War Crimes

I've tried to write this post three times, so we're going to do it quickhits style.

The WaPo has a front page article describing Bush administration efforts to overturn a 1996 law which states that violations of detainee rights under the Geneva Conventions makes US military personnel legally liable in US courts. (This stems from the Hamdan decision that detainees are held under the Geneva Conventions.) The legislative effort also includes a retroactive immunity.

I think this very clearly indicates that the Bush administration is now very aware that it has authorized illegal behavior regarding detainees. If they can immunize the lower level personnel, there will be no chain of culpability leading up to their policy decisions.

The NYTimes has an article in which two defendents in a detainee death case claim that their captain and colonel issued an order to “kill all military-age men.”

It must pointed out that this is a statement in their defense, so it must be viewed in that context, but the colonel at the point of the allegations "has indicated that he will not testify at the Article 32 hearing — the military equivalent of a grand jury hearing — or answer any questions about the case." This is very unusual.

Last, (Reuters) "The U.N. Human Rights Committee on Friday told Washington it should immediately shut all "secret detention" facilities and give the International Committee of the Red Cross access to anybody held in armed conflict."