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Geneva Conventions govern military conduct


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A hooded and wired Iraqi prisoner is shown at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, Iraq, in this undated photo.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Geneva Conventions are getting a lot of attention these days because of reports of apparent abuse of Iraqi prisoners by their U.S. captors.

One of the seven U.S. soldiers charged with mistreating Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, Iraq, said she had never read or even seen a copy of the Geneva Conventions until recently.

What are they and how do they work?

In 1863, the neutral Swiss government held the first convention in Geneva to write laws for appropriate military conduct.

The current rules were signed in 1949, after World War II, and amended in 1977.

They include protections for civilians and guarantees of the rights of prisoners of war. The Geneva Conventions state that POWs must be treated humanely.

Among other things, they must not be subjected to torture, or medical or scientific experiments. And they must be protected against violence, intimidation, insults and public display.

Many lawmakers say the photos from Abu Ghraib show violations of the Geneva Conventions.

"This is a complete breakdown of the chain of command," Republican Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana recently told CNN. "The good message here is that the United States as signatory to the Geneva Conventions will abide by the conventions and prosecute those who have violated the law."


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