War Crimes

Did I ever mention that I hate most of the mainstream media? The recent coverage of the marine who was caught on video shooting a combatant is a perfect reminder of why the mainstream media makes me want to pull my hair out.

All over the world, the media trumpeted the charge that the marine had commited a war crime.

I am not sure as to the exact details of the case in question but I can tell you this... the combatant was in no way protected under the Geneva Convention. In every instance the media should make it a point to mention that tiny little detail.

None of these combatants in Iraq qualify for the protections outlined in the Geneva Convention and anyone who suggests otherwise has no understanding of International Law. As well do the people who want such protections granted to the insurgents in Iraq really want to deal with the consequences of such a precedent?

Do these people really want to make it acceptable to use civilians as shields? Do they want to make it acceptable to target children?

The rules outlined in the Geneva Conventions were put there for a reason. That reason was to ensure war was fought in as much of a humane manner as possible. Granting such rights to the insurgents turns such reasoning totally on it's head.

And not only does the fact that the 'rules of war' are being permanently blurred worry me, but the lack of context equally worries me. The world gets in an uproar about the actions of one marine and yet were are these voices of outrage when a public space is bombed by the insurgents? Where the hell is it!?

Jane Novak writing for the Arab News reflects my frustration:

What a glaring double standard. The Arab world is enraged over the shooting of a wounded, unarmed Iraqi insurgent by a uniformed US soldier.

There is no similar outrage for Margaret Hassan. Is it because she was an Anglo, a woman, or because a Muslim killed her?

The video of the soldier shooting is proof, we are told, of America’s evil. And the kidnapping, torture and murder of Mrs. Hassan is then proof of what? That America is evil! Muslims wouldn’t do that unless evil America forced their hand.

Bombing children, defiling mosques, kidnapping civilians, executing poor workers and cleaning out women — these are not discussed or broadcast with frequency, or invoke much anger. Videos where a masked man shakes a bloody head while the curtains flutter do not evoke such fury. Why? The identity of the victim or the perpetrator?

All tactics of the insurgents are excused. Hide among civilians. Justified. Wear civilian clothes. Justified. Shoot from a mosque. Justified. Feign death to draw soldiers in (the way one Marine died the day before the incident). Justified. Wave a white flag as a ploy. Justified. Booby-trap dead bodies. Justified. That’s just Fallujah.

Moving outward — Deliberately killing Iraqi civilians daily. Justified. Bombing churches. Justified. Bombing cafes. Justified. Using schools and mosques as arsenals. Justified. Attacking the police. Just fine.

The rules of war don’t apply to the insurgents, only the Americans. And if one horrible act occurs at the hands of one American soldier, the world howls.

Go read the whole thing.