The deliberate killing of unarmed citizens without any justifiable
reason is certainly a war crime.
Twin towers, Pentagon and Whilte House are indeed justifiable targets
and any civilians that die there are just unfortunate collateral
damage.
But US and Israel deliberately target citizens that have no military
justifications at all. US may not be directly involved but by blocking
any resolutions of investigations of human rights violation as noted
by this Guardian article.
As a religious person, I mourn the loss of lives in Dresden, Nagasaki
and Hiroshima but they are justifiable in order to reduce further
lives especially when the deaths are those who support the war crimes
of the Nazis and Japanese army.
So with similar justification, AlQaedah has every right to bomb the
twin towers, Pentagon and White House with whatever means that they
have at their disposal.
With the war crimes that have been persistently committed by Israel,
supported strongly by US, I don't have any pity on the citizens that
die as a result of retaliatory actions against US provided they are
military and commercial targets such as the Twin Towers, Pentagon and
White House. In fact any government building in USA is justifiable.
In fact Alqaedah is innocent. It is the US and Israel that are
behaving like the Nazis and Japanese army, and all those that support
these actions will be punished no matter how innocent they may be.
Of course if Alqaedah is still following the Islamic principle, it
should not downgrade themselves to the US and Israel level in
targeting civilians deliberately. Attacking the twin towers before the
working hours shows that Alqaedah is really concerned about human
lives so they deserve our support.
I regret that there are Malaysian students and workers in USA that had
fallen victims but they should realise that these are the results of
cooperating with war criminals or even supporters of war criminals. No
matter how powerful or rich you are, you will pay for it.
As for boycotting US and Israeli products, I only support it for
imported products that we don't really need. Those that are produced
locally and staffed by locals should not be boycotted, such as Mc
Donald. As for Jeans that are made outside USA, that should be alright
in order to protect the jobs of those non-US workers
I just felt ashamed that I didn't condemn US and not support AlQaedah
despite all the obvious evidences of the unnecessary cruelties and
support of these cruelties by US government. Hopefully, Obama should
revert US respect for law and order so that we have some hope for the
future that is peaceful and prosperous for everyone.
Now US and Israel is behaving like Nazis and Japanese army whereas
AlQaedah is the lone British defender of justice during the 2nd world
war.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/13/gaza-israel-war-crimes
Gaza conflict, day 17: Israeli reservists join the fighting and Sderot
residents send their children back to school, while conditions
deteriorate in Gaza Link to this video
Israel is facing growing demands from senior UN officials and human
rights groups for an international war crimes investigation in Gaza
over allegations such as the "reckless and indiscriminate" shelling of
residential areas and use of Palestinian families as human shields by
soldiers.
With the death toll from the 17-day Israeli assault on Gaza climbing
above 900, pressure is increasing for an independent inquiry into
specific incidents, such as the shelling of a UN school turned refugee
centre where about 40 people died, as well as the question of whether
the military tactics used by Israel systematically breached
humanitarian law.
The UN's senior human rights body approved a resolution yesterday
condemning the Israeli offensive for "massive violations of human
rights". A senior UN source said the body's humanitarian agencies were
compiling evidence of war crimes and passing it on to the "highest
levels" to be used as seen fit.
Some human rights activists allege that the Israeli leadership gave an
order to keep military casualties low no matter what cost to
civilians. That strategy has directly contributed to one of the
bloodiest Israeli assaults on the Palestinian territories, they say.
John Ging, head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency in Gaza, said:
"It's about accountability [over] the issue of the appropriateness of
the force used, the proportionality of the force used and the whole
issue of duty of care of civilians.
"We don't want to join any chorus of passing judgment but there should
be an investigation of any and every incident where there are concerns
there might have been violations in international law."
The Israeli military are accused of:
• Using powerful shells in civilian areas which the army knew would
cause large numbers of innocent casualties;
• Using banned weapons such as phosphorus bombs;
• Holding Palestinian families as human shields;
• Attacking medical facilities, including the killing of 12 ambulance
men in marked vehicles;
• Killing large numbers of police who had no military role.
Israeli military actions prompted an unusual public rebuke from the
International Red Cross after the army moved a Palestinian family into
a building and shelled it, killing 30. The surviving children clung to
the bodies of their dead mothers for four days while the army blocked
rescuers from reaching the wounded.
Human Rights Watch has called on the UN security council to set up a
commission of inquiry into alleged war crimes.
Two leading Israeli human rights organisations have separately written
to the country's attorney general demanding he investigate the
allegations.
But critics remain sceptical that any such inquiry will take place,
given that Israel has previously blocked similar attempts with the
backing of the US.
Amnesty International says hitting residential streets with shells
that send blast and shrapnel over a wide area constitutes "prima facie
evidence of war crimes".
"There has been reckless and disproportionate and in some cases
indiscriminate use of force," said Donatella Rovera, an Amnesty
investigator in Israel. "There has been the use of weaponry that
shouldn't be used in densely populated areas because it's known that
it will cause civilian fatalities and casualties.
"They have extremely sophisticated missiles that can be guided to a
moving car and they choose to use other weapons or decide to drop a
bomb on a house knowing that there were women and children inside.
These are very, very clear breaches of international law."
Israel's most prominent human rights organisation, B'Tselem, has
written to the attorney general in Jerusalem, Meni Mazuz, asking him
to investigate suspected crimes including how the military selects its
targets and the killing of scores of policemen at a passing out
parade.
"Many of the targets seem not to have been legitimate military targets
as specified by international humanitarian law," said Sarit Michaeli
of B'Tselem.
Rovera has also collected evidence that the Israeli army holds
Palestinian families prisoner in their own homes as human shields.
"It's standard practice for Israeli soldiers to go into a house, lock
up the family in a room on the ground floor and use the rest of the
house as a military base, as a sniper's position. That is the absolute
textbook case of human shields.
"It has been practised by the Israeli army for many years and they are
doing it again in Gaza now," she said.
While there are growing calls for an international investigation, the
form it would take is less clear. The UN's human rights council has
the authority to investigate allegations of war crimes but Israel has
blocked its previous attempts to do so. The UN security council could
order an investigation, and even set up a war crimes tribunal, but
that is likely to be vetoed by the US and probably Britain.
The international criminal court has no jurisdiction because Israel is
not a signatory. The UN security council could refer the matter to the
court but is unlikely to.
Benjamin Rutland, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said an
international investigation of the army's actions was not justified.
"We have international lawyers at every level of the command whose job
it is to authorise targeting decisions, rules of engagement ... We
don't think we have breached international law in any of these
instances," he said.
* Print thisPrintable version
* Send to a friendSend to a friend
* Share thisShare
* Clip thisClip
* Contact usContact us
* larger | smaller
Email
Close
Recipient's email address
Your name
Add a note (optional)
Your IP address will be logged
Share
Close
* Digg
* reddit
* Google Bookmarks
* Yahoo! My Web
* del.icio.us
* StumbleUpon
* Newsvine
* livejournal
* Facebook
* BlinkList
Contact us
Close
* Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@guardian.co.uk
* Letters for publication should be sent to:
letters@guardian.co.uk
* If you need help using the site: userhelp@guardian.co.uk
* Call the main Guardian and Observer switchboard:
+44 (0)20 7278 2332
*
o Advertising guide
o License/buy our content
World news
* Gaza ·
* Israel and the Palestinian territories ·
* War crimes ·
* United Nations
Politics
* Foreign policy ·
* David Miliband
More news
*
More on this story
*
Israel sends in reservists as diplomacy falters
*
Video Video: Gaza conflict day 17
*
Full coverage of the crisis in Gaza
Related
13 Jan 2009
Israel sends in reservists as diplomacy falters
12 Jan 2009
Simon Tisdall: How long can Britain continue to bluster over Gaza?
10 Jan 2009
UN human rights chief accuses Israel of war crimes
9 Jan 2009
UN speaking loud and clear on Gaza ceasefire, says David Miliband
* Print thisPrintable version
* Send to a friendSend to a friend
* Share thisShare
* Clip thisClip
* Contact usContact us
* Article historyArticle history
Email
Close
Recipient's email address
Your name
Add a note (optional)
Your IP address will be logged
Share
Close
* Digg
* reddit
* Google Bookmarks
* Yahoo! My Web
* del.icio.us
* StumbleUpon
* Newsvine
* livejournal
* Facebook
* BlinkList
Contact us
Close
* Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@guardian.co.uk
* Letters for publication should be sent to:
letters@guardian.co.uk
* If you need help using the site: userhelp@guardian.co.uk
* Call the main Guardian and Observer switchboard:
+44 (0)20 7278 2332
*
o Advertising guide
o License/buy our content
About this article
Close
Israel faces calls for Gaza war crimes investigation
This article was first published on guardian.co.uk at 00.01 GMT on
Tuesday 13 January 2009. It appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday 13
January 2009 on p1 of the Top stories section. It was last updated at
01.26 GMT on Tuesday 13 January 2009.
Guardian Jobs
* UK
* USA
UK
*
Exhibition Sales Executive - Food Show
dragonfly. exhibition sales executive - food show. £20000 -
£21000 per annum + Bonus.
*
Community and Activist Campaigner
oxfam gb. manchester. £27,020 - £33,190 pa.
*
Technical Support Officer (Grade 5)
university of east anglia. norfolk. £19,645 to £22,765 per
annum.
Browse all jobs
USA
*
Director of Acute Medical and Critical Care Services
60,000 has a fascinating history and unique heritage, and holds
countless opportunities for new... visual and performing arts at
charming galleries and... . tn.
*
Non-Interventional Job in Beautiful Santa Fe!
santa fe is a world-renowned travel destination, rich in
history, heritage, arts and culture. this charming city is nestled in
the sangre de cristo mountains... . in.
*
Travel Nurse- Med/Surg
anywhere you go in the state, louisiana's heritage figures
prominently -- it's visible in the architecture, arts, ambience and,
of course, the people.. la.
Browse all jobs
Ads by Google
*
Got Something To Sell?
Post Your Ads On Mudah - Fast, Free And Easy. No Registration
Required!
www.Mudah.com.my
*
1 Secret To Learn French?
I struggled for months to learn French until I found this 1
secret.
RocketLanguages.com/MyFrenchSecret
*
1500 Jobs in UN, NGOs
For Non-Profit, UN, Intl. Bank Jobs 8500 Recruiters, Apply
Today!
devnetjobs.tripod.com
Related information
World news
* Gaza ·
* Israel and the Palestinian territories ·
* War crimes ·
* United Nations
Politics
* Foreign policy ·
* David Miliband
Bombs Continue To Hit Gaza As UN Urges Ceasefire
The conflict in Gaza: day 14
7 Jan 2009:
The conflict in Gaza enters its 14th day
More galleries
7 Jan 2009
Simon Tisdall: At last, France and others are filling the diplomatic
vacuum in the present Gaza conflict
1 Jan 2009
Simon Tisdall: Deconstructing diplomacy on the crisis in Gaza
17 Nov 2008
Israeli PM Ehud Olmert promises release of 20 Palestinian prisoners as
Gaza violence continues
21 Nov 2007
Our man in the labyrinth
security council
US abstains as UN backs Gaza ceasefire
9 Jan 2009:
Security council passes resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in
Gaza conflict, but Washington fails to add its voice to international
criticism of Israeli offensive
More video
* License/buy our content |
* Privacy policy |
* Terms & conditions |
* Advertising guide |
* Accessibility |
* A-Z index |
* Inside guardian.co.uk blog |
* About guardian.co.uk |
* Join our dating site today
* guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
