IAVA's Paul Reickhoff writes NYT op-ed: "Do Unto Your Enemy"

[flpoljunkie]

New York Times Runs Rieckhoff Op-ed

http://www.iava.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=2009&Itemid=116
"If America continues to erode the meaning of the Geneva Conventions, we will cede the ground upon which to prosecute dictators and warlords."

Op-Ed Contributor

Do Unto Your Enemy...

By PAUL RIECKHOFF
Published: September 25, 2006

IN 2002, I attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, Ga. At "the Schoolhouse," every new Army infantry officer spent six months studying the basics of his craft, including the rules of war.

I remember a seasoned senior officer explaining the importance of the Geneva Conventions. He said, "When an enemy fighter knows he'll be treated well by United States forces if he is captured, he is more likely to give up."

A year later on the streets of Baghdad, I saw countless insurgents surrender when faced with the prospect of a hot meal, a pack of cigarettes and air-conditioning. America's moral integrity was the single most important weapon my platoon had on the streets of Iraq. It saved innumerable lives, encouraged cooperation with our allies and deterred Iraqis from joining the growing insurgency.

But those days are over. America's moral standing has eroded, thanks to its flawed rationale for war and scandals like Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo and Haditha. The last thing we can afford now is to leave Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions open to reinterpretation, as President Bush proposed to do and can still do under the compromise bill that emerged last week.

more...

[angstlessk]

1. You left out the link. n/t

[flpoljunkie]

2. Thanks so much. Have edited to add the link.

http://www.iava.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=2009&Itemid=116

[twilight_sailing]

3. I met Paul Rieckhoff at YearlyKos

I'd follow him into battle. That's how much I thought of him.