-Caveat Lector- Tuesday, January 15, 2002 Shvat 2, 5762 Israel Time: 04:39 (GMT+2) http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=117480&contrassI D=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y
War crimes threats prompt plans to defend IDF officers Guidelines will be provided for senior Israeli security officials who may be arrested and tried abroad for war crimes, as the threat of such trials in international courts appears to be growing. Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein's office is currently drawing up guidelines for security officials, which will be based on a survey of European legal systems, formulated by an interministerial committee comprised of representatives from the Foreign and Justice ministries. The survey checked which European countries include clauses in their legislation which could lead to the arrest of senior Israel Defense Forces officers and other Israeli security officials, and found that the legal systems of Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Belgium and Britain may allow such arrests. Following international plans for establishing an international court for crimes against humanity in The Hague, which is due to open within several months, and Belgium's 1993 law authorizing its courts to try individuals for crimes against humanity, IDF officers and other senior Israeli officials have been worried by the possibility of being tried for war crimes in Europe. The IDF has taken into account the possibility of such arrests, and sources in the IDF prosecution revealed that the military has been preparing itself to protect its officers against international trials. A Palestinian human rights group said yesterday it will begin collecting evidence against senior Israeli officials, aimed at bringing war crimes charges against them in an international court. Researchers for Al Haq, the human rights group based in Ramallah, said they hope to have enough evidence within three months to press charges against Major General Doron Almog, the head of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. The group plans to present its case in Belgium, where the law grants the country's courts the jurisdiction to try individuals for war crimes, wherever they take place. Al Haq said it is investigating Doron Almog in connection with the November deaths of five schoolboys killed by an explosive device planted by Israeli soldiers in the Khan Yunis refugee camp, and with the demolition of dozens of homes in the Rafah refugee camp last week. Israel expressed regret at the time for the deaths of the five boys and said they accidentally set off the explosives, which were placed there to target militants. Al Haq claims that the demolition of the homes in Rafah, which left some 600 people homeless according to Palestinian, UN and Israeli human rights groups figures, was against international law and should be considered a war crime. Sources in the IDF prosecution contended that "international law allows, on principle, the destruction of private property under conditions of war, and when there is an absolute military necessity to do so." As long as the demolitionin Rafah was a strategic necessity, claims the IDF, it cannot be considered a war crime. The IDF has claimed that the destroyed houses were used as hiding places for Palestinian gunmen, and may have been used to smuggle arms from Egypt into Palestinian Authority territory. Moreover, the IDF has stated that the houses were abandoned. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
