>The "problem" seems to be in the showing of POWs at all. The U.S. authorities seem to think that showing POWs is a contravention of the Geneva Conventions, and that being the case I say that I've seen Iraqi POWs shown on TV and that their circumstances were less than idyllic (like being pressed into the sand with a foot on his back, like being confined in a group surrounded by razor-wire, like being made to lay in the sand with something covering them).

There are some important differences here. First, while you described this as being less than idyllic, they are prisoners who have to be searched. So searching a recently captured soldier for weapons by putting a boot on his back doesn't sound like a bad idea, especially with reports of Iraqis pretending to surrender, then firing on U.S. troops. Second, this is shown by U.S. and other news organizations, not the U.S. government. Iraqi TV is state owned. Third, apparently the Iraqi videotape shows the prisoners being interrogated on TV.

>I have NOT seen the video that is so appalling to U.S. authorities. But I can't blame anyone for seeing (another) double-standard here, where U.S. TV CAN show Iraqi POWs but NO TV should show coalition prisoners.
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>And one can't help but ask ones self WHY it is so appalling to show the FULL UGLINESS of war? ... In a free and democratic society? There must be some reason, don't you think?

There are plenty of violent images that U.S. news stations do not show. Images that are totally unrelated to the war.