Hi Tracy,

SNIP

It *is* a complicated issue but I think we can thank Attorney General General Ashcroft for taking advantage of that fact to make it even more so.
>
>Now that is from my 'military mind' so to speak that creeps up periodically based on my experience. Now as a citizen, I feel that they MUST be accorded all rights under the Geneva convention regardless if they are categorically declared POWs or not (as a minimum level of acceptable treatment to all POWS and detainees of any status because we would expect the same for our citizens), and I cannot see how they cannot be considered POWs if they are detained due to a war on terrorism.

I suspect that a good many in the U.S. have a similar viewpoint to your personal one on this issue.

>
>I should add that while I am definitely concerned about the security of the U.S., I also feel that the Homeland Security bill as infringed upon our citizens rights and is putting us almost right back where we were during McCarthyism and even Hoover. Never before in our history since that time has any government department been legally able to tap our phones and detain us for any period of time under 'suspicion' without providing evidence in support of the detainment or reasonable evidence as to justification for the wiretaps. Most Americans assume it is ok for our security because they cannot imagine it happening to them . They picture this only occuring to non-U.S. citizens or 'the other guy' and that our government would not do this without just cause. That is ignorant thinking. They do not realize that they could be a victim tomorrow and how easy it would be. It is a sad state of affairs that we cannot protect the security of country without infringing on its citizens
>unreasonably.

I think you are wise to be wary, and again I suspect that most of your countrymen (and women < s >) feel similarly.
I suspect that it **IS** possible to protect U.S. security without infringing on the citizens. It brings to mind the question of just WHAT is being "protected" if you lose your liberty in the process? I guess that "give me liberty or give me death" is now turned into "give me security or give me death".

I don't know when the "war on terrorism" will be "over", but I sure hope that no government chooses to let it be continuous for ever more so that they can continue to enjoy unwarranted controls over their citizens.