Posted on 05/17/2004 11:36:46 AM PDT by yonif
U.S. State Department report: Israeli troops frequently use excessive force leading to many Palestinian deaths (Army Radio)
Ping.
Looks like the Saudis passed out their second-quarter bonuses a little early this year.
The Israelis have apparently reached the point that the degree of hatred and/or criticism directed toward them can hardly be increased (and who can argue it hasn't?), so they are little constrained from doing what they see fit.
When the enemy straps bombs onto children there is nothing that can be considered excessive when you're trying to defend yourself.
Good keep it up.
Excessive force is not explosions on buses. Excessive force is not massacring a pregnant Jewish woman and her inncent children.
Excessive force is what the IDF does.
I'm so glad our State Department is here to reeducate.
They're photographing them nude with panties on their heads? What an outrage!
I am so tired of good being bad; bad being good; evil being good, good being evil, up is down and down is up. It is so time to make things RIGHT again....
The "West Bank and Gaza" section of the Middle East region is below, the rest of the Middle East at the link. No, the state of human rights in Israel doesn't appear in the report, just the West Bank and Gaza for which Israel is presumabily the primary culprit. Nothing much happening in Israel anyway, other than murder of civilians, and it wouldn't be nice to comment on that.
Israel's overall human rights record in the West Bank and Gaza remained poor and worsened in the treatment of foreign human rights activists. The Palestinian Authority (PA) also had a poor human rights record. Israel’s security forces killed at least 573 Palestinians and one foreign national and injured 2,992 Palestinians and other persons during the year. Israeli security units often used excessive force in their operations that resulted in numerous deaths. Israel carried out policies of demolitions, strict curfews and closures that directly punished innocent civilians. Israeli forces often impeded the provision of medical assistance to Palestinian civilians by strict enforcement of internal closures, harassed and abused Palestinian pedestrians and drivers at the approximately 430 Israeli-controlled checkpoints in the occupied territories and conducted mass, arbitrary arrests in the West Bank. Israel restricted the freedom of the Palestinian media and placed strict limits on freedom of assembly and movement for Palestinians.
The PA continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. Palestinian terrorists and gunmen were responsible for the deaths of 376 Israelis killed in the occupied territories. Many members of Palestinian security services and the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization participated with civilians and terrorist groups in violent attacks against Israeli civilians inside Israel, Israeli settlers, foreign nationals and soldiers. Palestinian security forces used excessive force against Palestinians during demonstrations. PA security officials abused prisoners and arbitrarily arrested and detained persons. PA courts were inefficient and failed to ensure fair and expeditious trials, and PA executive and security services frequently ignored or failed to enforce court decisions. Internal closure in the occupied territories obstructed courts from holding sessions or issuing rulings. The PA security forces infringed on the right to privacy and restricted freedom of speech and the press.
The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy for the West Bank and Gaza supported implementation of President Bush's two-state vision, the end of violence and the restart of a political process within Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The United States utilized bilateral and multilateral diplomacy to emphasize the unacceptability of violence on all sides and demand PA actions against terrorism in the West Bank and Gaza as well as in Israel. The Roadmap explicitly calls on both parties to end incitement, and calls on the Palestinians to undertake comprehensive reforms.
U.S. programs worked to improve the rule of law in the West Bank and Gaza. Approximately $1.9 million in assistance was provided to introduce advanced caseload management techniques and equipment to seven Palestinian courts. This same program improved the capabilities of the Palestinian Attorney General's office, helping the state prosecutor's office modernize its administrative functions and raise its technical capacity. Programs offered judicial training, specifically addressing complex areas of modern law such as international property rights, international banking, commercial transactions and ethics. Assistance further helped establish two Alternative Dispute Resolution centers that are available to mediate and arbitrate legal claims outside the court system.
U.S. officials continued to encourage Palestinian legislators to pursue governmental reform. Video-conferencing equipment financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development enabled the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) to deliberate and conduct parliamentary sessions despite frequent closures and travel restrictions in the West Bank and Gaza. Such sessions included the historic Spring 2003 session during which the PLC revised the Palestinian Basic Law to create the position of the Prime Minister. In addition, the United States funded other programs totaling approximately $3 million to strengthen the institution of the PLC. Assistance improved its capacity to conduct oversight of the executive branch, raised the quality of its lawmaking, deepened its management controls and capacity and extended its reach to ensure that the PLC effectively represented the interests of its constituents.
Other funding supported preparations for Palestinian elections, including assistance for women candidates and women's political organizations, and training in building and promoting political platforms. These activities offered leadership and organizational training to emerging young Palestinian activists, mid-career managers and mid-level government workers.
Support for civil society development in the West Bank and Gaza remained a U.S. priority, and its flagship program, "Tamkeen," was allocated $33 million for 2000-2005. To date, the project has awarded 193 grants totaling $10 million to Palestinian civil society organizations to promote democracy and provide training in advocacy, finance and strategy. A $1 million "Moderate Voices" project supported Palestinian civil society organizations that have developed creative means, including a popular radio soap opera series, to teach non-violence, conflict resolution and mediation. The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative helped launch an Arab Civitas project to introduce civic education into Palestinian schools.
The United States provided assistance to strengthen media professionalism, content and independence. Programs provided instruction to print journalists on investigative reporting and trained television media professionals on the production and airing of topical talk shows.
Public diplomacy programs sought to improve human rights awareness in the West Bank and Gaza among all citizens. The Consulate General in Jerusalem hosted numerous speakers on the topics of rule of law and democratization, sponsored Palestinians’ participation in international conferences addressing these topics and provided books and other publications in Arabic and English on human rights and democracy to local schools, libraries, PA officials and other contacts. Palestinians were also regular participants in the Salzburg Seminar, International Visitor and Fulbright Summer Institute programs, which focused on democracy and human rights topics.
The State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration administered $1.4 million in special projects to promote human rights, tolerance and conflict resolution skills among Palestinian refugee children. Under a multi-year grant to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees, projects introduced supplementary educational materials and peer mediation training in all UNRWA schools in the West Bank and Gaza in grades 4 through 9. The materials included illustrated storybooks that introduce basic concepts of human rights, tolerance and responsibility for one's actions as well as worksheets that introduce human rights and tolerance concepts at pre-selected points in the Palestinian curriculum.
The headline should have read perversive force instead of excessive force. It is no wonder our country is faiing in its war against terror. If they would get their minds working on matters other than panties, they might make some headwqay in the more important issue of winning the war on terror.
I'm confused -- they say that like it's a *bad* thing...
The Consulate General in Jerusalem hosted numerous speakers on the topics of rule of law and democratization, sponsored Palestinians’ participation in international conferences addressing these topics and provided books and other publications in Arabic and English on human rights and democracy to local schools, libraries, PA officials and other contacts. Palestinians were also regular participants in the Salzburg Seminar...,
UN and the Salzburg Seminar--NY Times/Boston Globe have no anti-Israel bias in UN and Ny Times family?!
It's sad to say this about any state in actuality, but I have gotten to the place where criticism of Israel is simply dismissed. The actions of the U.N., the E.U., the Moslem nations of the world and more often than not, our own State Department have convinced me that Israel seldom if ever gets a fair shake.
I have never understood why terrorism was so acceptable, if it was perpetrated by Palestinian terrorists. There is no condemnation unless the act is far beyond the normal five-here fifty-there type event. Coffee shops known to be frequented by women of all ages, shopping malls, markets, movie theatres, restaurants, buses full of school children, cars with moms and children in them, these are the targets of the Palestinian terrorist.
If they Palestinian terrorists targets troops, I would still be angry as hell about it, but I could at least rationalize a very small portion of the action as having been taken against a combatant. Against all reasoned understanding of hostility, the Palestinian terrorist rejects quasi-legitimate action to kill those who cannot defend themselves.
It is the understanding of this that leads me to say the things I do when Powell or any other U.S. offical asks Israel to show restraint. How many New York city buses would the U.S. accept being blown to bits, before it's leaders would remove the gloves and go vicious in response? Still we urge Israel to forgoe the number one rule of nature self-preservation, in the interest of peace.
The State Department is a vile wicked extension of our government. It needs to be reworked from top to bottom.
I must say, that I believe it is grounds for dismissal when 'anyone' (and I mean anyone) in a leadership role in our nation says publicly that Israel should show restraint.
When someone attacks my people, I'll show restraint when they stop twitching.
The Palestinians act as if Israel has ruined their lives. The reality is that the Palestinian leadership has ruined their lives. Around 55 years ago, the Palestians could have had their own state and lived right along side Israel. They could have been just as successful. Instead they opted to blame everything on others.
Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other nations have been blamed right along with Israel at various stages along the way.
Nope, it's time for Israel to serious f--k with the terrorist leadership. Just mow em down men. When the leadership herd gets thin enough, the few remaining members will somehow find a way to claim victory and make peace.
Until then, kick ass.
Coming from State Dept and we all know whose side the traitorous State Dept is on.
We'll see just who thinks whatever force is necessary to find out terrorists plans to blow up same is necessary.
Excessive bomb-belts lead to too many Israeli deaths, too.
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