Tracking Via Anonymous SIM Cards

Noryungi writes "The New York Times reports that Al Qaeda operatives were tracked using the ID of the GSM phone chips sold by a Swiss company named Swisscom. Very interesting."

Comments

Re:Look at how fast they adapted

[Necrobruiser]

Don't be such a tool. Your attempt at being pedantic is shameless. Just remove the inappropriate apostrophe and search again. Assclown.

Re:privacy?

[Keebler71]

Perhaps because the Geneva Convention is an outdated document that doesn't address the complexities of terrorism. The provisions within the Geneva Convention protect soldiers of nations during conflicts with other nations. There is no mention of combatants who are not in the formal service of a soverign government. Because of this, there are certain expectations about how you treat prisoners, based on the assumption that at some point either (1) a treaty will be signed between the waring nations -or- (2) one nation will defeat the other. In either case, it is understood that the armed services of the the countries involved would cease hostilities. Moreover, prisoners can be released as the prisoners can be taken at their word that they will not engage in hostile action, as they were merely fighting on behalf of a country that has either brokered peace or been defeated.

Now consider the case of Al Qaeda. Exactly what 'nation' can we defeat that would assure that the members of Al Qaeda would lay down their arms and disengage, fascilitating the release of prisoners? I don't think I am assuming to much to point out that if captured Al Qaeda were released, they would immediately resume their hostilities. This is a stark contrast to the prisoners of WW2, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War, all of which were allowed to return to their respective countries and live their lives in peace.

Bottom line: The Geneva Convention doesn't apply because these people are not fighting on behalf of a government which could be reasonably expected to control their misguided actions. Why should they be afforded the same protections under the Geneva Conventions that I enjoy, when I am subject to military law, the law of the land, and the Geneva Convention and they are not?