by Annalise Rose

Created on: May 08, 2008   Last Updated: May 11, 2008

The Geneva Conventions, like many other government implementations, have become outdated and problematic, especially now fighting our War on Terrorism. Although there are over 190 countries that have signed the Geneva Conventions, including Iraq and Afghanistan, many have never conducted themselves according to those rules set down, agreed upon, and signed decades ago. The Conventions have created a source of bad publicity for American troops for violations in areas such as Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) and Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. The Conventions are also against equal rights for women; by Geneva Law, women cannot hold a position within the military that is a combat-based job, such as infantry and artillery.

Geneva Conventions, conceived in 1864 in Geneva, Switzerland, are a four part series of rules agreed upon by the world's nations for handling Prisoners of War, civilians affected by war, detainees, and others affected by conflict, especially women who are pregnant or have a child under seven, and children under the age of 15 (World Almanac, 2008). The Conventions outlaw torture of any kind, and constantly remind that women detainees, prisoners of war, and civilians are in possession of their own bodies and are to not be touched inappropriately. There are also provisions made for the holding country of POW's and detainees: the country holding POW's and detainees foot the bill for food, clothing, medical care, and other items deemed necessary for the general well-being of the POW or detainee (Convention III, 1949).

With all of these rules that were agreed upon, why do we still hear stories of torture, abuse, rape, and murder in relation to our War on Terrorism? During a Department of Defense media conference, Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper stated that the Iraqi insurgents had violated rules of Geneva by way of threatening civilians with bodily harm and death if they did not comply with the old regime's ideology. The Department of Defense discussed the Geneva violations committed by Iraq during a press conference on April 7, 2007. W. Hays Parks stated that Iraqi television and Al-Jazeera (a satellite channel) have shown deceased U.S. and coalition members. The tapes were not described in detail by Mr. Parks, but he did say that the tapes were made by the Iraqi regime and that they show "fundamental violations of the Geneva Convention obligations..." (DOD briefing on humane treatment, 2007) including pillaging and ill treatment of the dead, lack of respect for

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