Iraqi U.N. ambassador says POWs won't be mistreated
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Aldouri at the United Nations on Friday.
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U.S. President George W. Bush says captors who mistreat American POWs will be treated as war criminals (March 23)
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations said Sunday his country will respect the Geneva Conventions and not mistreat soldiers captured during the conflict in his country.
Mohammed Aldouri was asked about videotape aired by the Arab satellite TV network Al-Jazeera showing U.S. soldiers believed to have been captured in fighting around the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriya. U.S. officials said showing images of the soldiers violated the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits subjecting prisoners of war to humiliating treatment.
"It is Iraqi official position, we will respect carefully the international humanitarian law, and the Geneva Convention," he said. "I hope that the American army will respect also this Geneva Convention because I hope that what is happening in Iraq now, both parties will respect international humanitarian law.
"I respect fully the American people and I am respecting them more because they are demonstrating yesterday and yesterday before," he added.
A Sunday protest drew about 200 U.S. military veterans to Washington marching in opposition to the war. In Manhattan, antiwar protesters unfurled a banner aboard the retired aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. The banner read, "Shame." Saturday protests attracted notice in New York; Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; and San Francisco, California.
Aldouri said Iraq had not given up on seeking help from the U.N. Security Council. "I think the Security Council did a good job, when America won't use this body as a cover, as a justification to launch this war," he said. "Now I hope that the Security Council will play its own role to have to reach a peaceful solution to this crisis."
Aldouri said Iraq had submitted a letter to the ambassador from Guinea, which now holds the council presidency. He said the content of the letter would be released Monday.
