Ever since the United States went to war in Iraq, there has been controversy both over the war itself and over the appropriate treatment of prisoners who are taken captive as part of the military action. Incidents at Abu Ghraib prison and at Guantanamo Bay have brought the issue of how to treat prisoners under extreme scrutiny. Thomas Jefferson had his own advice on how to deal with prisoners in time of war:
“Is an enemy so execrable that, though in captivity, his wishes and comforts are to be disregarded and even crossed? I think not. It is for the benefit of mankind to mitigate the horrors of war as much as possible. The practice, therefore, of modern nations, of treating captive enemies with politeness and generosity, is not only delightful in contemplation, but really interesting to all the world, friends, foes and neutrals.”
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