Treatment of Captive Iraqis and Americans

Re “No Rights for Captured GIs,” Commentary, June 30: Max Boot is clueless. He uses the example of the 23 Americans captured in Iraq in the 1991 Persian Gulf War to show how our GIs have been mistreated in violation of the Geneva Convention. What he left out is that these Americans took matters into their own hands and held the Iraqi government accountable for their illegal acts by suing Iraq in U.S. courts. They won and were awarded a multimillion-dollar settlement that would come from frozen Iraqi assets.

They have yet to collect because the administration preempted the award and refused to turn over the assets. It would appear that these 23 Americans not only have been abused by the Iraqi government but also by the Bush administration.

Lee Slice

South Pasadena

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Boot appears to equate the Iraqi prisoners that have been tortured with the few Iraqis or Arabs who belong to organizations that use terror for political purposes. It now seems obvious that many of the prisoners in Guantanamo, Afghanistan, Abu Ghraib and elsewhere in Iraq were arbitrarily rounded up in sweeps or through a lack of correct information and abused even though their only crime was being Iraqi, Arab or Afghan. To suggest that in this so-called war on terror we have handed our enemies “cozy slippers and fluffy robes” reveals a deeply mean streak. Boot could have added “and female underwear as a nightcap.” Who but Boot could say that prisoners in U.S. custody, here or abroad, are pampered in any way, without risking ridicule?

Marco Elliott

San Pedro

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Referring to abuse of American captives in recent wars, Boot asks: Where’s the ACLU? Where’s the outrage from the international community? Why isn’t Michael Moore making a film? Here are the answers:

* It’s the American Civil Liberties Union; it focuses on American civil liberties. Then again, as a wing nut, perhaps Boot is uninformed about the ACLU. He should consult Rush Limbaugh, who was recently provided legal help by that concerned organization.

* There was plenty of outrage in the international community about acts committed against prisoners of war. Amnesty International has issued reports about human rights abuses all over the world.

* Michael Moore makes films that appeal to American audiences, dealing with American issues; is that hard to understand?

Jim Corbett

San Clemente

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The old argument of two wrongs making a right has been used yet again by Boot. Those of us who believe that the rules of the Geneva Convention should be followed have no illusion that if we take the high road, ipso facto, all sides will. If we profess the slightest humility, then there is no other choice available.

Those of us who agree with Michael Moore and the ACLU realize that we cannot influence the evils of the other side, but we also support our troops. We support their right to come home now, alive and unharmed.

Stuart Lubin

Los Angeles