"They are sending forces out carrying white surrender flags or dressing them as liberated civilians to draw coalition forces into ambushes," said Victoria Clarke, spokeswoman for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. "Both of these actions are among the most serious violations of the laws of war," she said.

- from an AP article complaining about "fake surrenders."

Laws of war? LAWS of war?

Does anyone else find it a bit strange to have the U.S. bitching about how a country is behaving when they're attacked?

All questions about the justification of this war aside, I find these and similar protestations simply ludicrous. Most recently, Bush was demanding that Iraq treat our prisoners of war humanely.

Well, of course this is desireable! I can't imagine anyone... liberal or conservative, wanting any harm to befall these military men.

But what exactly are wars about, really? I mean, what's the strategy? It's like someone in boxing complaining, "Ouch, that hurt!" Wars are dirty. Wars are brutish. Wars bring out animal instincts, survival instincts, treachery, deceit, win-at-all-costs mentalities. Should anyone be surprised or indignant about this?

So here we are, sending in missiles and bombs and lots of guys with guns, and we're demanding that Iraqis avoid harming our soldiers? Hell, we're not even letting our prisoners at Guatanamo Bay have access to lawyers and we're additionally denying that their treatment is to be governed by the Geneva Convention.

Ah, I get it, we can give the finger to the UN and international law when we feel like it, but dangit, when it suits our purposes, other countries damn well better be following the letter AND spirit of international regulations.

So ironic... but so unsurprising.

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