tagged w/ Geneva Convention
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The International Committee of the Red Cross has voiced grave concern over what it says is Colombia's apparent "deliberate misuse" of its symbol.
The ICRC said it had seen video footage that suggested the emblem was used deliberately in July's military mission to free 15 hostages from rebel hands.
The government has apologised to the ICRC but also condemned the leak of the military video to Colombian TV.
Intentional misuse of the symbol would be a breach of the Geneva Conventions.
The Geneva-based ICRC says the footage shown on Colombian TV on Monday indicates that the emblem was being used before the operation to free the hostages from Farc guerrillas had even begun, indicating intentional misuse.
"If authenticated, these images would clearly establish an improper use of the Red Cross emblem, which we deplore," said ICRC deputy director of operations Dominik Stillhart.
Mr Stillhart said they were seeking further clarification from the Colombian government.
'Nervous soldier'
Rescuers tricked rebels into releasing French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and the other hostages by posing as international aid workers.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe subsequently acknowledged that a Red Cross symbol was worn by a member of the military taking part in the 2 July rescue mission. Mr Uribe said he had apologised to the Red Cross for the error, which he said had been made by a nervous soldier acting against orders.
Speaking on Tuesday, after the video was shown on Colombian TV, Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos apologised again to the ICRC.
"The emblem...was used from the beginning of the operation. We are very sorry that this has happened. But the government, the president and (armed forces chief) General Padilla said the truth that we knew at the time," Mr Santos said.
But Mr Santos also condemned the leak of the video, saying those responsible had been identified and would be punished.
"This video contains material that was leaked by members of the security forces, from our army. This leak was a product of disloyalty, possibly corruption or even treason because it puts at risk the lives of people who are dedicated to defending the fatherland," he said.
Neutrality
The Colombian government has said the rescue was the result of long preparation, eavesdropping on rebel communications and deception of guerrillas on the ground, allowing the hostages to be liberated without loss of life.
Officials also stressed how the mission had been carried out without loss of life.
Falsely portraying military personnel as Red Cross workers is against the Geneva Conventions because it could put humanitarian workers at risk when carrying out missions in war zones.
It also undermines the neutrality of the Red Cross.
At the end of July, Farc guerrillas handed eight people they had kidnapped the week before to ICRC representatives, suggesting the rebels have not lost faith in the humanitarian organisation, correspondents say.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) have been fighting the Colombian state for more than four decades and are believed to still hold several hundred hostages. The International Committee of the Red Cross has voiced grave concern over what it... more
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Colombia misused the symbol of the Red Cross in this month's military rescue of politician Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other rebel-held hostages, it said on Wednesday, admitting a possible violation of the rules of war.
Falsely portraying military personnel as Red Cross members is against the Geneva Conventions as it could put humanitarian workers at risk when they are in war zones.
Rebel leaders were duped into handing over their most prized hostages in the operation, which highlighted the success of Uribe's U.S.-backed offensive against the guerrillas.
But the use of the Red Cross symbol takes some of the shine off the mission.
Colombia misused the symbol of the Red Cross in this month's military rescue of... more
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On the Waterboard
How does it feel to be “aggressively interrogated”? Christopher Hitchens found out for himself, submitting to a brutal waterboarding session in an effort to understand the human cost of America’s use of harsh tactics at Guantánamo and elsewhere. VF.com has the footage. Related: “Believe Me, It’s Torture,” from the August 2008 issue. On the Waterboard
How does it feel to be “aggressively interrogated”?... more
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From Amnesty International's Unsubscribe-Me campaign:
"This film shows a performance artist undergoing, for real, interrogation techniques permitted in the CIA handbook.
WARNING: SOME VIEWERS MAY FIND THIS DISTURBING.
UNSUITABLE FOR UNDER 14s.
Please turn your speakers up.
Waiting For The Guards is the first of 3 films commissioned by Amnesty to highlight the enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA in the “War on Terror”.
The Directors approached the making of the film in a way that has never been done before, choosing to show the reality of Stress Positions in as authentic a way as possible. They filmed a person who was put in Stress Positions for over a 6 hour period. There is no acting on the part of the 'prisoner' – his pain and anguish are real.
This powerful film shows without a doubt that what the US administrations say is interrogation is really torture, and must be stopped."From Amnesty International's Unsubscribe-Me campaign:
"This film shows a... more
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Turkish Police Kurdish women Torture during Kurdish newroj (new day) festival
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Fadel Shana had been traveling in a vehicle that was marked with large press and TV stickers on the front and sides and was wearing blue body amour with "Press" in large blue letters on a white fluorescent panel on the front.
How in the world Israeli soldiers missed this inconspicuous detail is beyond me. Fadel Shana had been traveling in a vehicle that was marked with large press and TV... more
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While the Geneva Conventions prohibit “outrages upon personal dignity,” a letter sent by the Justice Department to Congress on March 5 makes clear that the administration has not drawn a precise line in deciding which interrogation methods would violate that standard, and is reserving the right to make case-by-case judgements.
Why is it that America is trying every way possible to twist the law to make torture legal? Then you wonder why America is losing credibility in the world today and you wonder why attacks against America's interest, troops and anything else American or associated with America, are being intensified. Now is the time to change this madness and figure out an alternative to violence for violence, killing for killing. While the Geneva Conventions prohibit “outrages upon personal dignity,” a... more
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Mohamed Farag Ahmad Bashmilah, who was kidnapped to a CIA "black site" torture camp, has given a long first person account of his time there. He was sometimes naked, and sometimes handcuffed for weeks at a time. In one cell his ankle was chained to a bolt in the floor. It was enough to drive anyone crazy. Bashmilah finally tried to slash his wrists with a small piece of metal, smearing the words "I am innocent" in blood on the walls of his cell. But the CIA patched him up.Mohamed Farag Ahmad Bashmilah, who was kidnapped to a CIA "black site"... more
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Does the Geneva Convention apply when we are no longer fighting sovereign nations but rogue groups.Does the Geneva Convention apply when we are no longer fighting sovereign nations but... more
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chazs
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added this
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4 years ago
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The same logic that allowed the government to use and test LSD as a weapon and lead to the testing and use of sodium pentathol is being applied in the harsh light of day today in regards to torturing of prisoners. The same logic that allowed the government to use and test LSD as a weapon and lead... more
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