Witnessing War Crimes
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Witnessing War Crimes
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MSF teams in Misrata say they are treating victims of torture. Some patients are brought to them 'mid' torture to be sufficiently treated to then allow torture to continue. MSF claim to have tr
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Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Witnessing War Crimes
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Witnessing War Crimes
posted at 27/1/2012 11:38 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 241
First: 15/7/2011 Last: 22/2/2012 |
MSF teams in Misrata say they are treating victims of torture. Some patients are brought to them 'mid' torture to be sufficiently treated to then allow torture to continue. MSF claim to have treated 115 victims of torture to date and have reported their occurrence to the appropriate authorities in Misrata.They also claim that some authorities are being obstructive to their humanitarian work. Many of these humanitarian organisations have different 'rules of engagament' and in particular how they interact with governments. For the Red Cross (who also do excellent work) it is their policy not to speak out about atrocities they see, it is only to treat and care for the ill and wounded. The Red Cross may witness concentration camps for example but its own rules forbid confronting the wrong doer or speaking out to the world media - they say that without such an express policy they would be denied access to future humanitarian crisis and would therefore be of no value to those in trouble. |
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Re: Witnessing War Crimes
posted at 27/1/2012 5:54 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 290
First: 9/12/2011 Last: 21/2/2012 |
Other--- The red cross should report this to a Military command, and preferably action should be taken, sounds a great job for British SAS, or US navy Seals to go eliminate the torturers! DuaneF |
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Re: Witnessing War Crimes
posted at 27/1/2012 7:20 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 611
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 21/2/2012 |
No, Duane. Libya is, nominally, a democratic country now. Its government needs help to police it's own criminals, not invaders to kill them, else the country can make no progress towards a true democracy. I would speak up and tell the world, but then I live in a comfortable and law abiding country, and it is risk-free for me to do so. And, I don't have that agonising decision, to stay and do what I can or leave so that the torturers have no fig leaf to hide behind. The Red Cross/Crescent and MsF do not have so different philosophies. Both insist on absolute neutrality, but there are some things, up with which MsF will not put. John |
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Re: Witnessing War Crimes
posted at 28/1/2012 3:48 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 290
First: 9/12/2011 Last: 21/2/2012 |
Well John D, Nominally is the operative word here, they are far from a democracy, more like a burgeoning Milita without organization. Anyway, People who torture should not be tolerated, and as a former Military Person I cannot tolerate people losing their human dignity to a band of thugs, I just think we as countries should act. DuaneF |
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Re: Witnessing War Crimes
posted at 28/1/2012 10:03 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 611
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 21/2/2012 |
Duane, IYour country, and mine, "acted" against a regime that was worse than Gaddafi's by invading that country. The complete disruption of any civil organisation that followed meant a decade of occupying armies, which has left , or will leave, another nominal democracy, with warring factions. A different military policy, not to invade, from external powers has put Libya into the same position, without the death of thousands of natives and of our troops, and ten years sooner. Let the Libyans sort out the Libyans. John |
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Re: Witnessing War Crimes
posted at 28/1/2012 11:20 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 241
First: 15/7/2011 Last: 22/2/2012 |
I think John D has raised important points. The experiment is to help Libya become a democratic society with proper Law and Order being maintained with an honest and uncorrupt Police. MSF are different from the Red Cross - they believe that unless they show the world what is really happening to people i.e. Torture then it will continue to happen and be an acceptable norm under a newly elected government. The Red Cross has some very bad episodes in history of which it is not proud; collusion with Nazi Regime, collusion with the Nazis and the catholic church, we saw this again during the Balkan Wars where Red Cross Mediators witnessed mass murder in Catholic churches which had been organised by the priest in the town. The Red Cross did not bring this to the Medias attention or to The authorities e.g.(UN). It all came out in the International Criminal Tribunal. The Red Cross have neutrality as its aim. But we are all human and experience fear if imminent and horrible death is potentially on the cards. As John D said, it takes great courage - you need to know that you will have support and security and that you are not endangering your colleagues in other places. As a rider, I do support thre great work of these humanitarian organisations. |
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Re: Witnessing War Crimes
posted at 28/1/2012 6:47 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 290
First: 9/12/2011 Last: 21/2/2012 |
Good points John D, and Kirked But funny how Odysseus just recently said in a thread how the USA was Isolationist and did not help anyone! I guess the thread just is for Suit yourself, and make a point, not real discourses. Anyway, I suspect if your Wife, Daughter, Mother, Sister, Son, or close relatives were held captive by these monsters and tortured your opinions might be jaded in a somewhat different perspective! Myself, I say, Destroy the Terrorists, since they do not understand Diplomacy, only Ammo! DuaneF |
Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Witnessing War Crimes
