U.S. in violation of Geneva convention?

[Jim Dixon]

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003, Michael Kalus wrote:

> BTW, can you provide me with a reference for the "dangling bodies'?
> Because I was unable to find anything on this so far.

I was travelling in the area (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey)
at the time.  In the 1960s the usual overland traveller's route through
the region to Europe had been Bombay - Gulf - Iraq (Basra) - Turkey.  In
the 1970s, when I was there, the route had shifted to Pakistan -
Afghanistan - Iran - Turkey because of attacks on foreigners and in
particular the hanging of several Americans as supposed CIA agents, spies.
The Baath Party took over in 1968 and nationalized the oil industry in
1972; the surge in anti-western agitation occurred in that period.

Googling provides a lot of hits, mostly propaganda for one side or the
other.  One interesting quote regarding the Baath takeover:

"To the end Qassim retained his popularity in the streets of Baghdad.
After his execution, his supporters refused to believe he was dead until
the coup leaders showed pictures of his bullet-riddled body on TV and in
the newspapers."  (From "Out of the Ashes, the Resurrection of Saddam
Hussain", by Andrew and Patrick Cockburn.)  The coup leaders included one
Saddam Hussian, who of course killed the rest over the next few years.

This time around the president's bullet-riddled body has not been
displayed on TV.

--
Jim Dixon  jdd at dixons.org   tel +44 117 982 0786  mobile +44 797 373 7881
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