-Caveat Lector-
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/15/1029113984644.html
Israeli Army accused of using human shields
By Ross Dunn, Herald Correspondent in Jerusalem and agencies
August 16 2002
A Palestinian teenager died in a hail of bullets after being
used as a human shield in an Israeli Army operation to prevent
what it described as a "mega" terrorist attack.
The death came despite army assurances that it would stop
the controversial practice, condemned by human rights
groups, of using residents to protect soldiers carrying out raids
inside Palestinian civilian areas.
The soldiers were targeting a senior Hamas militant, Nasr
Jarrar, 44, who, the army said, had recruited suicide bombers
and was planning to demolish a skyscraper in central Israel.
The army said Mr Jarrar was still active despite losing both
legs and an arm while trying to plant a bomb last year.
After discovering his hideout in the West Bank town of Tubas,
Israeli soldiers surrounded the building and ordered Nidal Abu
Muhsein, 19, to knock on the door.
A gunfight followed, during which Mr Muhsein was killed by
shots from inside the house, the military said. Mr Jarrar was
decapitated when the army demolished the house with a
bulldozer.
The Israeli human rights group B'tselem accused the army of
using Mr Muhsein as a human shield. The army denied the
claim, saying it was trying to prevent civilian deaths by warning
anyone in the house with Mr Jarrar to surrender.
---> But the Hebrew daily Ma'ariv yesterday said the practice was
aimed at protecting the lives of the Israeli soldiers, not
Palestinian civilians.
"The Israel Defence Forces uses the procedure when there is
concern that a wanted man, hiding in his house, will open fire
on soldiers ...
Over the past two years, use of this procedure has increased,
and innocent neighbours have been hurt on more than one
occasion," the paper said.
Israeli human rights groups appealed to the Supreme Court to
halt the practice and were assured by the Attorney-General
that the army would no longer endanger the lives of innocent
Palestinian civilians.
The groups are expected to lodge a new legal challenge.
Ma'ariv spoke to several senior Israeli officers who also
voiced their opposition. One officer was quoted as saying: "It
would be better to endanger soldiers rather than innocent
civilians who are caught in combat through no deed of their
own and could pay with their lives."
A cabinet minister, Ephraim Sneh, a former military
commander, said yesterday that although he was unsure the
action would stand up to the test of law, "there is the
consideration that we have to prevent a large terror attack, and
it's clear which consideration wins in this situation".
In another move the Palestinian Finance Minister, Salam
Fayyad, said a holding company had been established to
consolidate Palestinian Authority assets under a single
umbrella, a reform that meets a key US demand to overhaul
Palestinian finances.
Mr Fayyad, a former senior World Bank official, said that the
Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat, had given formal
approval on Wednesday to the creation of the Palestinian
Investment Fund, which would be under the finance minister's
direct control.
Mr Fayyad said the new holding company would ensure
transparency and accountability in Palestinian financial
dealings.
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