Posted on 04/14/2002 3:45:08 AM PDT by Gorons
(12:10) IDF: Bodies of dead Palestinians booby-trapped
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April, 14 2002 |
Army forces are continuing mopping-up operations in the northern West Bank city of Jenin at this hour.
There are reports of intermittent sniping at soldiers, Israel Radio said.
IDF sources said many of the bodies of Palestinians killed in fighting over the last two weeks were booby-trapped and that was one of the reasons journalists and Red Cross teams were not allowed into the camp until this morning.
The curfew has also been lifted for the time being so camp residents can stock up on foodstuffs.
Reporters on the scene report seeing no bodies strewn in the steets of the city, contrary to earlier Palestinians reports of an Israeli massacre.
There were, however, several media reports attesting to significant damage to homes, building and infrstructure.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said at this morning's weekly cabinet session that the army had carefully checked casualty reports and said the bodies of dozens of armed Palestinians had been found by troops on Friday, and not humdreds, as Palestinians had been reporting.
He said that 23 out of 26 Palestinian casualties discovered were wearing uniforms and were armed.
"We did not bury a single body, certainly not in mass graves,' Ben-Eliezer said, according to Israel Radio.
"We suggested that the families [of the dead] bury the bodies, with the assistance of the Red Cross, but they refused," he said.
The IDF Spokesman, in a statement released a few minutes ago, categorically dismissed the Palestinian claims, adding that the burial arrangements would be coordinated with local Palestinian officials.
Meanwhile, Palestinians said that soldiers had killed local Islamic Jihad head Abu Jandal earlier today.
Army sources have not confirmed the report.
At the same time, a panel of three High Court justices is taking up three petitions concerned with the disposition of Palestinians killed in gun battles with soldiers in the Jenin refugee camp since the launching of Operation Defense Shield.
Court President Aharon Barak on Friday issued an interim injunction ordering the army to refrain from removing the bodies until a ruling is issued. In addition, the court asked the State Attorney's Office to respond to charges the army has begun burying bodies in mass graves.
Yeah, right. They were just protecting the journalists (the ones they didn't shoot). Like they would be disturbing the bodies and triggering the booby traps.
This also becomes a convenient excuse for their war-crime of not allowing the Red Cross in to treat the wounded.
Which camp do you fall into? Isn't it embarrassing to be a useful idiot for evil terrorists? Where is your shame?
Do you have names of the journalists that were shot?
I don't think it's become clear to the world--just to people with any common sense.
Of course they would. That isn't what makes this story not ring true. This is:
"23 out of 26 Palestinian casualties discovered were wearing uniforms and were armed"
Clintonesque. They better "discover" ten times that number were killed or Israel is in serious trouble with a kill ratio under 2 to 1.Most everything which comes from Israel now is Clintonesque. Sharon advisor, Dore Gold was on TV the other day explaining away civilian casualies by saying, "America kills civilians too!"
True enough, we do. But not something a friend and ally would say.
Any mass grave would be seen from a helicopter. It is impossible to lie about these things and not get cought.
Name a location of these alleged mass graves, OR a name of a journalist that was shot, and you have me on your side.
Until them, Stop these stupid anti-simetic posts.
They use Red Crescent, not Red Cross, because they are offended by Christianity.
Also, the Crescent gives them succor as they transport bombs in the ambulances (two apprehended in the last several days), and send women and children out to do their suicide bombing attacks.
You've not yet deduced from the plain facts, that Arafat and his thugs are murderous animals.
Yes boss. I will never question anything which comes out of Israel ever again. Israel always does the right thing and tells the truth. Sharon doesn't use too much force and he doesn't use too little (I happen to think he does use too little)
Free Republic is becoming bizarre. Bush, Powell, Cheney, Rice, Blair, the French, Germans, the Pope, some of our own military are all ruthlessly examined and often torn to shreds.But Israel? No skepticism allowed. To do so would be "antisemitic."
I want Israel to take out the terrorists and do it fast. I expect there will be civilian deaths. Many of them. That is war. But I am not going to leave common sense behind or be intimidated by Al Sharpton types who sling BOOGA! BOOGA! identity politics slurs such as "antisemite" at me if I doubt the latest story from the IDF.
Nor is the hypocritical double standard being promoted by the Bush administration.
When I read the pro-Palestinian apologists in this forum, I flash back to the NSBers in WW2.
After the war, there was retribution.
Despite what some think, Israel is not a part of the United States of America. We can do damn well what we please. Israel can have any standard she wants. But she cannot tell us what standard we have.
You reinforce the point I made above. Bush and America are fair game. Tear them apart. Bash every other country too. But never, never even question Israel. Even when they put out an unbelievable story such as this one. 26 Palestinian casualties discovered? Journalists kept away for fear of ALL THOSE bodies being booby trapped? Yeah sure...tell me another one.
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