Colombian Hostage Rescuers Accused Of War Crimes

NOT fair:

BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) — Colombian military intelligence used the Red Cross emblem in a rescue operation in which leftist guerrillas were duped into handing over 15 hostages, according to unpublished photographs and video viewed by CNN.

What seems to be part of a red cross is seen on a bib worn by a man involved in the rescue in this official image.

What seems to be part of a red cross is seen on a bib worn by a man involved in the rescue in this official image.

Photographs of the Colombian military intelligence-led team that spearheaded the rescue, shown to CNN by a confidential military source, show one man wearing a bib with the Red Cross symbol. The military source said the three photos were taken moments before the mission took off to persuade the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels to release the hostages to a supposed international aid group for transport to another rebel area.

Such a use of the Red Cross emblem could constitute a “war crime” under the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law and could endanger humanitarian workers in the future, according to international legal expert Mark Ellis, executive director of the International Bar Association.

Let’s put the hostages back and pretend nothing happened…

Anorak

Posted: 16th, July 2008 | In: Police Log, Strange But True, War On Terror Comments (2) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink