One thing revealed last night at the GOP presidential debate was the ignorance of the Geneva Convention (1949) which does NOT under the circumstances in the Middle East prohibit “carpet bombing” and the attendant civilian casualties. I can understand liberals ignoring or being ignorant of what it says, but republicans should know better and it would have been a great time to educate the people who were watching because the liberal media certainly will not.

The Geneva Convention of 1949 is what is in effect and concerning non-combatants or civilians.

Article 2 states “Although one of the Powers in conflict may not be a party to the present Convention, the Powers who are parties thereto shall remain bound by it in their mutual relations. They shall furthermore be bound by the Convention in relation to the said Power, if the latter accepts and applies the provisions thereof“.

Notice it says that those powers that may be allied are bound by the treaty “in their mutual relations”, but only bound if the enemy (in this case ISIS) accepts and applies the provisions of the treaty.

Article 14 states in part, “In time of peace, the High Contracting Parties and, after the outbreak of hostilities, the Parties thereto, may establish in their own territory and, if the need arises, in occupied areas, hospital and safety zones and localities so organized as to protect from the effects of war, wounded, sick and aged persons, children under fifteen, expectant mothers and mothers of children under seven.”

Article 15 states in part, “Any Party to the conflict may, either direct or through a neutral State or some humanitarian organization, propose to the adverse Party to establish, in the regions where fighting is taking place, neutralized zones intended to shelter from the effects of war the following persons, without distinction:…”

Articles 14 and 15 establishes that warring parties MAY establish safe zones, it does not say MUST.

ART. 17. — The Parties to the conflict shall endeavour to
conclude local agreements for the removal from besieged or
encircled areas,of wounded, sick, infirm and aged persons, children
and maternity cases, and for the passage of ministers of all religions,
medical personnel and medical equipment on their way to such
areas.

Notice 17 does mandate that Parties shall ENDEAVOR to conclude local agreements…(it takes two, do you really think ISIS, which depends on civilian shields to conclude any agreement?)

Articles 18-23 basically establishes hospitals, ambulances, air flights carrying wounded as off limits,

Article 19 says in part, “The protection to which civilian hospitals are entitled shall not cease unless they are used to commit, outside their humanitarian duties, acts harmful to the enemy. Protection may, however, cease only after due warning has been given, naming, in all appropriate cases, a reasonable time limit, and after such warning has remained unheeded…”

In other words, terrorists like Hamas and ISIS that hide behind human shields and hospitals are not protected as they are “used to commit…acts harmful to the enemy”.

Article 28 couldn’t be more clear as it says in its entirety, “The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations.”

Such feral humans as Hamas and ISIS in no way shape or form follow any provisions of the Geneva convention. They remind one of the ruthless monsters on the movie “Aliens”. The GC is intended for relatively civilized nations. It does not require the signatories to fight a ruthless inhuman enemy with kid gloves, when that enemy’s extinction is necessary. These muslims deliberately use humans as shields, just daring us to take them out. As regrettable as “innocent” civilian casualties are, this is war.