Tuesday, February 24, 2009

We are clean!

The US military comprehensively investigated itself and finds after considerable deliberations that this time it really follows the Geneva conventions. It does this time. Really.
After considerable deliberation and a comprehensive review, it is our judgment that the conditions of confinement in Guantánamo are in conformity with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.1

...

While we conclude that conditions at Guantánamo are in conformity with Common Article 3, from our review, it was apparent that the chain of command responsible for the detention mission at Guantánamo consistently seeks to go beyond a minimalist approach to compliance with Common Article 3, and endeavors to enhance conditions in a manner as humane as possible consistent with security concerns.

...
In this report, we do not intend to suggest that these recommendations are items that the Department must pursue to satisfy Common Article 3. Rather, they are items that we view as consistent with the approach of the Chain of Command to continually enhance conditions of detainment.

Vice Admiral Sir John Cunningham of the Royal Navy had a completely different perspective:
Well first of all I'd like to apologize for the behaviour of certain of my colleagues you may have seen earlier, but they are from broken homes, circus families and so on and they are in no way representative of the new modern improved British Navy. They are a small vociferous minority; and may I take this opportunity of emphasizing that there is no cannibalism in the British Navy. Absolutely none, and when I say none, I mean there is a certain amount, more than we are prepared to admit, but all new ratings are warned that if they wake up in the morning and find any toothmarks at all anywhere on their bodies, they're to tell me immediately so that I can immediately take every measure to hush the whole thing up. And, finally, necrophilia is right out.

Another view.

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