The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Marketplace
    • Autos
    • Jobs
    • Real Estate
    • Classifieds
    • Shopping
    • Dining Out
    • Education
    • TWT Store
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Security

    Obama said to want revised Afghan options

  • Politics

    Bush warns of threats to freedom, economic growth

  • National

    Fort Hood shooting suspect charged with murder

  • Politics

    Obama has fences to mend on Japan trip

  • Business

    Obama calls for jobs forum in December

  • National

    HOLMES: Miscalculating engagement

  • National

    NORRIS: The Senate and the START treaty

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Geneva cover for Gitmo detainees

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • 'Balloon boy' parents set to plead guilty
  • Spitzer declines to blame politics for downfall
  • Bishop, Kennedy spar over abortion
  • Obama orders review of Hasan intelligence

By

The Bush administration said yesterday that the terrorism suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay prison should be treated humanely in accord with the Geneva Conventions, but Pentagon lawyers warned against granting them too many rights, such as full-fledged military trials.

"Application of court-martial rules would force the government either to drop prosecutions or to disclose intelligence information to our enemies in such a way as to compromise ongoing or future military operations, the identity of intelligence sources and the lives of many," Pentagon lawyer Daniel J. Dell'Orto told the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. "Military necessity demands a better way."

The hearings are a response to last week's ruling by the Supreme Court that the Bush administration lacked the authority to try "enemy combatants" under military tribunals, instead of before civilian juries or courts-martial. In keeping with that ruling, the Pentagon issued a memo yesterday instructing all personnel to follow the 1949 Geneva Conventions in their treatment of enemy prisoners.

But the White House was quick to dispute that it was any sort of policy shift.

"It is not really a reversal of policy -- humane treatment has always been a standard, and that is something they followed at Guantanamo," White House press secretary Tony Snow said.

He said the administration now wants to work with Congress on a new policy for detainees, but said the Supreme Court's ruling is complex and still not clear as to what degree the Geneva Conventions apply to the estimated 1,000 enemy prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere.

"It doesn't mean that you have musical instruments for all of the detainees," Mr. Snow said.

Yesterday's Pentagon memo is further evolution of a detainee policy that has been much debated inside the administration for nearly five years.

Mr. Bush originally decided in 2001 that al Qaeda and Taliban detainees would be deemed "enemy combatants," but not prisoners of war under the 1949 Geneva Conventions. He decided that as terrorists and not members of a nation-state army they were not covered by the conventions.

This non-prisoner-of-war status meant they would not get the full legal rights of the conventions. It allowed the Pentagon to set up a system of military commissions outside the U.S. civilian courts and outside the courts-martial procedures under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The president did say the detainees would be treated in a way consistent with the Geneva Conventions, which outlaw torture and other abuses.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  2. EXCLUSIVE: Warner: Obama misplayed health care debate
  3. D.C. sniper executed in Virginia
  4. Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
  5. PRUDEN: Fatal reluctance to see evil
More Top Stories »
  1. Families meet as sniper's execution nears
  2. Michigan farm expert opens Marijuana U.
  3. EXCLUSIVE: Fort Hood suspect contacted Muslim extremists
  4. Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals
  5. Tax penalties and prison

Most Shared

  1. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  2. Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals
  3. EXCLUSIVE: Fort Hood suspect contacted Muslim extremists
  4. EDITORIAL: When the shooter becomes the victim
  5. Tax penalties and prison
More Top Stories »
  1. Jordanian sees Jerusalem as a powder keg
  2. EDITORIAL: End Clinton-era military base gun ban
  3. Obama's union drive stumbles in N.H.
  4. Employers offer pet health care as perk
  5. E pluribus diversity?

Most Commented

  1. Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals
  2. EXCLUSIVE: Fort Hood suspect contacted Muslim extremists
  3. DeMint tries to ban 'permanent politicians'
  4. Obama: 'No faith justifies' Fort Hood attack
  5. Kennedy's disability plan could snag health bill
More Top Stories »
  1. D.C. sniper executed in Virginia
  2. Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
  3. EXCLUSIVE: GOPer Cao: Health vote may end career
  4. Dobbs leaves CNN before contract ends
  5. EDITORIAL: End Clinton-era military base gun ban

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • POTUS Notes

    New Dem talking point on Obama approval doesn't wash

  • The Back Story

    12 arrested at Pelosi's office

  • Belief Blog

    New Vatican constitution released

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Redskins 360

    Nolan prefers chess to coaching

  • Tara's Two Cents

    On their way to summer vacation..

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.