I have little time to write this morning (like most mornings), but I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of this:
In a sweeping change of policy, the Pentagon has decided that it will treat all detainees in compliance with the minimum standards spelled out in the Geneva conventions, a senior defense official said today.
The new policy comes on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling last month invalidating a system of military tribunals the Pentagon had created to try suspected terrorists, and just before Congress takes up the question of a replacement system in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today.
As part of its decision, the court found that a key provision of the Geneva conventions, known as Common Article 3, did apply to terror suspects, contradicting the position taken by the Bush administration.
And while I’m happy to see the military slowly crawling back to the Light Side of the Force, I can’t ignore the pronounced feeling of sick in my gut when “Geneva conventions,” “minimum standards” and “sweeping change of policy” can coexist in one sentence.