Conditions are pretty dire in some US prisons, solitary confinement is the norm in Supermax prisons and it would usually qualify as cruel punishment.
But at least the people who end up there had a trial and some rights.
Agreed, but I can't think of one country that gives POW's a trial before a war is over or releases combatants back to the battle field.
On the other hand, if the US thinks some designated persons can be detained forever, with no charges, no trial and deserve no rights whatsoever what makes you think Americans won't be the next ?
Clearly, a country that acts like that is not shy about using violence against human beings.
Law is not an obstacle to abuse when it's no longer enforced (like the Bill of Rights for example). And laws can be changed when people get used to the new 'normal' and are conditioned to live in a state of permanent fear aka war on terror.
POW's, spies, captured enemy combatants are not citizens of the US and not entitled to more protection than the Geneva convention allows. The problem is when we violate those rules and / or use legal loopholes like "enemy combatant" to avoid legal responsibility.
This thread is testimony to the fact that Americans have become apathetic to the truth and indifferent to evil. Even more striking is their willingness to export their model to countries that are struggling to remain more civilized.
I disagree. We are fighting an evil ideology, preaching that men have the right to pass judgement and punishment on other men in the name of God.
What was America's great crime that invited Al Queda to attack us in the 1993? After helping AF expel RU, we keep troops in SA at that gov's request. Oh yeah... and we like the Jews.
Bush made a huge blunder invading Iraq. Obama made it worse with feckless, cowardly rules of engagement, then repeated GW Bushes mistakes in north Africa.
It was Obama who supported the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. If not for a the military, Egypt would be another terrorist state.
Donald Trump wants to GET OUT of Iraq and Syria. So you have aligned interest.. except he likes the Jews.
Most of all, I am very angry what you have dragged the rest of the world into your bogus war on terror that is a war on freedom. This world has become a sh*thole and the US holds tremendous responsibility. Where do I opt out please ?
I agree to a point. We should have left AF to Russia. Lot's of Kuwait's thankful we didn't leave them to be ruled by Saddam Hussein but even if we pulled out of the middle east completely, we would still be fighting religious extremism.
Anwar Sadat was assassinated by religious extremist for making peace with Israel. Imagine if Palestinian Authority made peace with Israel. What countries wouldn't support them?