COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS THOMAS E. MORGAN, Pennsylvania, Chairman CLEMENT J. ZABLOCKI, Wisconsin L. H. FOUNTAIN, North Carolina E. ROSS ADAIR, Indiana WILLIAM S. MAILLIARD, California E. Y. BERRY, South Dakota BOYD CRAWFORD, Staff Administrator LOUISE O'BRIEN, Staff Assistant DORA B. MCCRACKEN, Staff Assistant JEAN E. SMITH, Staff Assistant PAULA L. PEAK, Staff Assistant SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY AND SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS [To deal with all matters affecting our foreign relations that concern matters of national security and scientific developments affecting foreign policy, including the national space program, mutual defense, and the operation of our high strategy generally] CLEMENT J. ZABLOCKI, Wisconsin, Chairman WAYNE L. HAYS, Ohio VERNON W. THOMSON, Wisconsin JOHN H. SULLIVAN, Staff Consultant FOREWORD MAY 22, 1970. The history of modern warfare reveals two seemingly paradoxical trends. On the one hand, weapons have become vastly more sophisticated, fearsome, and destructive. On the other, there have been concerted efforts to make warfare as humane as possible for those taking no part in the conflict, including members of the Armed Forces who are sick, wounded, captured or who surrender. A series of agreements, stretching back for more than 100 years, have sought to protect prisoners of war. From an initial prohibition against the slaughter of captives, mankind has moved to describe the rights and privileges of those held captive and to set down the obligations of their captors. The culmination of this trend was the Geneva Conventions of 1949. On August 12, 1949, 61 nations, including the United States, completed work under the sponsorship of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and signed four treaties known collectively as the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of War Victims. Of the four treaties perhaps the most important, and certainly the most relevant at this time, is the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Following its approval by the Senate, the convention came into force for the United States on February 2, 1956, and from that time has been binding on our own Nation and its Armed Forces. Today 123 nations accept the Geneva Convention, including all the nations participating in hostilities in Southeast Asia, on both sides. Since every country participating in the Vietnam war has signed or acceded to the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, the treatment of prisoners ostensibly should be no issue. Unfortunately, it is an issue, and one of the most pressing of the conflict, because the North Vietnamese have refused to abide by the provisions of the convention and have been guilty of inhumane treatment of the American servicemen they hold captive. The full nature of Hanoi's unjustifiable and illegal acts against American prisoners should be understood by all Americans. In an effort to focus attention on the problem the Subcommittee on National Security Policy and Scientific Developments has, on two occasions, held hearings on the plight of our American POW's. Last November the subcommittee reported a resolution calling on Hanoi to live up to its responsibilities under the Geneva Convention. That resolution was passed unanimously by both Houses of Congress. Another consequence of our deliberations has been recognition of the need to inform all Americans about the provisions for humane treatment which are provided in the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. It was discovered, however, that the text of the convention has not been readily available for public distribution to interested individuals and organizations. In order to remedy that situation and to give the widest possible dissemination to the convention, I asked officials of the Department of State to prepare a text together with reservations or interpretations held by all of the governments participating in the Vietnam conflict. They responded favorably and this document is the result. It is my hope that every American will become familiar with the provisions of the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, and will match the wretched performance of North Vietnam against the obligations which it accepted in acceding to the treaty. The result must certainly be to banish any apathy about the plight of U.S. prisoners and to engender a thunderous protest against Hanoi's inhumane conduct. In this way, we all can help turn the spotlight of adverse world opinion on the North Vietnamese and thus influence them to live up to their international obligations by providing humane treatment and ultimate release for all American prisoners, as required by the 1949 Geneva Convention Relative to Treatment of Prisoners of War. CLEMENT J. ZABLOCKI, Chairman, Subcommittee on National Security Policy Foreword Note... CONTENTS Outline of convention. Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of Reservations, If Any, by Governments Participating in Hostilities in |