South Vietnam wasn't an independent country?
No, under American law, it was not. Nor was North Vietnam. The US
considered South Vietnam a `protocol state' meaning that its president
would be given honors as if he were president of an independent
country. However, the US could and did turn over prisoners to the
South Vietnamese even though US commanders believed that the prisoners
would not be treated according to the Geneva Conventions that would
apply if the country were independent. That is because the war within
North and South Vietnam was considered legally by the US to be a civil
war.
At the time, this was a very important legal consideration, as
important as the legality, under mandatory UN resolutions, of the
current US fight with Iraq.
--
Robert J. Chassell
[EMAIL PROTECTED] GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
http://www.rattlesnake.com http://www.teak.cc
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