Posted on 11/04/2002 9:28:06 AM PST by monkeyshine
Amnesty International has called on Britain and other signatories to the Geneva conventions to put on trial Israeli soldiers "responsible for war crimes" in Jenin and Nablus earlier this year. In a report published today, Amnesty says Israeli forces were guilty of unlawful killings, torture and the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields. It says that among other "grave breaches" of international law were ill-treatment of prisoners, wanton destruction of hundreds of homes, sometimes with the residents still inside, and the blocking of medical help to the wounded. Amnesty says the months-long investigation is the most thorough to date and provides the spade work for war crimes trials by documenting five separate grounds for prosecution. Kathleen Cavanaugh, the professor of international law who researched the report, says Amnesty has asked the Israeli government to act on the evidence and try those responsible, although it does not name them. If Israel does not, then the human rights group wants foreign governments it accuses of shielding Israel from accountability, particularly the United States, to apply political pressure and to stop the sale of weapons to the Jewish state. If Israel still refuses to act, then Amnesty says those implicated in war crimes should be detained and tried when they travel abroad. "If you have an army commander ... who takes a holiday in a country that is a high contracting party [to the Geneva conventions] like the UK, then the UK can launch an investigation and hold a trial if it chooses. It has a legal obligation under international law to do so," said Ms Cavanaugh. "It's not a mystery who was in charge. The names of those responsible are known and they travel regularly to Europe and the United States." Among the potential candidates for prosecution is Israel's new defence minister, Lieutenant General Shaul Mofaz, who is already under investigation by Scotland Yard. Lawyers representing Palestinian families presented a dossier of the general's alleged crimes to the director of public prosecutions in the hope that he would be detained during a visit to the UK last week. But Gen Mofaz returned to Israel without being questioned. Among the cases cited by Amnesty is that of Jamal Fayed, a 38-year-old severely disabled man living in Jenin refugee camp where it says 54 Palestinians were killed during the army operation in April which resulted in the destruction of the homes of about 4,000 people. Many died as the army bulldozed their houses. "The family had shown Jamal Fayed's ID to the soldiers who were preparing to demolish the house to prove he was paralysed and could not get out of the home without their help. The soldiers refused to help and soon after a bulldozer approached the house. The family yelled at the driver to stop. He didn't and Jamal Fayed, still trapped inside, was killed," the report said. It also identifies two boys, aged six and 12, who were killed by Israeli tank fire as they went to buy sweets after the army announced that the curfew had been lifted. The military promised an investigation but, as often happens, the results are not known. Amnesty said it has been trying to meet the Israeli government since June but without success. Yesterday, the Israeli army said it was still studying the report and would comment later.
Ooohh... Gosh, darn it, those pesky Palis just keep blowing themselves up!
AI needs to go hug a tree or something...
Wait a minute, in the earlier "reports" they said the kids were sent out by their parents to buy CIGARETTES. Can't they keep track of their own lies?
What planet is Amnesty International on??
No, no...they were sent out by their FRIGHTENED, TIMID and STARVING PARENTS to BUY BREAD.
I knew that case would set a dangerous precedent.
Hopefully, some day - none. Just floating in the jet stream as radioactive dust.
Amnesty International is staffed by lunatics. I call for a court order to have them committed for life before they hurt more people suffering from Islamic militancy.
<*Homer voice*>Mmmmmmm, sweet nicotine /Homer>
It prohibits attacking hospitals, which are designated by the Red Cross symbol. Out of sensitivity to Muslims, the Muslim Red Crescent symbol is considered equvalent.
The Red Star of David used in Israel is not considered equivalent.
IT DOES NOT VIOLATE THE GENEVA CONVENTION TO BOMB AN ISRAELI HOSPITAL!
Many Jewish Israelis are quite a bit darker than "Palestinian" Arabs. It isn't the United States, and it isn't about color. It's that Muslims hate "kaffirs" period.
I believe this is because groups like Amnesty and other left-wing advocacy groups have a core, and racist, belief that people in non-western non-white countries are incapable of making good judgements, and that because of their history of being "oppressed" are excused from their acts of barbarism. If a frightened soldier went too far and used a human shield while approaching a bomb-laden house, well it may technically be a "war crime" but pretty low on the scale of crimes. Walking into a shopping mall with the intention of blowing up as many innocents as possible is clearly a blatant "war crime".
Of course, the Palestinians are not signatories to the Geneva convention. Amnesty needs to think this one through. Israel went into Jenin specifically because Jenin was the source of 25% of all the homicide bombers. Clearly Israel had a need and a right to root them out. Israel evacuated most of the 15,000 residents before entering. They took great steps to minimize civilian deaths in Jenin, giving the Palestinians more courtesy than the Palestinians would show them.
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