----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Brin-L" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 3:19 PM Subject: Re: Treatment Of Prisoners (was RE: Tragedy in Israel)
> In a message dated 1/11/02 3:06:28 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > << > Another worrying thing is that both the Republican *and* the Democratic > > Party ignore all this completely. As said on the evening news, people in > > Washington are more concerned with the upcoming baseball game than with the > > treatment of prisoners. > > Baseball season is over. > > At the moment I think you'll find that both parties, and most Americans, > are perfectly aware of how these prisoners are being treated and have no > qualms about the fact whatsoever. Complaints may be lodged in triplicate > at the Pentagon. >> > > *I* have qualms. I have concerns when this country treats *anyone* > inhumanely. It goes against the founding principles of our land. Period. > There isn't really any excuse for it, even considering what vile pieces of > murderous scum the Taliban are. We are Americans. That has to mean > something. I agree that we should treat the prisoners humanely. The question becomes whether the treatment we have seen is inhumane. One of the main questions is the hooding of the prisoners in transit. The reason given for this is that it is part of the control of the prisioners. It appears to me that other members of AQ have demonstrated that they are perfectly willing to die a horrible death in order to take one or two of their enemies with them. There have been multiple revolts by prisoners. Given this, using extrodinary means to control the prisoners does not seem unreasonable. Torture, of course, would be unacceptable. But, thinking about it, I don't see being hooded in close transit can be constituted as torture. In general, it shouldn't be needed, but this isn't the general case. Certainly we treated these prisoners much better than the Swiss treat deported foreigners who overstay their visas. (Yes, Amnesty International did protest this.) Dan M.
