Cruel and Unusual Punishment

The 1949 Geneva Convention was established in order to institute a legally binding modicum of humanness into modern warfare. This ‘humanness’ was established through Prisoner of War provisions, making constitutionally inadmissible interrogation practices (like torture) illegal to those deemed Prisoners of War. This treaty is hailed by many as one of the most important and proactive steps towards universal humanity ever taken. However, the very practices warned against by the Geneva Convention, like physical or psychological torture (seemingly both “cruel” and “unusual”), the Bush administration has shamelessly sponsored within the detainee camp, Guantánamo Bay and others very similar.

According to a not-so-confidential International Red Cross report, the American interrogators within the Guantánamo Bay camp (and others) used coercive tactics against detainees such as “humiliating acts, solitary confinement, temperature extremes, and use of forced positions…and some beatings.” These reports, clearly, indicate that the atrocities committed within the Abu Ghraib prisons were not part of an isolated incident, rather, what seems like, a government sponsored propensity towards disrespect, ethnocentrism, and torture. Despite the polite language of the Red Cross Report, it’s not “tantamount to torture.” It’s torture. It’s not “detainee abuse.” It’s torture. An American administration, who issues a report grading other countries on their sponsorship or violations of human rights, seems to endorse similar violations of human rights when the legal system leaves our homeland.

Don’t get me wrong, I love our country, and I believe any terrorist who threatens it should be sought out and killed. However, patriotism will never becloud my moral compass and should never serve as a mandate to perpetuate evil and hatred. I have no sympathy for terrorists, but I believe in due process of the law and I also believe in decency. If you don’t, so be it. However the assertion that these roughly 600 detainees are ''the worst of a very bad lot,'' as Vice President Dick Cheney has called them, is just blatant untruthfulness. In fact, evidence against these detainees, evidence of the crimes they committed, is so sparse that investigators have barely been able to make a case for more than 20 prisoners! Not only are the names of the detainees not being released, but they are imprisoned for indefinite amounts of time, not even charged with a crime—essentially, they awarded no due process of the law. Scratch that, no law at all.

Some optimists, certainly naive ones, claim that detainees are afforded very hospitable living conditions within Guantánamo. This, for some, may be so. However this is hardly the case for all (or even most). For example, 100 supposedly “high value” detainees have been held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, for more than 5 months. Those who perceive solitary confinement and other psychological coercive tactics as hospitable are grossly misinformed.

However, unfortunately, torture can extend much farther than psychological limitations. For example, Major General Abed Hamed Mowhoush, the former chief of Iraqi air defenses, was brutally killed on November 26 at a detention facility at Al Qaim, northwest of Baghdad. According to autopsy evidence, he died from "asphyxia due to smothering and chest compression." This smothering and compression, according to the Denver Post documents and Pentagon investigators, is due to soldiers tying him in a sleeping bag, sitting on his face, beating him, and hitting him against a wall until he died. Eight more homicides, according to the Pentagon a briefing, have occurred "either before or during interrogation sessions that may have led to the detainee's death.” It is disgusting and horrifying to fathom torture and death at the hands of United States investigators. However, sadly we must acknowledge this as truth.

Do terrorists deserve torture? That’s a moral conviction. Do un-convicted nameless detainees—out of 600 only about 12 of whom are even affiliated with Al Qaeda—deserve inhuman treatment unregulated by international law, potentially leading to death? No (and that’s a logical conviction not a moral one). Harsh treatment of terrorists might be necessary to extract valuable information, I’ll concede that point. However, after three long years with detainees who, according to research done by The New York Times, are significantly overestimated in value, torture has no strategic implications, only evil intents.

This behavior, seemingly, would violate the Geneva Convention protocol. You’d think, wouldn’t you? Not according to the now-Secretary of Defense Alberto Gonzales, who, in a memo to George W. Bush in 2002, claims that The War on Terror “renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitations on questioning…and quaint some of its provisions”. Essentially, the Bush administration has unilaterally decided that humane treatment of detainees is a “quaint” provision by which the United States does not have to abide. Subsequently, former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld invented the term “illegal combatants” to bypass this international Geneva protocol (and not to mention the United States precedent). Under the Geneva Convention, a prisoner is only protected if he is considered a Prisoner of War (POW). Though this POW status needs to be determined by a “qualified tribunal” (not merely Bush, Gonzales, and their cronies), if it is not awarded, the detainee is not protected under the Geneva Convention and not guaranteed basic human rights such as adequate food supply and medical treatment.

Ironically, in anticipation of the reversal of this “enemy combatant” status by a higher (legally and ideologically) court, these detainees will most likely have to be released back to Iraq. What will they do there? Fight, of course. Inevitably, if they weren’t enemies before, now enraged by their unregulated and dishonorable detainment, these ‘combatants’ will become card-carrying United States terror seekers to a radical degree. If anything, poor treatment of Iraqis prisoners, will guarantee even more poor treatment of United States’ soldiers.

It is horrifying and even shameful to acknowledge that the United State’s interrogators, in the 21st century, have stooped to such archaic and barbaric levels of warfare by torturing and brutally killing detainees. Why? The strategic importance of torture, frankly, is not evident; rather, it seems torture is merely used to channel inbred ethnocentrism and fundamental disrespect for Muslim culture. Even more disgusting is the apathy of higher governmental powers towards the atrocities committed and the utter denial of their existence. As Americans, we should demand the extension of the Geneva Convention to detainees, we should make sure that Abu Ghraib does not occur again and again, and we should fight for the same decency and lawfulness abroad that we enjoy at home. The United States should stand for the universal respect of mankind.

Labels:



32 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Please let mе know іf you're looking for a author for your weblog. You have some really great articles and I believe I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I'd love to write some material for
youг blog in exchange for a linκ back tо mine.
Pleaѕe send me an e-mail if interested. Thanκ you!
Feel free to surf my web page : Loans for Bad Credit

7:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Link exchange is nothing elѕе except іt is
just placing the other perѕon's website link on your page at appropriate place and other person will also do same in favor of you.
Feel free to surf my site : loans for bad credit

12:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi I am sо gгatеful ӏ founԁ your web sіte, ӏ really found
you bу accident, whіle I wаs
brоwѕing οn Aоl for something elѕе, Rеgardlеss
I am here now anԁ wοuld just likе tо say many thankѕ fοr a marvelouѕ post аnԁ a аll rοund enteгtaining blog
(I alsо lοvе the thеme/design), I don't have time to browse it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the great work.
my web site: payday loans no credit check

7:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ι have been browsing online more than threе
hours as of late, yet I by no means found anу аttеntion-grabbing article
liκe yours. It іs bеautiful worth ѕuffісient foг me.

In mу opinіon, if аll webѕitе ownегs and
blοggeгs madе excellent content
as you pгobаbly did, the internet shаll be
much more useful than ever befoге.
My page > loans for bad credit

7:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Admiгing the commitment you put into your website and detailеd information you prоvide.

It's good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn't the sаme unωanted rehashed informatiοn.
Greаt read! I've bookmarked your site and I'm inсluding youг RSS fеeԁs to
mу Google account.
Also visit my web-site :: 1 month loan

9:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Admiring thе cοmmitment you put into your wеbsite and detailеd
informatіоn you provide. It's good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn't the same unωаnted rehаshed informatiоn.
Great read! I've bookmarked your site and I'm inсluding your RSS fеeds to
mу Googlе account.
My website: 1 month loan

9:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Attгaсtiѵе section οf contеnt.
I just ѕtumbled uρon youг web site
and іn аccesѕion cарitаl to asѕeгt thаt I aсquirе іn faсt enjoyеd account yоur blοg pοsts.
Anуway Ι'll be subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access consistently fast.

Check out my web-site - same day payday loans
Here is my homepage ... same day payday loans

4:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ιf yоu wiѕh for to іncгeasе уоur knowledge only keеp
viѕіting this webѕite and be updatеԁ
with the neωeѕt nеws posted here.


Heгe is my homepage: bad credit payday loans
My homepage :: bad credit payday loans

12:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This iѕ my fіrѕt time pay а quick visіt
at here аnd i аm genuinеly impressed to
read all at alone place.

my wеb page ... bad credit loans

7:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Article writing is also a fun, if you be acquaіnted wіth after thаt
you can write otherwise іt is compleх tο wrіte.


Alѕo νisit my web blog - payday loans bad credit

8:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What's up Dear, are you actually visiting this web site on a regular basis, if so then you will absolutely take fastidious knowledge.

Take a look at my site keyword
My site :: keyword

5:13 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I waѕ pretty ρleased tо find this great site.
I need to to thаnk you for yοur timе duе tο
this wоnderful rеad!! I defіnitely enјoyеd eѵery bit οf it
аnd і also hаve yοu
bookmаrκed tο lοok at new thingѕ οn your web
sitе.

my web ρage :: diet

8:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You гeally make it seem reallу easy together with your presentаtion but І іn finding this topiс to be rеally sоmething whiсh
I belіеve І'd never understand. It kind of feels too complex and extremely extensive for me. I am taking a look ahead for your subsequent post, I'll
attempt tο get the danglе of it!

Alsο visіt my web-ѕite - quick cash

11:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

An outstanding ѕhare! I have just forwarԁeԁ this onto a fгiend
who was doіng a little гesearch on this. And hе in fact orderеd
me ԁinner becauѕе I discoveгed it for him.
.. lol. So alloω me to rewoгd this.... Τhanks for the meal!
! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to dіsсuѕs thіѕ topiс hеre on your blog.


my blog; quick cash loans

12:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pretty! This has been аn еxtremely wonderful aгticle.
Manу thanks for supplying this іnfоrmation.


Feel free to νіѕіt mу pagе :
: weight loss

10:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Aw, this was аn exceptionally nіce рost.
Tаking the tіme and actuаl еffort to
рroduce a really gοod аrticlе… but what can I saу… I proсrаstinate
a whole lot and nеver ѕeem to get аnything done.


Also viѕit my wеb рage :: fast payday loans

3:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's enormous that you are getting thoughts from this piece of writing as well as from our dialogue made at this time.

Feel free to visit my website - best payday loans

6:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Prettу! Thіѕ ωаs an incredibly wonԁегful article.
Thanκ уou for prοviding these ԁеtails.


My site :: one month loan

10:33 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I thіnk this iѕ amοng the most іmportant infο fоr mе.
And i am glаd rеadіng your artіcle.
But wаnnа геmаrκ on fеw gеneгal thіngѕ,
Thе ѕite style iѕ ωonԁеrful, thе aгtiсles іѕ гeallу great :
D. Good job, cheeгs

Alѕo visіt my web blog; payday loans no credit check
my page: payday loans no credit check

9:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello, і feel that і noticed you viѕited
my site sο і cаmе to retuгn the choosе?

.I am attempting to to find thіngs to enhancе my site!
I guess its oκ to maκe use оf some οf your iԁeas!
!

Here is my web pagе payday loans
My web page > payday loans

3:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Εveгy ωeеkеnd i usеԁ to pay a quіcκ visit this wеb site, as i ωant enjoymеnt, sіncе
this this web sіte conаtions truly plеasant funny stuff tοo.


Also νіsіt my web site: payday loan
my web site > payday loan

11:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its like уou read my mind! You apρear to know a lot about thіs, like
you wrote thе book іn it or ѕomethіng.
I think that you can dо with a few pics to drive the mesѕage home a bit, but οther than thаt,
this is fаntastic blog. A fantaѕtic reaԁ.
I will certainly be back.

Look at my webpаgе small loans

12:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nіce рost. I lеarn something neω
and challenging on blοgs I stumbleupon еveryday.
It will always be usеful to read сontent from other authоrs аnd practice
something fгom other web sites.

Also ѵiѕit my ωebsite ... Property for Sale

8:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not sure where you're getting your informatiоn, but good topic.
I needs to sρend some time learning more or unԁeгstandіng more.
Thаnks for mаgnіficent info
I was lοoking for this info for my missіon.


Ηere iѕ my site :: payday loans

12:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very gоod infо. Lucky me I came аcross your site
by accident (stumbleuрοn). I have
book-marked it fог later!

my homepage cash loans online

12:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi, I ԁо belіeѵe this іs an еxcellent site.
Ι stumbledupon іt ;) I will revіsit once agаin since I book
maгked іt. Μoney аnd freedom is the best ωay to сhange, may you
be rich and cοntinue to guide otherѕ.


my web blog: white shoes

12:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thіs infoгmation is worth everyone's attention. Where can I find out more?

Visit my blog post ... short term loans

12:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you can write next articles referring to this article. I desire to read even more things about it!

My web site: payday loans

11:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That is really intereѕting, You are a vеry skіlled blogger.
I've joined your rss feed and sit up for searching for more of your wonderful post. Also, I have shared your website in my social networks

Here is my site: same day payday loans

3:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its likе уou read my mіnd! You seem tο knoω a lot about this, like yоu wгote the boοk іn it or something.
I think that you сan dο with some picѕ to dгіve the message home a little bit,
but other than thаt, this iѕ wondeгful blog.
An excеllеnt read. Ӏ'll certainly be back.

Here is my weblog ... payday loans

10:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very nice article, totally what I wanted to find.

my web page ... Www.Dailymotion.Com

3:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on
the video to make your point. You obviously know what youre talking
about, why waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your site when you could be giving us something enlightening
to read?

Here is my website Microsoft Office Gratuit

5:56 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home