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Colombian military used Red Cross emblem in rescue
cnn.com — Such a use of the Red Cross emblem could constitute a "war crime" under the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law and could endanger humanitarian workers in the future, according to international legal expert Mark Ellis, executive director of the International Bar Association.
SilverBlade2k- 9 diggs
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- SilverBlade2k, on 07/16/2008, -3/+1So...trying to rescue people from a dangerous situation by fooling the captors is now an act of war?
- Hrodrik, on 07/16/2008, -0/+5No man, the Red Cross is supposed to be a symbol of protection and peacekeeping. If forces use it for other reasons that are offensive to a faction (such as this move which was offensive to FARC), they will not respect it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cross#Symbols_of_ ...- cyberdork, on 07/16/2008, -0/+3Exactly. By using the emblem they maybe saved 15 people, but at the same time they jeopardize the lives of tens of thousands current and future red cross workers.
- Hrodrik, on 07/16/2008, -0/+5No man, the Red Cross is supposed to be a symbol of protection and peacekeeping. If forces use it for other reasons that are offensive to a faction (such as this move which was offensive to FARC), they will not respect it.
- Hrodrik, on 07/16/2008, -0/+2I don't think they realize the implications of their actions. Someday they'll shoot Red Cross personnel.
- kazmierczaksm, on 07/16/2008, -1/+0I'm quite sure that rule is in place, if you can even call it a rule because most fighting forces don't adhere to the Geneva Conventions, to deter individuals from using well known aid symbols on vehicles to get close to their target and detonate X amount of explosives.
Why this article was written, approved, and on the front page of CNN is mind boggling. The manner in which the symbol was used is perfectly fine.
This article is a joke, as is the writer, editor, and sources used for it. My response to the title of the article....
So the ***** what?
Edit - That is quite irrelevent Hrodrik, nobody in their right mind will attack any vehicle in the Western Hemisphere with Red Cross symbol. That's asking to end it for all of them in a fast and vicious way. - peaceninja, on 07/16/2008, -0/+1what a complex situation
- mitt3w, on 07/16/2008, -2/+1so what are we going to do, punish the columbian government for saving lives? ungrateful bastards -- if these legal experts where in the same position as those hostages you think they would give a ***** how they were rescued? hell i would allow for much more rule bending if it was my ass on the line.
p.s. cnn thanks for making this globally known so know every terrorist organization will start to doubt validity of the red cross
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