Posted by
On the Right on Saturday, May 10, 2008 2:00:04 PM
McCain remains adamant that strict interpretation of the Geneva
Convention will save American soldiers from torture in future wars. I’d
argue that it hasn’t saved American soldiers from torture in any
war, save perhaps World War I. Japan, for instance, was one of the
earliest signatories to the GC and still treated American POWs more
barbarically than did the North Vietnamese — also a signatory. We
should treat POWs consistent with our own values, which would strongly
argue against torture anyway, but don’t tell me that refraining from
waterboarding Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would keep jihadists from
beheading and torturing American soldiers now or in the future.