Misuse of Red Cross Emblem: Another Kind of War Crime

The Associated Press is reporting that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe acknowledged that his army used the Red Cross emblem in its bloodless July 2 rescue of 15 hostages. According to Uribe, an army official wore a vest with the red cross emblem because he was nervous about the operation with so many rebels on the scene. Unfortunately, deceptive use of the Red Cross emblem violates the Geneva Convention. Lawyers for the two rebels captured confirm that they had been tricked by the soldiers' use of the Red Cross emblem. The Red Cross responded to abuse of its emblem swiftly explaining that "The respect of the emblem is crucial so the ICRC can bring help to people affected by the conflicts in Colombia or elsewhere." However, Colombia's…