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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Officer in 'human shield' case demoted |
| 2007-08-07 |
| A Givati Battalion commander who ordered his soldiers to use the outlawed "neighbor policy" during an arrest operation in the Gaza Strip a month ago will be removed from duty, Israel Radio reported Monday. A 14-year-old girl was mistakenly shot during the operation in question after the battalion's soldiers surrounded a house in which a fugitive was believed to be hiding. The soldiers ordered one of the women inside to send all the occupants out. The girl was the first person to leave the building, and soldiers - expecting to encounter the fugitive - opened fire, hitting her in the stomach. OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant condemned the officer, who will no longer serve in a command position. Lower-ranked officers involved in the incident will also be disciplined. In April, the IDF said it was suspending the commander of troops seen using two Palestinian youths as human shields, in violation of a Supreme Court ruling banning the practice. The military announced the mission commander had been relieved of operational duty, 'following the incident in which IDF soldiers apparently made prohibited use of civilians.' A Military Police investigation had been ordered, the statement said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #10 It's the voice of someone who's commanded troops. In urban warfare? In warfare at all? Someone once asked you if you knew Yigal Amir. You replied "not personally". How does one interpret that? That depends on the interplay between genes & environment. Also, in all the time you've been at Rantburg, you never made one condemnation of the act. You got me! |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-08-07 22:59 |
| #9 The sturdy voice of stupidity and ignorance. This officer, and the least of his men, are worth a million of you. It's the voice of someone who's commanded troops. So the troops under his command didn't screw up and shoot a 14-year old girl? Or it's okay for a CO's troops to screw up and shoot a 14-year old girl as long as she's isn't the 'right sort'? p.s. You're also a liar. To wit: "Then again, I'm responding to someone who thinks assassinating their own prime minister was a good thing " Someone once asked you if you knew Yigal Amir. You replied "not personally". How does one interpret that? Also, in all the time you've been at Rantburg, you never made one condemnation of the act. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-08-07 21:29 |
| #8 Getting punished for your troops screwing up and shooting a 14-year old girl The sturdy voice of stupidity and ignorance. This officer, and the least of his men, are worth a million of you. p.s. You're also a liar. To wit: "Then again, I'm responding to someone who thinks assassinating their own prime minister was a good thing " |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-08-07 18:57 |
| #7 However, I need some convincing that forcing civilians to act as negotiators is NOT forbidden. So do I. With the majority of Palestinians supporting the Hamas terrorists, they become complicit in all acts of terrorism against Israel. Marching randomly selected adult Palestinians up to their compatriots' hideouts in order to obtain close-in positions really doesn't bother me a whole lot. Hamas and all the other terrorist groups intentionally target and kill Israeli children, so preventing loss of innocent life really doesn't come into play here. Palestinians need to be reminded of the consequences to their acts at all turns. Having them get shot up by over-eager terrorists is a good way of doing that. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-07 14:10 |
| #6 The GCs are simply out of date. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-08-07 11:50 |
| #5 From the article: The landmark Supreme Court ruling banning the use of human shields was prompted by an outcry over the army's widespread practice, in a 2002 West Bank offensive, of forcing Palestinian civilians to approach fugitives' hideouts. The army, which launched the offensive following a rash of suicide bombings, defended the practice at the time, saying it kept civilians out of harm's way and encouraged terrorists to surrender peacefully. And it says it never allowed troops to use civilians for cover during battles. Human rights groups say the use of civilians in military operations has dropped sharply since the Supreme Court ban, but has not disappeared. Using human shields is, of course, forbidden by the Geneva Conventions. However, I need some convincing that forcing civilians to act as negotiators is NOT forbidden. On the one hand, one has the principle that civilians are not soldiers, and so should not be pressed into roles reserved for soldiers. On the other hand, there IS the overarching meta-principle that loss of civilian life is to be minimized, so if the practice actually DOES minimize civilian losses, then it should be made an obligation of the occupied populace per the Geneva Conventions. In fact, after some reflection, it DOES seem that the GCs, while laying obligations on armies, does not also lay obligations on occupied peoples to merit GC protections. There are probably reasons why this is so, but it IS ripe for abuse, and addressing abuse is something the GCs are notoriously silent about. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2007-08-07 11:45 |
| #4 PC or not, he violated a direct lawful order, and apparently has issues with command. Not a good thing for an officer in any army. I know there is sone leeway for stuff like this with SF untis, but given that they are selected for good judgement and then trained and drilled to the max, leeway for them is justified. Not so for a line officer. If the ROE porevent you fronm accomplishingthe mission, you do what you can then draw back and report up the chain of command that the ROE prevented successful compltion due to unacceptable risks. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-08-07 11:33 |
| #3 Another good officer sacrificed to PC Getting punished for your troops screwing up and shooting a 14-year old girl (Palestinian or not) during an operation is not being 'sacrificed to political correctness'. Then again, I'm responding to someone who thinks assassinating their own prime minister was a good thing and that the goyim should just shut up... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-08-07 10:36 |
| #2 Officer cashiered? No reference to Pat Tillman? How really serious and newsworthy can this possibly be. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2007-08-07 08:04 |
| #1 Another good officer sacrificed to PC. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-08-07 06:11 |