For what it’s worth, Charles Krauthammer seems to agree with my assessment of the Gitmo-detainee situation. Of course, his analysis is far more forceful and precise. In today’s Washington Post, Krauthammer argues the distinction between Al Qaeda members, senior Taliban, and low-level foot soldiers that I could only strain after in my response to Bruce Rolston. Writes Krauthammer:

You join al Qaeda, you join an outlaw army. You explicitly violate — and thus forfeit the protection of — the Geneva Convention. Indeed, denying such murderers POW rights vindicates the Geneva Convention and encourages others to adhere to it, by reserving its protections for those who observe its strictures. (I am willing to concede that low-level Taliban fighters — if there are any at Guantanamo — might be entitled to more protection. Senior Taliban, however, having expressly joined their cause to al Qaeda’s, should share in its fate.) [emphasis mine]

The jackals [European and NGO critics] are wrong on the law. They also deeply misunderstand the purpose of the capture of these prisoners. It is not to ‘bring them to justice’ as we would domestic bank robbers, but to prosecute an ongoing war by finding out what they know about how al Qaeda works and what future massacres it is planning.

We need information, or more innocent civilians will die. Information obtained as a result of the Afghan war has already thwarted planned attacks on Americans in Singapore and Yemen and exposed sleeper agents throughout the world.

POWs are required to give only their name, rank, serial number and date of birth. Granting the Guantanamo prisoners POW status is thus militarily ridiculous. If they have information, we need to get it. There is a war on.

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