Human-rights advocates, for example, claim that the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners is of a piece with President Bush's 2002 decision to deny al Qaeda and Taliban fighters the legal status of prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions.

Summary

This quote suggests that the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners can be connected to President Bush's decision to refuse al Qaeda and Taliban fighters the recognition as prisoners of war according to the Geneva Conventions. Human-rights advocates argue that this decision set a precedent for the mistreatment of detainees, as it essentially denied them the protection and rights prescribed by international law. By not granting them prisoner of war status, it may have created an atmosphere where the mistreatment and abuse of these prisoners became more acceptable or easier to justify.

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