Fair Treatment for Captives

Over the past month, the United States has begun transferring detainees captured in the Afghanistan conflict to a military base in Cuba. Currently, the camp in Guantanamo Bay, known as “Camp X-Ray,” is holding 158 Afghan fighters. The United States government has been criticized by organizations such as the International Red Cross and Amnesty International for its handling of the prisoners due to the release of photographs from the base and their classification as “unlawful combatants.”

Although it is not possible to recover the photographs, the United States government should ensure that no more are released. The photographs, which were released on a U.S. Navy website and show the prisoners shackled and dressed in orange jumpsuits, are degrading; they do not add any value to the news stories about the camp. These photographs merely serve to satisfy the public’s curiosity. Furthermore, the International Red Cross believes that the release of these photos might have violated the standards for the treatment of prisoners of military conflicts, set at the Geneva Convention. As captors, the U.S. army should act responsibly with its prisoners and not glorify their capture. These photos could potentially heighten the resolve of the combatants still left in Afghanistan.

The United States should also classify the detainees as “prisoners of war” instead of unlawful combatants. U.S. officials have made the argument that the detainees do not technically match the definition of a prisoner of war since they did not carry their weapons openly, wear uniforms, or have any military insignia. However, this argument overlooks the fact that the combatants were part of a military hierarchy and were fighting under a central command. The lack of uniforms and the manner in which they carried their weapons does not make them any less of a fighting force. Also, even though the U.S. has refused to classify the prisoners as POWs, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfield has stated that the detainees are being treated according to Geneva Convention standards. Reports say that Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has advocated their classification as prisoners of war. This proper classification will reduce international pressure on the U.S. By calling the Guantanamo detainees “unlawful combatants,” the U.S. lends more credence to the belief that the U.S. makes its own laws and does not follow the international community’s established norms.

The U.S. needs to maintain its credibility on the international stage and handle international criticisms appropriately. The proper classification of the detainees as prisoners of war will ensure that the prisoners are treated justly, and the ban on photograph releases will maintain the dignity of the prisoners. If these measures are not taken, America’s foreign support is sure to grow weak. The U.S. must act as a benevolent captor, not a retributive or malicious one, if it wishes to maintain the moral high ground.

—AJIT VYAS