Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Geneva
Convention Upheld in Guantanamo
In
a landmark opinion on November 8, 2004, Judge James Robertson
ruled that it is unlawful to try prisoners detained at Guant�namo
by the currently constituted Military Commissions. The Commissions
were suspended indefinitely.
[...]
In rejecting the Government's
position regarding the applicability of the Geneva Conventions
to the conflict in Afghanistan, the Court emphasized that the
position of the Bush Administration differs starkly from the behavior
of the United States in previous conflicts and has created conditions
that place our own soldiers at risk if they are captured during
armed conflicts abroad.
Read more:
- "Federal Judge Halts Guantanamo Military Commissions, Says Geneva Conventions Must Apply" (8 Nov 2004, Center for Constitutional Rights) / Hamdan Decision (PDF)
- "Judge says detainees' trials are unlawful" (8 Nov 2004, MSNBC)
- "Guantanamo Military Commissions Continue Down Rocky Path" (8 Nov 2004, OneWorld.net)
See also:
Bush 'will still pursue aggressive' foreign policy
Colin Powell quoted in an article in the Financial Times (8 Nov 2004):
President George W. Bush has won a mandate from the American people to continue pursuing his “aggressive” foreign policy, but the US will also reach out to the international community where it can, according to Colin Powell, the secretary of state.
“The president is not going to trim his sails or pull back,” Mr Powell told the Financial Times on Monday. “It's a continuation of his principles, his policies, his beliefs.”
- Bush 'will still pursue aggressive' foreign policy," by Guy Dinmore (8 Nov 2004, Financial Times)