Human shields flee Iraq, because of danger...

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Shame. I guess they figured out that the US would only be laughing their asses off when they tried to protect Iraq.

[Nathan F]

Well, there was that John Walker kid from last year.

Yeah. Why haven't we shot him yet?

I hate to bring this up, but he really can't be tried as a traitor. Its been proven that though he was offered the chance to fight against the US he turned it down, preferring to fight against the Northern Alliance.

You can try him possibly under some obscure anti-mercenary law, but not as a traitor as he didn't fight against his own nation.

They call it providing aid and comfort to the enemy. It is the only specific crime that is spelled out in the Constitution, and that is the definition of it. Last time I checked, helping the enemy fight a war is providing aid to them. Aiding the enemy in another theater of war is still considered treason. It would be like an American fighting for the Germans during WW2 fighting on the Eastern front.

[PeZook]

I guess all those bombs that had "Shield Saddam from THIS!!!" written on them will have to be cleaned and redecorated. What a shame.

You Air Force guys are always prepared, aren't you?

[weemadando]

They call it providing aid and comfort to the enemy. It is the only specific crime that is spelled out in the Constitution, and that is the definition of it. Last time I checked, helping the enemy fight a war is providing aid to them. Aiding the enemy in another theater of war is still considered treason. It would be like an American fighting for the Germans during WW2 fighting on the Eastern front.

I think that this is difficult ecause there were two seperate groups in the same country.

The first was the Taliban that was fighting the Northern Alliance. Then you had Al'Qaeda who were doing nasty shit all over the show.

JWL was part of the Taliban, not Al'Qaeda. He turned down the opportunity to train with Al'Qaeda to be an "infiltrator" terrorist. He also IIRC didn't at any time fight against US forces except at the "jail uprising", but that was entirely the fault of the two CIA operatives (sorry to speak ill of the dead and point this out), but they broke the truce between the warlords and the prisoners by interrogating the taliban soldiers, who had been told that they would be allowed to go home, as per the traditional Afghani rules of combat. Then suddenly you have two yanks interrogating and seperating the prisoners?

JWL IMHO had no intention of fighting against his countrymen (if he even did actually take up arms) and I'm hoping that any decent court will be able to see that.

[weemadando]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/feat ... 461490.htm

The Australian governments stance on "illegal combatants"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/feat ... 461497.htm

An article on the rights of the prisoners.

Now, lets take a choice quote on what defines an illegal combatant:

The evidence suggests that he [David Hicks] was not wearing a uniform or other badge of identification not part of a regular command structure. So that somebody could be held responsible for the orders that he is given.

[emphasis mine]

OK, so that effectively means that he was uniformed/not wearing an identifying symbol to show he was part of a military structure.

May I call the court (of public opinions) attention to the following exhibits:

A:


B:


That is all.

[Shinova]

Iraq to "human shields" : "Come back! We require use of your stupidity!!"


Anyway, this is the funniest piece of politics I've heard these two weeks.