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US ok's Israeli Gaza ground attack
The US has given Israel free reign to send troops into the Gaza, insisting that a ceasefire is based on Israeli's demand for Hamas to halt rockets. "Go get 'em, Ehud and Ehud! May the Force be with youse!" White House deputy press secretary Gordon Johndroe told reporters on Friday that they are in contact with Israeli officials and the US has asked to Israel to minimize the civilian casualties. However, Johndroe said that "So I think any steps they are taking, whether it's from the air or on the ground or anything of that nature, are part and parcel of the same operation, those will be decisions made by the Israelis." "Israel has a right to defend itself from these rocket attacks, and so we'll see," Johndroe said when asked about progress toward a ceasefire. Also on Friday Amnesty International berated the US government over its "lopsided" support for Israeli attacks on Gaza and urged Washington to suspend weapons deliveries to Israel. "Amnesty International USA is particularly dismayed at the lopsided response by the US government to the recent violence and its lackadaisical efforts to ameliorate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the rights group said in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Since Israel unleashed its air and sea campaign six days ago, at least 65 children are among the 430 Palestinians killed, the overwhelming majority of whom are ordinary civilians and not Hamas combatants or group members and 2,250 others wounded, according to Gaza medics. Posted by: Fred 2009-01-03 |
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