] BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's interim prime minister said
] Tuesday the fledgling government "is currently
] negotiating" with coalition authorities for the handover
] of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to its custody.
] ...
] "Definitely, we'll be trying our best to get custody of
] Saddam and the other criminals. We have so far some
] definite promises from the coalition that this would be
] the case," said Allawi.
]
] He said he was told of the promises by coalition
] authorities in Baghdad, but said details are being worked
] out "within the U.S. administration."
] ...
] Pentagon officials responded that U.S. forces will hold
] Saddam and thousands of Iraqi detainees before and after
] the transfer of power to the Iraqi government on June 30.
]
] Officials said they were not aware of any immediate plans
] calling for the United States to hand over Saddam or any
] of the detainees until details of that transfer are
] worked out.
] ...
] Saddam was captured by U.S. troops December 13 near his
] ancestral home of Tikrit, where he was hiding in a
] "spider hole." U.S. officials have described Saddam as
] being less than cooperative during his interrogations.
]
] At this time, no charges have been filed against him. The Geneva Convention stipulates that that "[p]risoners of war shall be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities," (Article 118, http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/91.htm). However, it does not then go onto to define "active hostilities". Thus, until the daily carbombings which protest our occupation and could be construed as "active hostilities" cease, the Iraqi POWs could be conceivably detained indefinitely. Worse, since the probability that every act of resistance against the US is halted when US occupation ends is infinitesimal, and the forseeable longevity of our occupation is infinite, it appears we have a probability of 1 : infinitesimal*infinite that the POWs will ever be repatriated. From Bush's perspective, this has got to be even better than the loop hole that kept the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. CNN.com - Allawi: Iraq negotiating for Saddam - Jun 15, 2004 |
