Afghanistan is a place that many people do not think of fondly. This is mainly because of the large amount of troops from the Royal Army, Navy and Air Force that are on deployment in the country. Many British troops have been killed in the country, and although Britain plans to withdraw soon, the hostilities have not yet come to a halt within the country.

In times of war, people take desperate measures. One thing that is common throughout wars, however, is the way that prisoners must be treated. This comes from the Geneva convention, within which the acceptable treatment of prisoners is outlined. Part of the convention states that they must be given food and water, amongst other things. Terms of engagement are also specified in all military organizations, and these outline in what circumstances civilians and insurgents may be engaged.

This is why it is of great concern that a video showing the murder of a prisoner by British troops was found on a Laptop computer. The video shows 5 British troops breaking the terms of engagement, and therefore effectively murdering a insurgent. Almost 10 people were arrested by the military police on suspicion of committing the crime, and the newly suspected 5 are being charged with murder.

I think that it is understandable that there will be innocent casualties of war, and that those who injure or kill the innocent should be punished. The only question that I have is if they were insurgents, is it really a crime that merits life imprisonment to kill them? It is understandable that the law must be protected and that it’s power must be absolute, but is this really something that should be focused on in todays society?

What do you think?

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