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| Down Under |
| 40pc think torturing enemy soldiers OK |
| 2009-08-11 |
| A new study has found more than 40 per cent of Australians believe it is acceptable to torture enemy soldiers in certain circumstances. The survey of over 1,000 people by the Australian Red Cross found two in five believed torturing to obtain important military information was OK, even though most knew it was illegal. The "People on War" survey was released to mark the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. Red Cross strategic adviser on international law Helen Durham says about half of those questioned believed the Geneva Conventions made no difference. "There was a lot of cynicism expressed, but that's consistent with other countries that actually haven't been exposed to armed conflict directly," she said. "For example, in a place like Afghanistan, 75 per cent of people believed the laws of war made a difference, and in places like Liberia 85 per cent of those surveyed thought the laws of war did actually reduce suffering." |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #1 Jihadis are not soldiers. They could be legally executed upon capture. |
| Posted by: Grunter 2009-08-11 22:51 |