US troops caught committing war crimes

Memnoch

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3669331.stm

they should be tried by the ICC imo, these are war crimes, and since its members of the military that have committed them the US military cannot be trusted to deal out justice on its own.

and the general who was incharge is gonna get away with a written reprimand?

Fair and JUST it is

The army confirmed the suspension after US television broadcast images of US soldiers allegedly abusing inmates at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

CBS TV says it has "dozens" of pictures showing a wide range of maltreatment.

Taken by US troops, many of the pictures show American troops watching in apparent approval.

I'm also willing the bet that the only reason this instance of abuse is being addressed is because there are pictures with a news agency willing to publish them... how many other such instances are going on in the country unnoticed I wonder?

whats even worse is that the soldiers are claiming they haven't been told to not "cross the line" with prisoners. or what actions are allowed and what actions are illegal

Sgt Frederick said he and his fellow reservists had never been told how to deal with prisoners, or what lines should not be crossed.

"We had no training whatsoever," he said.

He said he never saw a copy of the Geneva Conventions - which govern the treatment of prisoners - until after he was charged.

correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't it the responsibility of the US army to insure that its troops know what they are and aren't permitted to do? Especially with regards treatment of prisoners of war.

Victor

Looks very KKKish http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1212124.jpg

Are aren't the Americans submitting PoWs to "public ridicule"?

Originally posted by Memnoch
correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't it the responsibility of the US army to insure that its troops know what they are and aren't permitted to do? Especially with regards treatment of prisoners of war.

Legally, it isn't good enough to say "I didn't know". However, organisations and officeers are meant to know better and will be held to a higher standard than enlisted men.

Spacedog

"The prison where the abuses are alleged to have taken place was a notorious torture centre during the Saddam Hussein era.

Bob Baer, a former CIA operative with extensive Iraq experience, told CBS: "If there [was] ever a reason to get rid of Saddam Hussein, it's Abu Ghraib [prison]."

I wonder if the US are making use of those "rape rooms" George W. was on about too.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Moriarty

Careful daveirl, you're getting in the way of one of his (many) anti-us rants. It's just unfortunate that he can't keep things about the same topic inside the one thread, so those that may want to ignore him can.

Memnoch

Originally posted by Moriarty
Careful daveirl, you're getting in the way of one of his (many) anti-us rants. It's just unfortunate that he can't keep things about the same topic inside the one thread, so those that may want to ignore him can.

ah a cheap low blow personal insult... nice one

you want to ignore me yet you're in a thread started by me..

boards.ie has a very useful "ignore" function... feel free to use it

Memnoch

Originally posted by daveirl
Not disagreeing that these soldiers deserve everything they get but is it actually a war crime?

I mean should they not be tried in an Iraqi court the way if a prison guard abused a prisoner here they'd be tried in a court? Obviously IANAL but just wondering.

getting into techinicalities here, but I would say that the state in iraq is one of war, despite Bush's declaration to the end of "Major hostilities".

and those detainees being abused are POWs

Sparks

Originally posted by daveirl
Not disagreeing that these soldiers deserve everything they get but is it actually a war crime?

Yes it is.

They can't be tried by an Iraqi court though, for two reasons:
1) There are no Iraqi courts recognised by an elected Iraqi government;
2) Iraq is technically still at war with the US.

And then there's the whole "we'll never let any durty foreigners try our troops for criminal acts" policy of the US army.

And they can't be tried by the ICC because the US isn't a signatory to the treaty of Rome.