•HCON 118 EH
hostilities, additional members of the Armed Forces of
the United States and members of other coalition forces
may be taken prisoner by Iraqi authorities;
Whereas members of the military forces of Iraq have been
taken prisoner by coalition armed forces;
Whereas all such prisoners who are captured while complying
with the laws of war are entitled to prisoner of war sta-
tus until their final release and repatriation;
Whereas in the Convention Relative to the Treatment of Pris-
oners of War, signed at Geneva on August 12, 1949 (re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Third Geneva Convention’’), the inter-
national community has prescribed rules concerning the
treatment of prisoners of war;
Whereas more than 190 nations, including the United States
and Iraq, are parties to the Third Geneva Convention;
Whereas Article 13 of the Third Geneva Convention requires
the humane treatment of prisoners of war and that pris-
oners of war be protected against acts of violence or in-
timidation and against insults and public curiosity;
Whereas Article 17 of the Third Geneva Convention explicitly
prohibits the infliction of physical or mental torture and
other forms of coercion on prisoners of war to secure
from them information of any kind whatever and provides
that prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be
threatened, insulted, or exposed to unpleasant or disad-
vantageous treatment of any kind;
Whereas Article 23 of the Third Geneva Convention provides
that a prisoner of war may not at any time be sent to,
or detained in areas where the prisoner may be exposed
to the fire of the combat zone, nor may a prisoner’s pres-
•HCON 118 EH
ence be used to render certain points or areas immune
from military operations;
Whereas the Third Geneva Convention requires that a gov-
ernment holding prisoners of war grant representatives of
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
free access to all prisoners of war;
Whereas the Government of the United States has informed
the Iraqi authorities that it intends to treat captured
members of the Iraqi armed forces fully in accordance
with the Third Geneva Convention and is in discussions
with ICRC officials to facilitate access at the earliest pos-
sible time to Iraqi enemy prisoners of war held by United
States Armed Forces; and
Whereas Iraqi television has broadcast what appear to be pic-
tures of captured American military personnel; Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) commends the bravery and professionalism
of the members of the Armed Forces of the United
States and the military forces of United States coali-
tion partners; and
(2) extends heartfelt sympathies to the families
and loved ones of those who are killed, wounded,
missing in action, or taken prisoner by Iraqi authori-
ties.
SEC. 2. The Congress—
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(1) demands that Iraqi authorities comply fully
and immediately with its obligations and responsibil-
ities of the Convention Relative to the Treatment of
Prisoners of War;
(2) condemns the failure of Iraqi authorities to
treat prisoners of war in strict conformity with that
Convention;
(3) demands that Iraqi authorities permit the
International Committee of the Red Cross to visit
any and all American and coalition prisoners of war
at the earliest possible time, in accordance with the
requirements of that Convention;
(4) joins the President in warning all Iraqi au-
thorities that any individual who mistreats any pris-
oner of war in violation of that Convention shall be
considered a war criminal and prosecuted as such to
the full extent of United States and international
law; and
(5) supports the President in committing the
full effort and reach of the United States Govern-
ment to the swift and safe repatriation of all pris-
oners of war at the earliest possible moment con-
sistent with that Convention.
SEC. 3. The Congress supports the President in seek-
ing the fullest possible accounting, at the earliest possible
•HCON 118 EH
time upon the cessation of hostilities, of all members of
the Armed Forces who are in a missing status as a result
of operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Passed the House of Representatives March 27,
2003.
Attest:
Clerk.
108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 118
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Concerning the treatment of members of the Armed
Forces held as prisoner of war by Iraqi authorities.