ARE MILITARY TRIBUNALS A GOOD IDEA? All Edition

President [Bush]'s order authorizing trial of al-Qaida members by U.S. military tribunals has been criticized by those who fail to understand the law of armed conflict. The law validates military tribunals under the circumstances of the anti-terror war. It is firmly established under customary...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inMilwaukee journal sentinel
Main Author Kunich, John C
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Milwaukee, Wis Journal Sentinel Inc 09.12.2001
Subjects
Bush, George (President)
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:President [Bush]'s order authorizing trial of al-Qaida members by U.S. military tribunals has been criticized by those who fail to understand the law of armed conflict. The law validates military tribunals under the circumstances of the anti-terror war. It is firmly established under customary international law, as shaped by the Hague Conventions of 1907, the Geneva Conventions of 1929 and 1949 and other treaties, that belligerents such as al-Qaida terrorists are not entitled to any trial at all. This may seem harsh, but the nations created these rules for good reasons, mandated through centuries of experience. Partisans like the al-Qaida terrorists make it impossible for armed forces to distinguish between military and civilian, combatants and non- combatants, proper targets and mosques.
ISSN:1082-8850