[alyx]

"That is why they should be seperated into two groups. The Taliban were actually a military force fighting for a government that like it or not was the defecto government of Afghanistan. There fore, they are prisoners of war...so is John Walker. By law, he is no longer a US citizen since he joined the Taliban, another nation's military. Therefore he can not be tried under US law..."

The Taliban, as a recognized government, was (until its recent dismantling by the US) only recognized by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia; not the United States, and certainly not the Northern Alliance Afghanis. Therefore, BY LAW, American law, the United States of America's Constitution: Walker is: an American, an American citizen, an American whose religion is Muslim and a member of the Taliban and an American Talaban terrorist. Walker is ALL of these things.

There has been no official declaration of a war, either by Congress or President Bush. Just like Viet Nam, this "war on terrorism" is in reality a military operation. Thus the name: "Operation Enduring Freedom." Therefore, there are no P.O.W.s; no prisoners of WAR.

Just wanted to clear up some of the facts.

[Stavka2]

First off, if you are going to follow the US constitution, then this whole thing is illegal because Congress DID NOT declare WAR. Anyways, Korea was equally not a WAR but in it prisoner transfers were common place. Communist China was not recognized by the US for almost 30 years, that did not change reality of the Communists and not the nationalists being in charge. Since they were recognized by several countries, they were the government. As for the Confederacy, should the Union have slaughtered the Southern soldiers? After all, by your standards, they were never recognized by the only government I guess that matters? I guess that's why the indians were treated so well by the US, they weren't recognized by it.