Point of View: Some terrorists wear nice suits

Vladimir Putin has shown us that terrorists can wear expensive tailored suits and actually look quite civilized, but with his army and his utter disregard for human life, Putin is the most dangerous terrorist on the planet.

The free world has accused him of war crimes, but what does that mean? Well, even in war, there are supposed to be rules. In 1949, nations met for a series of four Geneva Conventions. The first three were to create rules to protect wounded soldiers and prisoners of war. The fourth was to add protection for civilians. They created rules that 196 nations, including Russia, signed and agreed to honor.

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Those rules stipulate that the leaders of the government and the military must ensure that their armies…

(1) Protect those who are not fighting, such as medical personnel or aid workers and that medical workers, medical vehicles, and hospitals dedicated to humanitarian work cannot be attacked. Putin directed that they should actually be targeted.

(2) The military does not target civilians. But Putin has.

(3) Every possible care must be taken to avoid harming civilians or their houses or destroying their means of survival, such as water supplies, crops, livestock and so forth. Putin has directed civilian housing destruction as an active part of his strategy.

(4) Prohibit torture and degrading treatment of prisoners and

(5) Explicitly forbid rape or other forms of sexual violence in the context of armed conflict. As we’ve seen, Putin’s troops have raped and murdered women, snapped bones and tortured prisoners both military and civilian before having them murdered.

There are more rules, but you get the picture. Vladimir Putin has targeted the very people the Geneva Convention was, in part, intended to protect. That is what makes him a criminal of war, why the Russian people are going to have to end his reign of terror, and why he must be held accountable in the World Court.

What do you think about this? Call 310-584-2030 or email me at fox11pov@foxtv.com. I’m Bill Lamb, and that’s my Point of View.

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