NEW YORK (November 19, 2004) - Mr. Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, announced in a press conference today that he has introduced an emergency resolution calling for a major modification of the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. His main purpose was to expand the coverage to include the Zarqawi terrorists. This was directly in reaction to the recent shooting incident in Fallujah, where a US Marine shot and killed a wounded Zarqawi terrorist, who had faked death and was in a position to harm the Marine with potential booby-trapped suicide bombs or grenades.
Mr. Annan specifically wanted to change Article 4, Section A.2.of the 1949 Geneva Convention, which in the current form states, that "Member of other militias" should be considered and treated as prisoners of war, only if they "fulfill the following conditions: (a) That of being commanded by a person responsible for his subordinates; (b) That of having a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance; (c) That of carrying arm openly; (d) That of conducting their operations in accordance with the laws and customs of war."
The amended Article 4, Section A.2 that Mr. Annan introduced today included the following key changes: "Members of national terrorist groups" should be considered and treated as first-class prisoners of war "even if (a) They have no responsible command structure; (b) They blend in with the civilians during armed operations and do not have a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance; (c) They do not carry weapons and explosives openly; (d) They conduct their operations outside the laws and customs of war, like killing and beheading innocent civilians."
Mr. Kofi Annan explained that this revised Geneva Convention represents UN's reale Politik and it also better reflects the new "humanistic paradigm as we at the UN see it." First reaction came from Paris, where President Chirac told reporters that France will vote for the revised Geneva Convention provided it covers "only armed conflicts involving American military forces" and explicitly "excludes the current war in Ivory Coast."
