Israel accused of war crimes
According to the BBC News website, Amnesty International is accusing Israel of war crimes in Lebanon, for "deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure" during the recent conflict.
In at least three southern Lebanon villages, 50 per cent of buildings have been destroyed, and in the village of Bint Jbeil every building has been destroyed. It has been estimated by Amnesty International that ten Lebanese buildings have been destroyed for every one building destroyed in Israel.
Spookily, that is the exact same ratio as the figure I estimated on this very blog four weeks ago with regards to loss of human life, too.
Of course, Israeli spokespeople maintain that the IDF never deliberately targeted any civilian dwellings. The words "cunts" and "lying" spring to mind, and not necessarily in that order.
In at least three southern Lebanon villages, 50 per cent of buildings have been destroyed, and in the village of Bint Jbeil every building has been destroyed. It has been estimated by Amnesty International that ten Lebanese buildings have been destroyed for every one building destroyed in Israel.
Spookily, that is the exact same ratio as the figure I estimated on this very blog four weeks ago with regards to loss of human life, too.
Of course, Israeli spokespeople maintain that the IDF never deliberately targeted any civilian dwellings. The words "cunts" and "lying" spring to mind, and not necessarily in that order.
permalink posted by * (asterisk) at 4:07 PM
5 Comments:
FG: You are absolutely right that there is a "six of one, half a dozen of the other" element here. That said, even pro-Israel commentators are asking questions over the methods employed in this conflict, including IDF soldiers. Many are calling for an Israeli-government enquiry. (Not that that will do much good, or at least not quickly; witness the Thomas Hurndall and Rachel Corrie debacles.)
It also goes without saying, I hope, that I am not pro-Muslim or anti-Jew. I am not predisposed towards any religion. Indeed, I see devotion to religion (rather than avarice) as the root cause of all evil.
To answer your initial question, though, I think suicide bombing is technically an act of terrorism, and a war crime is something altogether different, carried out by a government-backed militia or army (?). Beyond that rather rubbish and vague differentiation I shan't dare to venture...
And Iran is a wholly scary spectre over the Middle East, not least because of its secrecy and the likelihood that it wants us all wearing burqas, speaking Arabic, and denouncing Western values.
i would fully support IDF criminal enquiries. Only, though if Hezbollah has the same
- An army loyal to a political affilation and not the country
-An army that does not wear uniforms, contravening Geneva convention
- An army that boasts of the number of 'innocents killed' and boosts the numbers by specifically hiding themselves or their weapons in civilian areas.
As I said, let the Israelis face the dock. Then we might find out some home truths about the Lebanese side
This is not over. Once it is realized that the UN will be unable to supply the 15,000 troops mandated by the peace plan, I doubt Isreal will sit on the sidelines for long. It only allows Hezbollah to re-arm themselves, which will not go over well with Isreal. The hard asses in political power in Isreal are already looking to exchange their passive prime minister for one who will not hesitate to kick major ass. It will not be like the last run down, it will be far worse.
Shamash brings up some very valid points which should be considered.
As with everyone else, I am not taking sides over this (despite being American, this does not mean I am a supporter of Isreal). War is nasty, we all know that. I feel for the citizens of Lebanon, their land has been a designated war zone for far too long (just like Afganistan, the Sudan, Congo...). My only point is that it is unfortunate to sit and watch how far people will fight for their gods.
Interesting how some groups get away with war crimes and others don't. Depends on which side of the line you're standing.
HtDJ: Maybe...
Shamash: I think a shake-up of the whole area is probably in order, for sure.
Camie: It's not over by a long shot. I can't see this peacekeeping force working out. No one wants to go in because the situation is still so unstable. Gods suck.
Pie: Ultimately, all that any "outsider" wants, surely, is for the killing to stop. But we can't even stop kids in our own towns from shooting each other. What chance do we stand trying to prevent wars in faraway lands?
Tanya: Yep. Same atrocities + different clothing = different punishments. Fucked up, isn't it?
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