Posted on 09/19/2005 12:58:57 PM PDT by SmithL
Former police northern district commander Alik Ron said Monday that the members of the Or Commission were those most guilty of obstructing the investigation into the killings of 13 Israeli Arabs during the riots of October 2000.
On Sunday, the Police Investigations Department (PID) in the Justice Ministry announced it had failed to find any policemen responsible for the killings, and therefore no indictments would be filed.
Two years ago, the Or Commission had ordered an investigation to determine whether "there is reason to take criminal or other procedures against anyone involved" in any of a series of incidents, most of them fatal, that took place during the riots in the first 10 days of October 2000.
Cmdr. (ret.) Ron, who commanded the forces dealing with the riots in northern Israel, complained to Israel Radio that no one had as yet opened an investigation into incitement on the part of Arab MKs and others in the Israeli Arab sector.
"If it was up to me," Ron declared, "I'd have set up an investigative committee immediately after the events, and not two years afterwards [as was the case with the Or Commission], right before an election."
Of the 13 Arabs who were shot to death, the Or Commission was able to single out only two policemen who were allegedly directly responsible: Ch.-Supt. Guy Reiff, who was head of the Misgav police station and border policeman Murshad Rashed. Another policeman, First-Sergeant Major N.Y., was identified as the head of a sniper unit.
The Or Commission also singled out several senior officers, including Ron, who authorized the use of snipers, and Asst.-Cmdr. Benzy Sau, who was in command at Umm el-Fahm on October 1, when two Israeli Arabs were killed there by rubber bullets. Others mentioned in the Or Report included Asst.-Cmdr. Yaron Meir, who was in charge of the Misgav District where two others were shot to death, Asst.-Cmdr. Moshe Waldman, who was head of the Amakim sub-district and ordered the use of snipers in Nazareth, and Dep.-Cmdr. Shmuel Marmelstein, who posted snipers in Nazareth on October 3.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
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