# soldiers dressed as civilians-aren't these guys 'spies'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldiers-dressed-as-civilians-arent-these-guys-spies/163921 "2003-03-25T01:26:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldiers-dressed-as-civilians-arent-these-guys-spies/163921/1 "2003-03-25T01:26:18Z")
hearing about the iraqi soldiers dressed as civilians makes me wonder…aren’t these people spies? what is the Geneva Convention protocols for spies? can they execute them? do they get a trial? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldiers-dressed-as-civilians-arent-these-guys-spies/163921/2 "2003-03-25T01:44:50Z")
Spies? In their own country? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldiers-dressed-as-civilians-arent-these-guys-spies/163921/3 "2003-03-26T02:12:03Z")
aldrich ames? in the United States? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldiers-dressed-as-civilians-arent-these-guys-spies/163921/4 "2003-03-26T02:26:47Z")
I have heard that enemy soldiers dresses as civilians fall into another catagory, maybe spies but whatever they are they don’t have the same protection as soldiers. But there is a stipulation that allows civilians to take up arms to defend their country (Unorginized Militia in the US) and are granted the rights of soldiers if capatured. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldiers-dressed-as-civilians-arent-these-guys-spies/163921/5 "2003-03-26T02:31:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handsomeharry \* > \*\*aldrich ames? in the United States? \*\* Aldrich Ames wasn’t working _for_ the U.S. The Iraqis who are dressed as civilians, soldiers or not, are defending their own country. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldiers-dressed-as-civilians-arent-these-guys-spies/163921/6 "2003-03-26T15:14:42Z")
They are termed irregular forces or guerrillas, and should have the same status as regular forces (in principle though often not in practice) ---
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldiers-dressed-as-civilians-arent-these-guys-spies/163921/7 "2003-03-26T15:50:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scm1001 \* > They are termed irregular forces or guerrillas, and should have the same status as regular forces (in principle though often not in practice) Well, I’d say it depends. According to the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (1949) these forces would have to, at the least, carry arms openly and “respect the laws and customs of war”. > [@](#): > > Article 4 > > A. Prisoners of war, in the sense of the present Convention, are persons belonging to one of the following categories, who have fallen into the power of the enemy: > > 1. Members of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict as well as members of militias or volunteer corps forming part of such armed forces. > > 2. Members of other militias and members of other volunteer corps, including those of organized resistance movements, belonging to a Party to the conflict and operating in or outside their own territory, even if this territory is occupied, provided that such militias or volunteer corps, including such organized resistance movements, fulfil the following conditions: > > (a) That of being commanded by a person responsible for his subordinates; > > (b) That of having a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance; > > © That of carrying arms openly; > > (d) That of conducting their operations in accordance with the laws and customs of war. > … > > 1. 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.