Prisoner Treatment: Fair of Foul?

On July 27, 1949, the Geneva Convention was finally revised to safeguard

the rights of all who were involved in war, including prisoners.   According to

Convention III, "The following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time in

any place to prisoners of war: violence to life and person, in particular mutilation,

cruel treatment and torture, outrages upon personal dignity, humiliating, and

degrading treatment." (Convention III)   However, despite this international law,

reports of torture and brutal conditions in prisons are constantly flowing in from

the conflict in Iraq.   According to The New York Times,

"In December of 2002,   Mr. Rumsfeld authorized hooding prisoners,

using dogs to terrify them, forcing them into stress positions, stripping

them, and isolating them.   All this was prohibited by the Geneva

Conventions but President Bush declared on February 7, 2002, the

Geneva Conventions did not apply to Al Qaeda." ("For Abu Ghraib")

It is through this behavior that the U.S. is separating itself from the civilized

world. The Geneva Conventions should apply to all circumstances of war and

therefore stop the horrific acts that are taking place in Iraq today.  

A prime example of the torture that is taking place today would be the Abu

Ghraib prison scandal.   Numerous investigations have taken place and proved

that American soldiers hid prisoners from the Red Cross and mistreated them.  

One soldier, Captain Ian Fishback,   testified to witnessing the abuses in the

prison. "There were freaking horrible things people were doing.   I saw detainees

Jessica Cutler 2

get their feet smashed in with hammers.   Others were forced to sit on exhaust

pipes, they had their fingernails pulled out, or they were given electric shocks.

Light torture included: sleep deprivation, isolation, stress positions, and

hypothermia," states Captain Fishback. (Hirsh)   Even worse... [continues]

Read full essay