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[Thomas Beckett <thomas AT tbeckett.com>]

I've been thinking the same thing, Alan.  "Hostage" schmostage.  More 
Bushite newspeak.

TaB

Alan MacHett wrote:

> and now to stir things up...
>
> So there's this kid, some private, captured in Iraq (along with the
> several civilian contractors).  The media keep referring to him as a
> hostage.  I take issue with that for two reasons.
>
> First, in that the Geneva Conventions were drafted at a time when war was
> massive and "conventional", it leaves little consideration for "irregular"
> forces.  Rather, it doesn't give them much legitimacy.
>
> There is no Iraqi military to speak of, so anyone with a gun shooting at
> Americans *must* be a thug or a terrorist.  Bah!  Granted, most of them
> probably are, but we seem to be ignoring that perhaps there are Iraqis
> making an attempt at a militia, to defend their country.  This captured
> private is a prisoner of war.  There's a war going on, and just because we
> don't see camo' uniforms and Iraqi flags doesn't mean there isn't some
> sort of military.
>
> Secondly, and this really is the more important point, by not
> acknowledging him as a POW ourselves, we give it to these Iraqis to also
> not call him a POW.  In essence, we're allowing them to strip him of POW
> status.  That has a great deal of bearing under the Conventions.  Granted,
> again, I don't think it would much matter either way as far as how they
> treat him, but we sure as hell shouldn't be giving public authority to
> them to not call him a POW.
>
> just my $0.02,
> Alan
>
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