If they are enemies, then they are accorded the treatment due to
prisoners.


Dave wrote:
Nice try, but no cigar, Doug. There's no convention dealing with "enemies."
There is one dealing with "prisoners of war." The two are not synonyms.


I didn't claim they were.


Vito wrote:
You are trying to apply logic to law but law is seldom logical.

The rules say that a 'combatant' captured out of uniform need not be treated
as a POW. He can be shot out of hand, held incommunicado indefinitely

Wrong.

... even
killed without trial, as a spy or saboteur. According to Bush, those held at
Gitmo are in this special catagory.


This is a reply to both Vito & Dave.

There is no category of person who can be "held incommunicado
indefinitely."

Spies, pirates, and mutineers caught in the act can be killed on the
spot, but when captured they must also be given due process. Enemy
soldiers on the battlefield can be killed. Otherwise it's simply murder.

To repeat- I do not comprehend why *any* American thinks it's OK to
simply grab people and lock them up forever, just because it's
convenient for the gov't. It would have been inconcievable to me a few
short years ago that any American would approve of torture of prisoners.

But it's happening. At least we can still sing songs about how brave &
free we are.

DSK