Do we need new laws for humane treatment of prisoners?

Some of the things done to the prisoners in the "60 Minutes II" photos can be prosecuted under the broad categories of "conspiracy, dereliction of duty, cruelty, maltreatment, assault and indecent acts."

However, do we need more specific laws, such as it's illegal to put a hood on a prisoner, and illegal to deprive a prisoner of sleep or clothing?

or maybe the U.S. repudiated same awhile back?

Where does the Geneva convention say you can't put a hood on prisoner, or deprive a prisoner of sleep or clothing?

to the protocols of the Geneva Convention, it would be helpful. I am not sure what exactly is delineated in said document. If you know more about it than I do, please feel free to correct me.

:)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1511289#1511306

In the excerpt, I didn't see anything saying that prisoners can't be deprived of sleep or can't be hooded.

With regard to clothing, the excerpt says that prisoners forced to work need proper clothing, but doesn't say anything about depriving prisoners of clothing who aren't being forced to work.

you will die from lack of sleep much faster than starvation would kill you.

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kyoto Treaty. Landmine Treaty, International Court, etc??????

And they're called "War Crimes"...

They are prosecutable RIGHT NOW...

But the leadership of the US Empire, for years now, have refused to
sign on to the World Court...

Because they KNEW they were going to commit War Crimes...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1511289

on this very board right now.

which is to say, a non-right-wing-Republican brand administration.

All that stuff is already illegal under international treaty, and even under our own laws (though perhaps our own laws aren't as strict as the treaties, such as the Geneva convention, but then, under our constitution, all treaties are considered law, and so in a sense something like the Geneva convention IS U.S. law)

I'd just prefer that instead of trying to pass more laws, we elect a government leadership that will actually follow the laws, and actually adhere to the consitution, and actually just plain give a rat's ass for the rule of law, fair play, and compassionate human interactions.

http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/icc/us.htm


The United States of America was one of only 7 nations (joining China, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Qatar and Israel) to vote against the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in 1998.

The Bush administration's hostility to the ICC has increased dramatically in 2002. The crux of the U.S. concern relates to the prospect that the ICC may exercise its jurisdiction to conduct politically motivated investigations and prosecutions of U.S. military and political officials and personnel. The U.S. opposition to the ICC is in stark contrast to the strong support for the Court by most of America's closest allies.

This will be the logical extension of globalization. The future of war is now in Iraq IE hired mercenaries. The privatization of the military has begun. The Geneva Convention covered soldiers of one NATION at war with another NATION. The war on terror is endless and outside the old paradigm of nationalism. Witness the floosd of South African mercs into the lucrative fray in the ME.

Can anyone post a specific passage-from the Geneva Convention or elsewhere=which says that it's illegal to put a hood on a prisoner, and illegal to deprive a prisoner of sleep or clothing?

(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;

I would find both a bag on my head and being deprived of clothing humiliating.

As far as depriving them of sleep:

No physical or moral coercion shall be exercised against protected persons, in particular to obtain information from them or from third parties.
Article 32

Sleep deprivation is physical coercion to get them to talk (i.e. obtain information from them).

When the Geneva Convention was first drafted and ratified, I doubt they actually got to such nitty, gritty details as "Thou shall not put a bag on the head of your prisoners, nor deprive them of clothing". They probably figured we had enough fucking common sense to not have to spell out each and every way to "humiliate and degrade" and each form of "physical or moral coercion".

I still think the Geneva Convention or US law should be changed to specifically prohibit those practices (sleep deprivation, hoods on prisoners, depriving of clothes) to make it easier for soldiers to understand these things are illegal.

the size of a credit card that our personnel can be required to carry with them, like a drivers license.

It may seem redundant, but then they won't be able to whine "I didn't know it was illegal!" when they are caught mistreating prisoners.

which we don't adhere to and won't unless the world defeats us in a war.