Just a question

Say there are some wanted Iraqi terrorists who are in need of medical aid. Would the US be able to view medics who treat them as enemies? I mean, enemy medics are still considered enemies. The Italian Red Cross treated several wanted Iraqis (knowing that they were wanted by the US), and then sent them on their way, apparently in an effort to get a couple Italian girls freed by their Iraqi captors.

Further, the Italians make clear that keeping the US out of the loop was important. That brings us back to Nicola Calipari who was shot dead by US troops as his car raced toward a US checkpoint and ignored warning shots. The car was carrying another freed Italian hostage. The US maintains they were out of the loop on that rescue missions, the Italians deny that they kept American forces in the dark. The US standpoint gains a lot more credence with this latest incident.

"The Red Cross is an impartial organization and it does not depend on the Italian government," Centofanti said.

"It did help presumed Iraqi terrorists, but it did so in the spirit of the Red Cross to help out everyone in need."

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's office, which has denied accusations it paid a ransom to win the aid workers' release, said the Red Cross was independent and did not answer to the government.

"As it is known, it (Red Cross) is not under the operative control, even less directives, of the national authorities precisely so that they can be recognized as neutral, which is indispensable for them to carry out their humanitarian mandate towards the international community," it said in a statement.

So, if they ran across an injured Osama bin Laden or Abu Musab al Zarqawi they'd treat them and let them go without a word in the name of neutrality.

Europeans suck at war.