they have committed war crimes and now must pay for them . On Jan 22, 6:24 am, RichardForbes <[email protected]> wrote: > The UN has many documented standards. First, they are worth the same > as any other opinion. Second, they are not even binding if a country > actually signed on to them. Third, they may be the most notable world > deliberative body, but they are about as important as any other used > tissue in a waste dump. Finally, given the unfair and inconsistant way > that they deal with Israel (they are actually as dangerous and more > disingenuous than Hamas), what reason would Israeli leadership ever > have for giving twoo hoots what they are whining about today? > > On Jan 22, 6:15 am, "liberal mike532 !" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > i am wondering if JGG will be man enough to admit he was wrong or > > not . > > either way i will leave you with this thought war crimes are as the > > name implies crimes and no mater who commits them they should be > > punished weather you agree with their political position or not . to > > do anything less lowers man kind to level of savages ! > > On Jan 22, 4:51 am, "liberal mike532 !" <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > " Jerusalem - Israel has admitted - after mounting pressure - that > > > its troops may have used white phosphorus shells in contravention of > > > international law, during its three-week offensive in the Gaza > > > Strip."http://www.truthout.org/012109D > > > Israel Admits Troops Used Phosphorus Shells in Gaza > > > > Amnesty warns Israel guilty of war crimes. > > > > Jerusalem - Israel has admitted - after mounting pressure - that > > > its troops used white phosphorus shells in contravention of > > > international law, during its three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip. > > > > One of the places most seriously affected by the use of white > > > phosphorus was the main UN compound in Gaza City, which was hit by > > > three shells on 15 January. The same munition was used in a strike on > > > the al-Quds hospital in Gaza City the same day. > > > > Under review by Colonel Shai Alkalai is the use of white > > > phosphorus by a reserve paratroop brigade in northern Israel. > > > > According to army sources the brigade fired up to 20 phosphorus > > > shells in a heavily built-up area around the Gaza township of Beit > > > Lahiya, one of the worst hit areas of Gaza. > > > > The internal inquiry - which the army says does not have the > > > status of the full investigation demanded by human rights groups > > > including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch - follows weeks > > > of fighting in which Israel either denied outright that it was using > > > phosphorus-based weapons, or insisted that what weapons it was using > > > "were in line with international law". > > > > Dr Ahmed Almi from the al-Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis describes > > > serious injuries and chemical burns, with victims covered in a white > > > powder that continues to burn long after initial exposure Link to this > > > video > > > > Phosphorus is a toxic chemical agent that burns on contact with > > > air and creates thick white smokes in order to hide troop movements. > > > However phosphorus shells are largely indiscriminate scattering large > > > numbers of fragments over a large area, which can cause severe damage > > > to both human tissue and property. > > > > As the Guardian reported yesterday, Palestinian doctors have > > > reported treating dozens of cases of suspected phosphorus burns. > > > > According to senior IDF officers, quoted today in the Ha'aretz > > > newspaper, the Israeli military made use of two different types of > > > phosphorus munitions. > > > > The first, they insisted, was contained in 155mm artillery shells, > > > and contained "almost no phosphorus" except for a trace to ignite the > > > smoke screen. > > > > The second munitions, at the centre of the inquiry by Col Alkalai, > > > are standard phosphorus shells - both 88mm and 120mm - fired from > > > mortars. > > > > About 200 of these shells were fired during Israel's Operation > > > Cast Lead in Gaza, and of these - say the IDF - 180 were fired on > > > Hamas fighters and rocket launch crews in northern Gaza. > > > > Alkalai is investigating the circumstances in which the remaining > > > 20 shells were fired, amid compelling evidence on the ground that > > > phosphorus munitions were involved in the attack on a UN warehouse and > > > a UN school. > > > > The mortar system is guided by GPS and according to Israel a > > > failure of the targeting system may have been responsible for civilian > > > deaths. However, critics point out the same explanation was used for > > > mis-targeting deaths in Beit Hanoun in Gaza in 2006. > > > The use of phosphorus as an incendiary weapon as it now appears to > > > have been used against Hamas fighters - as opposed to a smoke screen - > > > is covered by the Convention of Certain Conventional Weapons to which > > > Israel in not a signatory. > > > > However, Israel also is obliged under the Geneva Conventions and > > > customary international humanitarian law to give due care to > > > protecting the civilian population when deciding on appropriate > > > military targeting and response to hostile fire, particularly in > > > heavily built up areas with a strict prohibition on the use of > > > indiscriminate force. > > > > "They obviously could not have gone on denying the use of > > > phosphorus," Donatella Rovera, Amnesty researcher for Israel and the > > > Occupied Territories, told the Guardian yesterday. "There are still > > > phosphorus wedges burning all over Gaza including at the UN compound > > > and at the school. > > > > "It is clear they are not using it as smoke screen as they > > > claimed. They used it in areas where they had no forces, and there are > > > much less problematic smoke screens that they could have used." > > > > Amnesty on Monday warned that Israel could be guilty of war > > > crimes, saying the use of the shells in a civilian areas was "clear > > > and undeniable". > > > > Rovera demanded too that Israel produce clear evidence that there > > > were fighters in the areas it says its troops were fired upon when the > > > phosphorus munitions were fired. > > > > The admission that the shells had been used improperly follows > > > yesterday's demand by the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon for an > > > investigation into the targeting of UN facilities - including by > > > phosphorus weapons. > > > > It also follows the decision by the IDF to protect the names of > > > battalion and brigade commanders who participated in Operation Cast > > > Lead. > > > > According to Israel Army Radio on Wednesday the decision - ordered > > > by defence minister Ehud Barak - was made in anticipation that war > > > crimes charges will be filed against IDF officers, who could face > > > prosecution when they travel overseas. > > > »- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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