Vasily Bubnov: Terrorists or prisoners of war?

The news about the brutal treatment with the captive Talibs in Guantanamo base, became a serious blow for the triumphant reports from the White House. The photographs of the captives, standing on their knees, wearing handcuffs, have already been all around the world. It seems that Washington was not expecting that yesterday’s terrorists could evoke sympathies, but this was exactly what happened.

The US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld hurried to declare that there was no brutal treatment with the captive Talibs in Guantanamo base, none of the prisoners was injured or hurt. However, the statement was said for nothing. A group of the religious activists and human right protectors filed a lawsuit to the court of Los Angeles, claiming to deliver the captives to the civil court and bring official charges to them. However, this case will be pending for long, since the Los Angeles judge stated, the jurisdiction of his court embraced South California only, which was rather far from Guantanamo base.

As a matter of fact, the American authorities will have to clarify the status of the captive Talibs. What are they – the terrorists, who were involved in the attack on the World Trade Center, or the military prisoners, seized by a group of the American army during the military operations?

It stands the reason, there are different people among them. The feelings of the American soldiers, guarding the Guantanamo base, are understandable too. But doesn’t it seem like they are aligning themselves with their enemy? Why does Washington still reproach Russia of the brutality of the Russian soldiers in Chechnya? Maybe the situation in the States is the same?

For the time being it is not known, what the American authorities are going to do with the captive Talibs. But there is one thing clear: any civilized society is not insured from showing revenge. Of course, there is the Geneva Convention for that, but it is very hard sometimes to observe its principles even in the most democratic countries, which are so proud of their human rights.

Vasily Bubnov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov