Geneva Convention Articles in the Case of Al Qaeda vs. the United States

Geneva Convention Articles in the Case of Al Qaeda vs. the United States

The third article of the Geneva Convention states that, ‘relative to the treatment of Prisoners of War.’ the war between Al Qaeda and the United States is a war that includes taking prisoners during the war (ICRC, 2010). The Unite states takes prisoners of the terrorist group. Article three of the Geneva Convention demands that when a prisoner of war is taken, all their rights as human beings are protected. This is inclusive of all their rights to shelter, food and medication. For the United States, the government imprisons the prisoners captured from the terrorist groups. The Al Qaeda on the other hand are not party to the Geneva Conventions at all. This is different from the United States, who follows the conventions despite not being signatories, where the prisoners of war are treated with dignity. The Al Qaeda group only takes prisoners of war but does not bother to respect their rights to life, protection and good health.

The wars and hostilities between the United States and Al Qaeda, satisfy all the requirements that article III of the Geneva Conventions describe. The Geneva Conventions have for a long time been the source of discussion where the CIA agents have also been accused of being cruel to the prisoners captured by the soldiers of the United States from the Al Qaeda militia group. (Lapkin, 2004) As a result, this is the only article that is relevant to the war and hostility that has been going on between the United States and Al Qaeda resulting in injuries to innocent civilians, in both the United States and Iraq along with other Middle Eastern countries. The Geneva Conventions were created to ensure that international wars had rules. 

References

ICRC. (2010, October 29). The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and thei dditional Protcols. Retrieved from ICRC: https://www.icrc.org/eng/war-and-law/treaties-customary-law/geneva-conventions/overview-geneva-conventions.htm

Lapkin, T. (2004). Dos Human Rights Law Apply to Terrorists? Retrieved from Middle East Forum: www.meforum.org/651/does-human-rights-law-apply-to-terrorists