Red Cross criticises allies over captives

The Daily Telegraph ^ | March 25, 2003 | Sandra Laville

[MadIvan]

The International Committee of the Red Cross accused coalition forces yesterday of failing to follow the Geneva Conventions in their treatment of prisoners of war.

As British and American anger over the parading of five American soldiers on Iraqi television continued unabated, the ICRC said the allies and the Iraqis should re-examine the way they handled PoWs.

Referring to Article 13 in the third convention, Florian Westphal, from the ICRC, said PoWs should at all times be humanely treated, protected particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against "insults and public curiosity".

He referred to photographs in the media last week which showed an Iraqi soldier in close-up being given water by American troops.

Neither side was treating PoWs in accordance with the convention, said Mr Westphal.

In a letter to The Telegraph today, Louise Christian, solicitor for three British detainees in Guantanamo Bay, said the US was breaching international law there. "On their original arrest Guantanamo detainees too were humiliated and paraded on TV manacled, shackled and hooded," she said.

[Defend the Second]

Remember these are the people whose American branch charges our soldiers for coffee and donuts. Give your money to the Salvation Army instead.

[AgThorn]

For all those that this just hit the wrong way (myself included) I suggest that you take a moment and email (at least) the Red Cross and tell them so.

https://www.redcross.org/contactusform.html

[virgil]

Red cross is digging its grave. People don't care if its the International red cross or the American Red Cross...they don't make that distinction.

[Carolina]

Ivan, have you watched the Beeb today?

They have played the videos of American POWs repeatedly without blurring their faces. Also repeated the ABC interview with the families giving out personal information all the while commenting on violations of the Geneva conventions.

[MadIvan]

I don't watch the BBC, sorry. ;)

For obvious reasons.

Regards, Ivan

[Salvation]

Don't have any pictures of PoWs then, just the surrendering lines, etc.

Hey, that meand we are abiding by the Geneva Convention rules then, doesn't it????

[Salvation]

**Give your money to the Salvation Army instead.**

Or your local church!

[Salvation]

Oops,

meand

means

[AgThorn]

I just sent my complaint email - everyone do likewise!! absolutely dispicable!! Letter follows:

I have just read this article regarding the Red Cross's position about prisoners of war:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/03/25/wpow25.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/03/25/ixnewstop.html

I am dumbfounded that the Red cross would not make any distinquishing difference between a photo of a humanitarian act of a US Soldier giving an Iraqi a drink of water (not allowed), and the brual murders of US maintenance workers (gun shots to the head, groin), and interviews of the survivors on Iraqi television by reporters.

What kind of organization are you to make such a indifferent comparison between these two different acts? One of kindness and one of absolute depravity and sickness?

Shame on you! I will make sure that I never give your organization another dime and will get the word out for everyone to do likewise!!

[livius]

I'm shocked, totally shocked. I assume our troops should just have left him lying on the ground crying for water. Maybe the Red Cross would have been happy then..

(Note to self: No donations to Red Cross.)

[Carolina]

For obvious reasons.

If you have a good link for Sky News streaming, please, please share.

[atomic conspiracy]

Moral Equivalency is the chief rhetorical tool of totalitarians and murderers. Those who invoke it are as guilty as the killers and torturers themselves. Let them occupy the Julius Streicher chair at the upcoming "Noam-berg Tribunals." The leftist fifth column must be destroyed, root and branch, their 40 year reign of cultural terror must end.

[MinuteGal]

Thanks for posting the picture in your # 17. Now I can see what the Red Cross is furious about. There's actually a gun held right in the face of the prisoner! Horrors!!!!!

From now on, we won't hold captives at gun point. Then when they whip out a hidden hand grenade or two and kill our guys, we can all write checks to the Red Cross afterwards so it can issue even more "humane" directives to the U.S. government.

Leni

[Calpernia]

I thought we were. I was trying to find out about the "hooded Prisoners" they mentioned. My response was really meant directly at you...sorry. I'm trying to find out if we had any POWs on TV. I didn't think we did.

[Amerigomag]

It will come as no surprise to anyone that the majority of pictures were made available through Yahoo.com (www.usnews1 or2.yimg.com) which has no connection to the American control embedded pool.

This is a bogus charge against the US government and the red cross knows it.

As a matter of record FR is more guilty than our government for allowing these postings by our members.

[truthkeeper]

bttt

[error99]

SALVATION ARMY bump !

[AgThorn]

Oh oh, is there a difference? Int'l and domestic? Same politically correct organization, right?

[Calpernia]

FR is not gathering the information. So that doesn't even equate. AND, it is members only :) Big difference...can't compare.