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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: E. T. who wrote (222601)	1/27/2002 6:18:49 AM
From: E. T.	Respond to of 769670

Inside Report: No-show Bushies townhall.com By Robert Novak WASHINGTON --Ardent right-wingers who attend the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington Thursday through Saturday will not hear from Vice President Dick Cheney or Attorney General John Ashcroft. Both were listed as speakers in CPAC's advertisements, but neither will come. President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the hottest possible current attractions for conservatives, both turned down invitations (with the president saying no even to a drop-in). Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson is the only Cabinet member on the speaking schedule. But Lynne Cheney, the vice president's wife, will address the conference. A footnote: Justice Department lawyers said Ashcroft could not appear at CPAC because of ethical considerations. That apparently did not prevent Solicitor General Theodore Olson, the Justice Department's third-ranking officer, from accepting an invitation to be a head table guest.

To: E. T. who wrote (222601)	1/27/2002 2:57:10 PM
From: Gordon A. Langston	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 769670

A serious look at Powell's stand on POW status reveals no belief that they are, simply that the world is easily confused on this and it would protect our soldiers, IMO a bit of wishful thinking on his part. I'm reading a book on POW's in the Philippine's and the treatment of POW's there was a complicated matter and would have been even if the Japanese had agreed to the Geneva Convention. A lot depended on how a soldier was treated within his own army. If a soldier could be beaten the POW's didn't stand a chance. If they were left to scrounge for half their rations, Japanese soldiers were not inclined to worry about starving prisoners. If they were expected to march twice as far as their American counterparts because they had no motor transport then prisoners who could not keep up were kicked to the side of the road. Trickle down....it's human nature. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is taking the position that the United States should refrain from conferring POW status on the detainees but nevertheless should accord them the protections of the Geneva Conventions. The officials said he has taken that position because he wants to ensure that irregular U.S. military forces captured in battle are covered by the conventions and treated humanely.

To: E. T. who wrote (222601)	1/27/2002 3:19:02 PM
From: DavesM	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

ET, According to what I have read, the State Department (or Secretary Powell) does not urge that the detainees be given the legal status of POW. "The issue is not whether these people are prisoners of war, they are not. They're not going to get musical instruments or monthly paychecks or any of that. Nothing will change in their treatment." A senior State Department Official's response regarding the State Department's views. The Secretary of State's expressed concern was that the United States not give the IMPRESSION or APPEARANCE of ignoring the Geneva Convention. - from a L.A. Times article by Drogin and Hook. ET, the entire reason that these people are being detained, is because the United States wants to get more information regarding Al Qaeda, and future planned attacks against the United States and Americans. I have little sympathy to those who would wish to limit that ablility. I'd also like to point out, in the past 50 years the vast majority of captured American Service men and women, were NOT treated in accordance to the Geneva Convention.