Article

2006-09-14 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hezbollah accused of committing war crimes against Israel: Amnesty

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Posted by Fred 2006-09-14 00:00|| || Front Page|| [8 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 CYA time for "Amnesty". I still don't trust them. Israel is their favorite whipping boy...

Posted by borgboy 2006-09-14 00:04|| 2006-09-14 00:04|| Front Page Top

#2 It's a pity nobody's going to do a damn thing about it because, sadly, there isn't really a throat to wrap your fingers around. Of course, Amnesty (and the UN) are perfectly aware of that. They only like to attack groups and states that are not going to attack them. Maybe Amnesty and the UN needs their own armies so they can grow some balls.

Posted by gorb 2006-09-14 02:00|| 2006-09-14 02:00|| Front Page Top

#3 Hey look on the bright side it's a change from what we expected.

Let me guess ZERO media coverage?

Posted by Bright Pebbles in Blairistan 2006-09-14 05:57|| 2006-09-14 05:57|| Front Page Top

#4 Call me cynical, but I think they are just doing it to provide cover for their next 100 blasts at Israel.

Posted by Swamp Blondie 2006-09-14 06:45|| http://azjetsetchick.blogspot.com ]">[http://azjetsetchick.blogspot.com ] 2006-09-14 06:45|| Front Page Top

#5 Damn...I should always keep my 'Super 3D Nuclear Surprise Meter (tm)' on me at all times...

Posted by SHaKeY STeVe 2006-09-14 09:28|| 2006-09-14 09:28|| Front Page Top

#6 Day late and dollar short. Took them way too long to figure out they pissed off some big donors when they only went after Israel when the bullets and rockets were flying.

Posted by Chulet Throsh6262 2006-09-14 13:17|| 2006-09-14 13:17|| Front Page Top

#7 But most importantly, they decided to focus on the comparatively minor war-crime. By the far the more important was HB's systematic placement of non-combatants at risk in Lebanon by deliberate basing of military activities (the rocket firings in question) amongst protected persons (and use of protected sites like schools/hospitals etc. for military facilities like command posts and munitions stores).

THIS is the key war crime in question - and arguably the far more serious, under Geneva and other rules of war (attackers must only use deliberation and balance military gain against cost to protected persons/places in launching attacks, so the attacks on Israel were in some cases colorable as military in objective). But focusing on HB's most egregious violations would, of course, completely negate AI's and others' cases against Israel (which are poor on their own merits, see parenthetic comment preceding). All of the attention and condemnation - rightly - would be directed at HB's behavior in Lebanon which compelled Israel to launch attacks with unavoidable damage to non-combatants.

The infrastructure attacks by Israel outside the south are another matter (though probably quite defensible on military grounds). But HB's systematic and egregious violations - which subjected its own civilian population to risk and suffering - those are obviously the outstanding war crime issue of the conflict, and yet AI and others studiously avoid it.

Where's that surprise meter??

Posted by Verlaine in Iraq 2006-09-14 13:57|| 2006-09-14 13:57|| Front Page Top

#8 They avoided mentioning the firing of those missiles from within civilian areas as war crimes, because that would have vitiated any accusations of war crimes against the Israelis. In short, they deliberately pulled their punches in order to preserve their ability to slander Israel.

Posted by Ptah">Ptah 2006-09-14 14:48|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]">[http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2006-09-14 14:48|| Front Page Top

#9 By the far the more important was HB's systematic placement of non-combatants at risk in Lebanon by deliberate basing of military activities (the rocket firings in question) amongst protected persons (and use of protected sites like schools/hospitals etc. for military facilities like command posts and munitions stores).

Bing-effing-go, Verlaine. The anti-civilian nature of Hezbollah's attacks are run-of-the-mill and very well known. In other words, nothing new or controversial. The way Hezbollah intentionally threw Lebanese civilians into the Israeli meat-grinder is what stinks here. Funny how the spotlight missed that little gem.

they deliberately pulled their punches in order to preserve their ability to slander Israel.

Sure looks like, doesn't it, Ptah.

Posted by Zenster 2006-09-14 16:42|| 2006-09-14 16:42|| Front Page Top

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