From: (HiC)


"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...

That will come out at trial but the knowledge of or even
orders from a superior are no defense. All soldiers
are REQUIRED to disobey illegal orders and there
is no excuse for the behaviour portrayed.

That's assuming they knew the orders were illegal. How many soldiers
are so intimately familiar with the UCMJ, Geneva Convention, etc. that
they can second guess what a military court is going to back them on?
Plus, standing where you are, it's easy to say "they should have..."
Theory is one thing, actually trying to buck authority in the field is
another. The military is not set up to protect do-gooders and
whistleblowers. And if they make a stink, disobey direct orders and it
turns out they were wrong? They're hosed.


Does anyone believe worse wasn't done during WWII?

nor were they tortured
or deprived of sleep as part of an interrogation.

Sure they weren't.

Assuming the GIs in question are MPs the answer to that is very simple. They
were taught handling of prisoners in AIT. At the very least they knew from
basic to comport themselves as soldiers. They lacked the self discipline shown
by the others of the sam ranks who did not abuse the prisoners.

If just ONE of the people in their chain of command were familiar with Geneva
and UCMJ they shouldn't have allowed it to continue. Evidently there was no
discipline in the chain of command and and pinitive actions should be taken as
far up the chain of command as needed.

You may never have served in the military, but I have and I expect much more
from servicemen than I do from civilians who never served.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired.