American-Manifesto.com In Defense of American Exceptionalism

With Obama in office and the executive orders on Gitmo and terrorist interrogations out, we are hearing a more about Geneva Convention Common Article 3.  So I thought I’d take a look for myself.  I must say, it’s a rather unrewarding read.

Article 3 - defines acts that are cannot be done to noncombatants in “armed conflict not of an international character” (i.e. a civil war).  Clearly the terrorists at Gitmo are not noncombatants.

Article 4 - defines who can be considered a POW.  Mostly it boils down to the members of the warring countries’ militaries.  The only clause that comes even close to covering them is Article 4, paragraph 6:

(6) Inhabitants of a non-occupied territory, who on the approach of the enemy spontaneously take up arms to resist the invading forces, without having had time to form themselves into regular armed units, provided they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war.

But, of course, they are not inhabitants who spontaneously take up arms.  They are armed, trained terrorists that we are chasing down.

And….that’s it.  There’s nothing else to it.  I don’t see anything in Common Article 3 that gives terrorists Geneva Convention rights.  If I’m missing a key phrase or misunderstanding something I hope someone corrects me.  But I literally see no basis for the argument that they are protected by the Geneva Convention.

What really irritates me is not that there are some on the left who are trying to pull a fast one on us but that the “watchdog” media is essentially helping them.  I don’t know if it’s because the media is populated by lefties who share the same assumptions and worldview or if it is just a failure to do their job.  I suspect it’s a little of both but either way it’s another black mark for them.