-Caveat Lector- Amnesty calls for arrest of Israelis for war crimes
Chris McGreal in Jerusalem Monday November 4, 2002 The Guardian Amnesty International has called on Britain and other signatories to the Geneva conventions to put on trial Israeli soldiers "responsible for war crimes" in Jenin and Nablus earlier this year. In a report published today, Amnesty says Israeli forces were guilty of unlawful killings, torture and the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields. It says that among other "grave breaches" of international law were ill-treatment of prisoners, wanton destruction of hundreds of homes, sometimes with the residents still inside, and the blocking of medical help to the wounded. Amnesty says the months-long investigation is the most thorough to date and provides the spade work for war crimes trials by documenting five separate grounds for prosecution. Kathleen Cavanaugh, the professor of international law who researched the report, says Amnesty has asked the Israeli government to act on the evidence and try those responsible, although it does not name them. If Israel does not, then the human rights group wants foreign governments it accuses of shielding Israel from accountability, particularly the United States, to apply political pressure and to stop the sale of weapons to the Jewish state. If Israel still refuses to act, then Amnesty says those implicated in war crimes should be detained and tried when they travel abroad. "If you have an army commander ... who takes a holiday in a country that is a high contracting party [to the Geneva conventions] like the UK, then the UK can launch an investigation and hold a trial if it chooses. It has a legal obligation under international law to do so," said Ms Cavanaugh. "It's not a mystery who was in charge. The names of those responsible are known and they travel regularly to Europe and the United States." Among the potential candidates for prosecution is Israel's new defence minister, Lieutenant General Shaul Mofaz, who is already under investigation by Scotland Yard. Lawyers representing Palestinian families presented a dossier of the general's alleged crimes to the director of public prosecutions in the hope that he would be detained during a visit to the UK last week. But Gen Mofaz returned to Israel without being questioned. Among the cases cited by Amnesty is that of Jamal Fayed, a 38-year-old severely disabled man living in Jenin refugee camp where it says 54 Palestinians were killed during the army operation in April which resulted in the destruction of the homes of about 4,000 people. Many died as the army bulldozed their houses. "The family had shown Jamal Fayed's ID to the soldiers who were preparing to demolish the house to prove he was paralysed and could not get out of the home without their help. The soldiers refused to help and soon after a bulldozer approached the house. The family yelled at the driver to stop. He didn't and Jamal Fayed, still trapped inside, was killed," the report said. It also identifies two boys, aged six and 12, who were killed by Israeli tank fire as they went to buy sweets after the army announced that the curfew had been lifted. The military promised an investigation but, as often happens, the results are not known. Amnesty said it has been trying to meet the Israeli government since June but without success. Yesterday, the Israeli army said it was still studying the report and would comment later. <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://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/">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
