all's fair in love and "war"

though online encyclopedias differ
i'm sure i read somewhere that "yanqui" from which "yankee" comes
was a native american word for "thief"

either way, who is really surprised by yet more american
complete disregard for both fair play and the rules?

what anyone who considered the matter had probably suspected
has emerged via official channels
the trials of "enemy combatants" held at guantanamo bay
much like their detention itself
is a sham

widespread legal opinion is that the american govt's classification of the prisoners
as "enemy combatants" is legally irrelevant and does not circumvent the geneva convention
under which their indefinite detention without trial or charge is illegal

two former us military prosecutors
were repeatedly told by superiors
that the trials were a set-up

According to ... emails, which have been seen by The Age, the prosecutors were told that it did not matter that the evidence was insufficient for a guilty verdict as military commission members would be "hand-picked" to ensure convictions.

it's good to know our government is on the ball though.
when questioned about this
in relation to the trial of australian citizen david hicks,

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock yesterday ... restated his support for the trial process, saying the US had been "assiduous" in ensuring fairness.

source