Hopefully So, But I am Skeptical:

Iraq Says It Will Follow Geneva Convention for POWs. Their track record in the past has not been too impressive, and they have already shown themselves to be in violation of the convention by parading them in front of TV cameras.

This situation is another example of the inherent weakness of international law. I noted in an earlier post that the US had the power to ignore international law if it wanted in going to war, demonstrating the lack of true enforce of such "laws." Unfortunately, in the case of POWs, there may well be rules about how the Iraqis should treat our soldiers, but at present, there is no one watching the Iraqis who can make them behave. As such, international laws governing the treatment of POWs are worthless when applied to states willing to abuse prisoners. We will follow international law regarding the Iraqis we catch, but we would have treated them humanly anyway.

Posted by Steven Taylor at March 23, 2026 02:31 PM | TrackBack