOLLOW ITS TERMS.
But if you engage in business WITHOUT a contract, then NEITHER PARTY is subject to any constraints, except those that they WILLINGLY place upon themselves, or chose to ignore.
In this case, Al Qai'da, as an organization, has not pledged to abide by the Geneva Conventions, NOR IS ANYONE EXPECTING, OR PUSHING, THEM TO ABIDE BY THEM. People are merely ACCEPTING that Al Qai'da is a brutal organization and that its nature is to utterly ignore human rights, or the fair and respectful treatment of prisoners.
Yet, we continue to hold ourselves restrained by our own morality, treating their membership, leaders, and operatives, as if they were official combatants somehow deserving of the same treatment we accord to soldiers of signatory governments.
Thus, what inducement does this provide to Al Qai'da to treat prisoners properly? Absolutely none at all.
They KNOW we'll treat them far better than they treat our soldiers and civilians when they capture them. So why should they change their behavior and abide by the GC. You're giving them all the benefits, and not holding them accountable to any of the responsibilities of being a party to the GC.
Hawk |
