September 6, 2006
President Bush asked Congress to pass the Military Commission Act of 2006 which re-defined U.S. obligations under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions to change the absolute prohibition on inhumane treatment with a “flexible” standard, which would assess on a case-by-case basis whether particular conduct would amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention places an absolute prohibition on inhumane treatment of detainees during an armed conflict.
