smg01: (panther)
smg01 ([personal profile] smg01) wrote2004-05-19 08:53 am

I wish this were a surprise

U.S. tried to curb Red Cross inspections

After the International Committee of the Red Cross presented its report complaining of prisoner abuse in one cellblock in November based on two surprise inspections, the U.S. military told ICRC inspectors they should make appointments before visiting the cellblock, the Times said in the report, citing a senior Army officer.

[identity profile] lovelypoet.livejournal.com 2004-05-19 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Is it just me or does "Hi, this is the ICRC, we'd like to set up a surprise inspection for June 15th at 3:00, could you kindly have any instruments of torture put away?" kind of defeat the entire concept of surprise inspection?

[identity profile] suzannemarie.livejournal.com 2004-05-19 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I know if I were part of the ICRC I would regard that as a big red flag. But perhaps you and I have a flawed understanding of the meaning and purpose of surprise inspection.