On the subject of War Crimes

Today it seems the first conviction happened in regards to the War Crimes some of our troops committed in Iraq.

It seems that Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia of the Florida National Guard only got a DD and a year in prison. I somehow don't think the Iraqis are going to be very amused at this slap on the wrist.

Washington Post Article

This is ludicrous!

In 1996, the 104th Congress, 100% Republican, mind you, passed the "War Crimes Act of 1996", which was signed into law at their behest by President Clinton.

Shall we take a stroll down memory lane here? Why not! This law defines a Life sentance and a Death sentance.

United States Code Source

-CITE-
18 USC Sec. 2441 01/22/02

-EXPCITE-
TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 118 - WAR CRIMES

-HEAD-
Sec. 2441. War crimes

-STATUTE-
(a) Offense. - Whoever, whether inside or outside the United
States, commits a war crime, in any of the circumstances described
in subsection (b), shall be fined under this title or imprisoned
for life or any term of years, or both, and if death results to the
victim, shall also be subject to the penalty of death.

(b) Circumstances. - The circumstances referred to in subsection (a)
are that the person committing such war crime or the victim of
such war crime is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States
or a national of the United States (as defined in section 101 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act).

(c) Definition. - As used in this section the term ''war crime''
means any conduct -

(1) defined as a grave breach in any of the international
conventions signed at Geneva 12 August 1949, or any protocol to
such convention to which the United States is a party;

(2) prohibited by Article 23, 25, 27, or 28 of the Annex to the
Hague Convention IV, Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on
Land, signed 18 October 1907;

(3) which constitutes a violation of common Article 3 of the
international conventions signed at Geneva, 12 August 1949, or
any protocol to such convention to which the United States is a
party and which deals with non-international armed conflict; or

(4) of a person who, in relation to an armed conflict and
contrary to the provisions of the Protocol on Prohibitions or
Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices
as amended at Geneva on 3 May 1996 (Protocol II as amended on 3
May 1996), when the United States is a party to such Protocol,
willfully kills or causes serious injury to civilians.

-SOURCE-
(Added Pub. L. 104-192, Sec. 2(a), Aug. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2104,
Sec. 2401; renumbered Sec. 2441, Pub. L. 104-294, title VI, Sec.
605(p)(1), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3510; amended Pub. L. 105-118,
title V, Sec. 583, Nov. 26, 1997, 111 Stat. 2436.)