What Is The ICRC Good For?

The sad fact is that, since signing the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the U.S. has never received the benefit of those treaties--even though it has always extended Geneva treatment to its enemies. Those who claim that refusing al Qaeda and the Taliban Geneva POW status, as the ICRC demands, will somehow endanger American troops have yet to contend with this sorry record of nonperformance. How many generations, it might justly be asked, must the American people wait for the benefit of their bargain?

In particular, of course, this question should be asked by Congress. The ICRC is an advocacy organization that has all but abandoned its primary mission as an impartial humanitarian body under the Geneva Conventions. Unless it mends its ways soon, the ICRC should no longer receive American tax dollars to fund so many activities that are against America's national interest and the U.S. should seriously consider transferring its Geneva Convention functions to a truly impartial entity.

And this doesn't even address the fact that the ICRC does not recognize the good deeds of the Israeli 'Red Cross,' known as the Magen David Adom. This slight continues despite the fact that the Magen David Adom provides assistance to Jews and non-Jews alike, with complete disregard to the victim's race, ethnicity, religion, and nationality. The same can't be said for the Islamic Red Crescent, which is recognized by the ICRC.