This post got me thinking. The USSC has decided that non-state actors are entitled to Geneva convention protections despite the wording that spies and terrorists do not enjoy such protections.
In the comments, I noted that we act according to the treaty not only because we signed it, but also treating captives well makes them more likely to give up. There's a reason Saddam's uniformed troops were surrendering en masse as soon as they could. They knew they were better off with the Americans than fighting them.
If we (the US and larger, the Western world) are going to give Geneva convention protection to non-state actors like al-Qaeda, are we going to extend them to professional military companies like Blackwater, Triple Canopy and Sandline?
Similarly, if we are going to define things so loosely, we will now be able to deploy our forces without any flags or even rank insignia. We can even use non-US camo patterns to further confuse our opponents. That sets the stage for a race to the bottom.
Under these conditions, proxy warfare becomes not just likely but inevitable. Hamas, Hezbollah and al-Qaeda become the rule, not the exception.
In the comments, I noted that we act according to the treaty not only because we signed it, but also treating captives well makes them more likely to give up. There's a reason Saddam's uniformed troops were surrendering en masse as soon as they could. They knew they were better off with the Americans than fighting them.
If we (the US and larger, the Western world) are going to give Geneva convention protection to non-state actors like al-Qaeda, are we going to extend them to professional military companies like Blackwater, Triple Canopy and Sandline?
Similarly, if we are going to define things so loosely, we will now be able to deploy our forces without any flags or even rank insignia. We can even use non-US camo patterns to further confuse our opponents. That sets the stage for a race to the bottom.
Under these conditions, proxy warfare becomes not just likely but inevitable. Hamas, Hezbollah and al-Qaeda become the rule, not the exception.
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