From page 427 of General Heinz Guderian’s classic book Panzer Leader, discussing matters in March 1945 when Nazi Germany was facing imminent collapse:
During this difficult month of March many conversations took place which are sufficiently interesting to be worth preserving. Thus one evening Hitler lost his temper at the high prisoner-of-war claims that were being issued by the Western Allies. He said: ‘The soldiers on the Eastern Front fight far better. The reason they give in so easily in the West is simply the fault of that stupid Geneva convention which promises them good treatment as prisoners. We must scrap the idiotic thing.’ [General Alfred] Jodl contradicted this wild and senseless proposal with great energy and, with my support, succeeded in persuading Hitler to postpone taking any such step. Jodl also prevented Hitler from appointing as commander of an army group a general who had recently been punished for gross irregularity of conduct and dismissed [from] the Service.
General Alfred Jodl was tried, convicted, and hanged by the Nuremberg Tribunal for ‘conspiracy to commit crimes against peace; planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression; war crimes; and crimes against humanity.’
General Heinz Guderian was imprisoned at Nuremberg but ultimately avoided prosecution.
Alberto Gonzales wrote a memo to the president on January 25th, 2002.
As you have said, the war against terrorism is a new kind of war. It is not the traditional clash between nations adhering to the laws of war that formed the backdrop for GPW [the Geneva Convention III on the Treatment of Prisoners of War]. The nature of the new war places a high premium on other factors, such as the ability to quickly obtain information from captured terrorists and their sponsors in order to avoid further atrocities against American civilians, and the need to try terrorists for war crimes such as wantonly killing civilians. In my judgment, this new paradigm renders obsolete Geneva’s strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions requiring that captured enemy be afforded such things as commissary privileges, scrip (i.e., advances of monthly pay), athletic uniforms, and scientific instruments.
Sometimes you just have to wonder.
Interrogation Debate Sharply Divided
Hitler’s High CommandBush White HousePoint being is that we hanged people with better sense about the merits of the Geneva Conventions than Alberto Gonzales.
Bigger difference – Germany lost. United States in 2009 hasn’t lost.
It would seem that there is more justification for hanging Bush than Jodl. As for Gonzales, he should be “harshly interrogated” until he dies.
what l find extremely interesting, is that many, if not all, of the underlings, from abu on down, are trying to use the “good soldier defense”, aka, the Nuremberg Defense:
but l suspect that’s considered a quaint anachronism these days.
as albert hunt writes in his letter from washington in the nyt:
we shall see just how committed to finding and exposing the truth the powers that be are.
imo, the chances of that are slim and none, and slim’s left the building.
Most significant phrase: “As you have said…”
Now can we prosecute?
What is that point Santayana made about those who don’t read history are doomed to repeat it?
Or perhaps Trotsky’s quip is more appropriate for Abu Gonzales:
‘You might not be interested in histor, but history is interested in you.’
Between Tim McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the authorities definitely feared the “Ticking Bomb Scenario.” Given the groups and people McVeigh and Nichols associated with-and corresponded with regularly-the “Ticking Bomb Scenario” was a very real issue, here.
Yet, I do not recall anyone waterboarding McVeigh or Nichols. Regardless of what they stood accused of-no one tortured them.
In fact, every “I” got dotted, every “T” got crossed, bullet-proof helmets and vests were provided every time McVeigh or Nichols were moved from one facility to another-armed guards as well-guaranteeing the safety of McVeigh and Nichols.
Why was it alright right to torture-to-death-beat-to-death-people in Iraq? An act of terrorism committed on US soil-is an act of terrorism committed on US soil, isn’t it?
Can you honestly say the attack on the World Trade Center was worse than the Bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City?
There was a daycare facility on the first floor in the Federal Building, wasn’t there? Just above the bomb itself?
I guess there’s every advantage in the world to being white-skinned and American-even with that whole “Ticking Bomb Scenario” in place-apparently–even if that ticking bomb is detonated.
God forbid-you should be dark-skinned or third world! It’s a whole different kind of response and procedure and treatment then-isn’t it?