Afghani Prisoners are Prisoners of War, not Common Criminals.
The United States, in its treatment of prisoners of war from Afghanistan, is clearly violating the Geneva Conventions. From the end of World War II until very recently, the United States has maintained an international posture as that of the keeper of laws and order. While we continue to act as the world's cop, the United States is in danger of destroying that which has made it such a strong nation - our integrity. It is the purpose of this essay to demonstrate that by treating all "detainees" from Afghanistan under rules governing terrorists rather than those of Prisoners Of War as defined under the Geneva Conventions, the United States is effectively making null rules that help to make the inhumane human, to make the damages of war a little less brutal. The United States is making a mistake, one that it cannot afford.