Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Detainees get Geneva Rights

Pentagon to apply Geneva Conventions to all detainees in military custody

White House spokesman Tony Snow lived up to his name and attempted a snow job saying "It's not really a reversal of policy,".

The new policy described in a Friday memo by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England applies to "all detainees held in military custody". Those allegedly in secret CIA prisons aren't covered by it. But it's a start.

In case you're curious, this is Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions which now applies. Read it, it's short, and is just very basic human rights. Non-hostile detainees "shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria." It's amazing the government fought against this.

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