Israeli military accused of whitewash on Qana bombing

[JackNewtown]

First four paragraphs:

Rory McCarthy at Hazor air force base
Friday August 4, 2006
The Guardian


An Israeli military investigation into the Qana bombing, which killed at least 28 people, yesterday found that the air force did not know there were civilians in the building and blamed Hizbullah for using "human shields."
The air force would not have hit the building, which is close to the border in southern Lebanon, had it known there were civilians present, the military said.

Human rights groups have criticised Israeli targeting in the air campaign. Amnesty International described the investigation as "clearly inadequate" and a "whitewash". In a report into Israeli air strikes on Lebanon, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said the Israelis had "systematically failed to distinguish between combatants and civilians".

The Lebanese government said at least 54 civilians sheltering in the basement of the building were killed in the bombing. Human Rights Watch said the latest evidence showed that 28 people, including 16 children, were confirmed dead and another 13 were still missing. Others may be buried under the rubble of the house, where rescue work has been halted.--

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1837069,00.html

[breakaleg]

1. I'm so tired of these "human sheild" references without proof

The Israeli's make that claim in every statement when they try to justify, their attacks. But if there were human sheilds in Qana, then where is the proof?

[everythingsxen]

2. Unfortunately...

the only "proof" of human shields is the dead civilians. Hezbollah has a very long track record of firing in or near civilian structures, precisely to draw sympathy from the world when Israel accidentally kills civilians.

It is also impossible to say for sure if Hezbollah agents removed the bodies of actual combatants.

If Hezbollah truly was the humanitarian organization they claim to be, they would cease their attacks on Israel and submit themselves to U.N. authorities to be disarmed.

[breakaleg]

3. in this case, and in many that I've seen this week, all we see are

dead civilians with no traces of either weapons or Hezbollah nearby. From this I conclude that the "human sheild" business is their slogan, and maybe does apply in some cases, but not this one.

If they can't offer proof, then it's probably because there isn't any.

[everythingsxen]

4. And what proof would you require?

And would even that be enough?

They are not fighting an army in a uniform. They are fighting people who are dressed as civilians. There is also a high likelihood that Hezbollah personnel in the area would "clean-up" the area prior to an actual impartial observer.

[Erika]

7. The proof I would require is a track record

Is there such a thing? Thank you.

[Erika]

8. The Red Cross certfied the dead

Is that enough proof?

[Erika]

5. Why would they do that?

The Lebanese government supports them and they have the people's support.

[Sherman A1]

10. Shocked, Shocked!

[Erika]

6. Please post this track record

Since the Lebanese gov't supports them. Thank you.

[HongKonger]

9. Well

The fact is - there were no Hezbollah rockets fired from Qana in that area. That is another 'proof' which negates your argument.

The IDF now says "there were no rocket launches from Qana on the day of the strike," according to an article in Ha'aretz.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/745185.html

In my opinion, this is clearly a case of collective punishment for the local populations' support of Hezbollah

Not to mention that Forbes Magazine first reported the two Israeli soldiers were captures in Lebanon, not Israel.



http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/07/12/ap2873051.html

There's a whole lot of more problems when you look at Israel made War inevitable -when they vetoed a Secret Peace Agreement

http://mobile.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/33265

[chimpymustgo]

12. It's COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT and ETHNIC CLEANSING. 2 birds in 1!

This from Juan Cole (thanks Jundrawer)

One hope the Israeli hawks appear to entertain is that they can permanently depopulate strips Lebanon south of the Litani river. Since most Shiites vote Hizbullah and offer political support and cover to it, fewer people means fewer assets for the party-militia. This project would require the total destruction of large numbers of villages and the permanent displacement of their inhabitants north to Beirut.

That is why the massacre at Qana occurred. The Israelis had bombed Qana 80 times. They were destroying all of its buildings. Therefore, of course, they destroyed the building where dozens of children and families were hiding. This tactic is both collective punishment and ethnic cleansing all at once. It is not only a matter, as the Israelis claim, of hitting Hizbullah rocket launchers. They are destroying all of the buildings.

...


http://www.juancole.com /
1984 is a warning, not an instruction manual.

[JackNewtown]

13. Interesting read

It is good to know 98 out of 100 Senators and 43 of the 44 Democratic Senators support this blindly...

[FlavaKreemSnak]

11. Can't you say though that all civilians are human shields?

I mean, anybody who lives in a country with an army, unless they keep all of the bases way far away from any civilian homes or businesses, aren't those civilians human shields? And Israel is a tiny little country, with like a jillion military bases, so isn't everybody that lives there a human shield?

[gratuitous]

14. A lame excuse from a four-year-old

"See what you made me do?" I don't accept that excuse from my four-year-old grandson; I sure don't find it persuasive from alleged grown-ups in the Israeli military.