Earlier this week, the Bush administration flip flopped and decided to grant Geneva Convention protections to terrorism suspects in accordance with its treaty obligations. This follows a US Supreme Court decision ruled that it was illegal to deny such protections to terrorism suspects.
This is a major policy shift on two fronts.
First, the administration had previously argued that terrorism suspects were NOT prisoners of war and thus were not subject to Geneva protections (they also argued that detainees were not common criminals and shouldn't be put on trial either; they basically invented a category out of thin for these).
Secondly, the administration had previously acted as though the rule of law was null and void. This is an important policy shift on both fronts.
The president's spokesman Tony Snow insisted, "It is not really a reversal of policy - humane treatment has always been the standard
How imprisoning unindicted suspects indefinitely for years without them having any hope of even being formally accused and a chance to defend themselves is humane treatment is not something the former Fox News [sic] personality explained.
Nevertheless, it's a good sign that the administration will start respecting the rule of law on this front. Let's hope it can be expanded to all fronts. Let's also hope that this marks the definitive end of "the terrorists are doing worse" as a rationalization for destroying our values before the Evildoers can.
Update: Despite the concerns, most experts say that US troops will benefit from this long overdue clarity on the issue.
2nd update: Leonard Pitts Jr praises the Supreme Court's decisions as being the first time one of the other two arms of government has stood up and declared America to be a republic, not an absolute monarchy.
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