# POWS being shown on TV against teh Geneva convention **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 23, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563 "2003-03-23T16:41:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/21 "2003-03-23T21:00:03Z")
What was the US’s position on the international war crimes tribunal? I seem to have forgotten… ---
**Author:** ![Merejane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Merejane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merejane)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/22 "2003-03-23T21:23:36Z")
Just came from the General Questions board, where this same question came up. I mentioned on that board (sorry for the double post!) that the International Committee of the Red Cross considers the TV footage of the captured Americans to be a violation of the Geneva Convention because of the prohibition against “public humiliation.” (See [this article](http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-war-red-cross-iraq,0,4222357.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines), among others.) ---
**Author:** ![Merejane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Merejane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merejane)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/23 "2003-03-23T21:26:44Z")
Wait, it’s not “public humiliation,” it’s “public curiosity” – a seemingly (and I believe appropriately) stricter standard. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/24 "2003-03-23T21:33:10Z")
"Last night, I was watching MSNBC around 8:30pm CST, when host Keith Olbermann announced that one of NBC’s embedded journalists (I can’t recall which one, but he was with an infantry division, I believe) had footage of Iraqi prisoners of war. In his set up, Olbermann noted that subjecting POWs to humiliation or public curiosity could be construed as a violation of the Geneva Convention (way to CYA, Keith). Then they showed the clip. “The shot was taken at night, and featured an embedded journalist accompanied by a cameraman whose camera had a spotlight. The journalist directed the camera to light up an Iraqi prisoner, who was on his knees, hunched down and draped with what looked like a blanket. The ashen POW looked blankly into the spotlight as the journalist came running over to his side, bent down next to him, and picked up and displayed the opened and discarded silver packet of MRE rations that the prisoner had just eaten.” from: [http://bloviate.blogspot.com/](http://bloviate.blogspot.com/) Is there a distinction Im missing? ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/25 "2003-03-23T21:36:43Z")
This looks like more than public humiliation. I have a link of these shocking photos. Should I post it? It is disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/26 "2003-03-23T21:40:11Z")
Please post it. ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/27 "2003-03-23T21:43:18Z")
Until I hear from a moderator, email me and I will send it to those people. I can’t be sure it is the real deal. I just found it. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/28 "2003-03-23T21:57:50Z")
Just a FYI, Drudgereport (google it if you need to) has a link with stills from the “Al-Jazeera Exclusive” that you won’t see on CNN. Very graphic and very disturbing. I was so excited watching the CNN clips of the 7th Calvary and what not I’ve forgotten just what was going on out there. That link reminds me just what the aftermath of every “sortie” and “encounter” is. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/29 "2003-03-24T00:04:28Z")
Two instances of potential Geneva violations with respect to parading of soldiers U.S. broadcasts: large, coordinated, pre-planned effort for propaganda purposes, with the ultimate goal being to get Iraqis to surrender quickly and (in our opinion of how we’re not going to be dissuaded even if they do fight back) save their lives. Large group shots, taken as observations (i.e. the prisoners are not doing anything they wouldn’t be doing if the camera wasn’t there: they are not being made to do anything special) Iraqi broadcasts: brutal video exploitation of dead soldiers (who have had their pants pulled down, and who may or may not have been shot or otherwise abused after capture) Intergation style interviews with individual troops. It may have happened without any central direction (mob-style), as it seems to be a pretty amatuer and ad hoc effort. I could write it off as angry, unorganized soldiers. But someone in the center decided to send it to Al-Jazeera, which undoes any excuse. I’d say, even if our footage also violates the Geneva conventions, I’d say we’re worlds away as far as the severity of the violation. Drudge is, for some reason, calling this a media boomerang, and for some reason is singling out CNN. > [@](#): > > The station is Al-Jazeera, a mock of Ted Turner’s CNN. And on Sunday satellite news turned nightmare as Arab television aired footage of dead American soldiers, some sprawled in a room, and interviews with five U.S. prisoners. > > Turner, who once bragged how the invention of all-news global TV brought on the fall of communism at the end of the Cold War, must now be taking a pause at this all-news boomerang. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/30 "2003-03-24T01:36:51Z")
Other possible Iraqi violations include: Soldiers wearing civilian clothing. Shooting POWs in the forehead! Arming children. Are the anti-war folks going to protest against any of that? ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/31 "2003-03-24T02:47:40Z")
Do not post links to pics of the American POW’s anywhere on this board. Please forgive me for acting like a Junior Moderator, but **Euty** just locked not one, but _two_ Pit threads started by **raisinbread** that contained links to pics of the POW’s. and he disabled the links as well. Sorry. Just thought I’d give y’all a heads up. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/32 "2003-03-24T06:16:53Z")
Is it also true that incineration is illegal method for killing the enemy under the Geneva conventions? ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/33 "2003-03-24T10:16:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Persephone \* > \*\*Do not post links to pics of the American POW’s anywhere on this board. > > Please forgive me for acting like a Junior Moderator, but **Euty** just locked not one, but _two_ Pit threads started by **raisinbread** that contained links to pics of the POW’s. and he disabled the links as well. > > Sorry. Just thought I’d give y’all a heads up. \*\* No problem. I will not. I thought it would be disapproved of in the least and possibly not allowed. I probably shouldn’t have even mentioned them. I mean we all know they are out there. I have had only a couple of requests for the link. I suppose I should now withdraw the offer to email the link… you know, in the spirit of the board. Sorry if I offended anyone. Thanks Persephone. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/34 "2003-03-24T10:38:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > \*\*Not the video, but stills of two of them can be found [here](http://www.albawaba.com/news/index.php3?sid=244999&lang=e&dir=news). One of the soldiers looks banged up and the other appears aprehensive. No mention of their names, but it states that one of them is from Texas. \*\* Sky News in the UK, the not-quite-so-rabid-as-Fox-News, Murdoch news channel in the UK showed the video while the BBC was saying the families had not yet been informed. You might try their site. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/35 "2003-03-24T11:07:54Z")
The video I saw showed two US male white soldiers being interviewed by a guy who looked like a journalist (had one of those square thingies on the mike with a logo on it). The interviewer’s English was very bad and the soldier was finding it very hard to understand him (may have been intentional on behalf of the soldier). The other soldier was clearly injured. His t-shirt was bloody on the side and he had caked blood on his face from cuts above his eyes. He was lying down while being interviewed. I think this is the one from Texas. The camera then moved and showed a black female soldier whom I didn’t see questioned. That’s all I saw but as already mentioned reports are saying that 5 dead soldiers are on the tape with wounds to the head which analysts are speculating indicate execution. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/36 "2003-03-24T11:14:19Z")
Try the Arab News on line too, they have published pictures of American POW’s on the font page. During the Somolia debacle they printed the dead American pilot being dragged through the street. So it wasn’t much of a surprise when I saw it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mecaenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@mecaenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mecaenas)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/37 "2003-03-24T12:40:30Z")
Boo hoo. How dare the Iraqis use the same propaganda as the US!! That’s not fair at all! Boo hoo. ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/38 "2003-03-24T13:18:04Z")
Shut up. ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/39 "2003-03-24T13:32:11Z")
We saw one of the embedded network reporters going around showing off a bunch of kneeling Iraqis. They appeared to have been eating US rations before the camera showed up. The reporter got up quite close on these poor saps, individually, actually reaching out and poking through their ration bags, holding them up to the camera etc. Meanwhile these Iraqis kneeled there looking humiliated. Naturally this is not the same as what the Iraqis are dishing out, but the US’ “perp walks” have not been restricted to long crowd shots of arm-raisers. As for the conduct of the US prisoners … I have to wonder, don’t they teach “name rank & serial number” anymore? I was appalled to hear those prisoners blabber out their unit, home state, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563/40 "2003-03-24T13:36:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mecaenas \* > \*\*Boo hoo. How dare the Iraqis use the same propaganda as the US!! That’s not fair at all! Boo hoo. \*\* Hmmm, I’m unaware of any US reporters (or _any_ reporters) being allowed to interview captured Iraqi prisoners. At best, all we’ve seen are a few random shots of the soldiers in the act of surrendering. I’d think that if a US reporter had been allowed to stick a microphone in the face of an Iraqi, it’d be all over the news. You’ll have to find something else to use in your “The US is evil!” argument. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pows-being-shown-on-tv-against-teh-geneva-convention/163563.md?page=3)