What do you guys make of the following?
> This is from today's Ha'aretz. > > > The findings are known in advance > > By Ze'ev Segal > > > http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=157041&contrassID =2&subContrassID=4&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y > > > The commission investigating the events of the Sabra and Chatilla refugee > camps determined that the massacre was carried out by the Phalangists and > that the State of Israel thus did not bear direct responsibility for it. > > In a note to the summary of their report, published in February 1983, the > members of the Kahan commission said they were not deluding themselves > into thinking that "the results of this inquiry would convince or satisfy > those with prejudiced views and a selective conscience." > > About a year ago, the Belgian court hearing the case against Prime > Minister Ariel Sharon and other senior Israeli officials was presented > with a whole set of testimonies, which appeared to be well-coordinated and > orchestrated, about atrocities allegedly committed by Israeli soldiers in > the camps. > > A similar set of testimonies could also be the daily bread of the > fact-finding committee appointed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi > Annan to look into the events in the Jenin refugee camp. Palestinian > sources, who are still making waves in international broadcasts, continue > to claim there was a massacre in Jenin. This is the picture that will be > presented to the fact-finding team by Palestinian witnesses, who will > presumably speak with a single voice. > > There is reason for concern that Israeli testimony will not lead the > committee - which is commissioned to report its findings to the UN > secretary-general and Security Council - to an unequivocal conclusion that > there was never was any massacre. A complete rejection of the massacre > claim would entail a pointed refutation of the testimony of the > Palestinian side, something the committee would seek to avoid given its > political nature. > > The fact-finding committee is comprised of people of political and > humanitarian background, without legal expertise in the objective and > professional reviewing of facts. The committee does not include any > experts with military background in fighting terror, and the general > characteristics of the committee are far from that of the commission of > inquiry that is customary in Israel. This type of committee does not even > raise an expectation that its investigation would be impartial. > > Israeli government officials assume that the recordings, photographs and > transcripts of prisoner interrogations pointing to the truth would be > relevant only to a fact-finding committee of a legal nature. The UN > committee is not like this. At best it may conclude - in a "note" attached > to the findings or in some other way - that it is impossible to determine > with certainty that there was a massacre in Jenin. This conclusion would > come together with the predictable findings that Israel used "excessive > force" and "prevented humanitarian aid." This type of conclusion was > actually already sounded by Terje Larsen, according to which "Israel > prevented aid organizations and international assistance from entering for > seven days." > > This type of statement, without addressing the overall context, is enough > to open the gates to war crimes tribunals and other investigations, and > serve as the basis for anti-Israel decisions in UN institutions. The UN > secretary general did not rule out the possibility of putting soldiers on > trial for war crimes, though UN sources said those testifying would be > promised immunity. > > The need to vigorously oppose sending soldiers before the UN panel is not > because we have something to hide. The widespread assumption is that we > have nothing to hide. The IDF could have submitted its material and > personnel for a review before a neutral and objective committee, but not > to a committee representing the the Security Council, in which Israel does > not get a fair hearing. > > The promise of immunity for IDF soldiers from international criminal > prosecution is a bluff. Immunity inherently exists only on the assumption > that those implicated under questioning will not travel abroad. Otherwise, > they will not have immunity and the findings of the committee will haunt > them wherever they go. A government decision to subject them to > questioning would be inconsistent with the state's obligation to protect > the dignity and freedom of its soldiers, as also expressed in the Basic > Law on Human Dignity and Freedom. > > It is accepted in law that a state can renege on a promise in the face of > a clear "public interest." Israel does not need to stand by its initial > agreement to the formation of a UN committee in light of its composition > and character, which does not promise an honest and unbiased inquiry. > > Israel cannot agree to cooperate with a committee that would discuss the > actions in Jenin according to political considerations without addressing > the overall picture of Jenin as "the capital of suicide bombers" and the > whole series of horrific attacks that led to the IDF action. Israel could > submit to the committee - if its relationship with the United States so > required - recordings and aerial photos of the Jenin operation, and > documents about Jenin's role in terror and about the chain of terror > attacks in Israel and the territories. > > However, the government should not, under any condition, expose IDF > soldiers to an international inquiry whose findings are actually known in > advance. > > > > > > > -----------------------------------------~-~> > ShomerNet changes via email: > Switch to digest: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Switch to normal: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Stop receiving mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Permanently unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ------------------------------------------_-> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > ______________________________________________________________________ Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. 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