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SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Oct. 19 (UPI) Some 32 percent of Americans believe it is acceptable to torture prisoners of war to obtain important military information, according to a survey commissioned by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
By comparison, the practice is considered acceptable by only 29 percent of Bosnians, 28 percent of Russians, and 21 percent of Colombians and Somalians, and 33 percent of Lebanese, according to surveys also taken by the international firm of Greenberg Research, Inc.
The surveys are part of an ICRC project emphasizing the 50th anniversary of the modern Geneva Conventions, which govern international humanitarian law. Surveys were conducted in 12 countries that have experienced recent war, as well as in the United States, France and the United Kingdom, to stress the need for urgent action to reduce the suffering caused to war victims around the world, and to stimulate debate about placing and enforcing limitations on warfare. An overall report will be presented by ICRC in November in Geneva.
Parts of the survey, released early in Bosnia-Herzegovina, also show that about two-thirds of the people polled in America and France have heard of the Geneva Conventions. Knowledge of the conventions runs at 51 percent in Russia; 37 percent in Colombia; 56 percent in Lebanon, although only 37 percent of these people can describe them accurately; 42 percent in Somalia; and 80 percent in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Also, people in the Russian Federation are more likely than people in the United States, France, the United Kingdom and in various conflict and war zones around the world to say it is wrong to put civilians at risk during war for any reason.
At least a third of Americans and between a quarter and a third of the British feel that taking military action against largely civilian areas is acceptable if the action weakens the enemy and advances war aims. A full 63 percent of Americans believe there are no laws that prohibit attacks on populated areas, compared to 46 percent of the British and 30 percent of the French.