UAE accuses Israel of bombing aid convoy

[JCMach1]

he United Arab Emirates on Tuesday accused Israel of bombarding one of its humanitarian aid convoys in Lebanon carrying medical equipment, medicines and other supplies.

The Emirati Red Crescent said that the bombing close to the Syrian border was “contrary to international conventions ... and to international humanitarian law as it puts the life of civilians in danger,” according to the WAM agency.

The convoy had suffered material damage, it said... http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2006/July/theuae_July639.xml§ion=theuae


THE IAF IS NOW BOMBING RELIEF CONVOYS

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. but but but

they were weapons being smuggled in.... they said so!

:mad:

[Igel]

15. So Lebanon should let independent monitors in:

they'd tag every truck, and those with emergency supplies of a non-military nature get through, those that don't get marked with a big red bull's eye.

Red Crescent's tainted, so it would have to be somebody else.

Any chance the Lebanese would go for it?

Would Hezbollah let the lap-poodle go for it?

[lovuian]

2. Hey quid pro quo Americans and Brits and Europeans have to

worry that Hezbohlah will shoot them down...

you go in a War Zone its dangerous...

[High Plains]

19. I think the Americans and Europeans in Lebanon are fleeing the

Israeli bombardment. I have not seen a single report of them being attacked by Hezbollah. Have you?

[Robbien]

3. Not surprised.

They said they want to continue bombing for another week and are probably running out of Lebanese civilian targets. Anything moving gets bombed.

[Erika]

4. The UAE is U.S.A. friendly

The Israelis must have been even more warlike than normal.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Once a nation embarks on the path of war crimes, there is no stopping it

The most shameful thing is how the political institutions in America have willfully endorsed Israel's war of aggression against Lebanon, a war so disproportionate in terms of military might and tactical brutality that can only be compared to Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia.

[madrchsod]

6. here is an interesting summation of Israel and Lebanon

http://asterism.blogspot.com/
⁂ Asterism

[Mojorabbit]

29. Interesting analysis. Thanks! eom

[Solo_in_MD]

7. The IAF is not guaranteeing safe passage to anything

including the supply convoys to the UN troops in the area. Troops that most people are unaware are even there.

I can also see both sides to this. The IDF has torn the transportation infrastructure to pieces so their people can not be smuggled out and more weapons brought out. If they don't stop truck convoys, in their minds, all of this will be for naught since the people can get smuggled out and more weapons and terrorist smuggled in. There is some method to the madness

If I was trying to get relief supplies into Lebanon, I would announce the route, mark the vehicles, submit to inspections going both ways and be escorted by the IDF. Problem is that they since there are minimal Israeli troops in Lebanon, the IDF would most likely not support this.

[The Stranger]

16. Refraining from bombing relief convoys doesn't require a "guarantee of

safe passage," whatever the fuck that is. It just means you don't bomb relief convoys. Real simple.

[Solo_in_MD]

21. How to you tell a munitions convoy from a relief convoy

from the air in an area that has not had stable government for several decades? Israel is clearly erring on the side of caution (for them). We don't have to like it, and i don't. However, it makes sense from within their context.

Guarantee of Safe Passage in this context means that the the IDF would not only allow the convoy through but escort it to insure its safe arrival. Relavent articles that use the term:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9D0CE4DC1238F93AA35751C0A967958260
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/03/mil-060331-irna01.htm

[High Plains]

20. That logic is totalitarian and insane.

And Israel wonders why it has problems with its neighbors and occupied peoples.

[gula]

27. Does IAF stand for Israeli Agression Force?

[DELUSIONAL]

8. Once the Israeli leaders start to lie -- they can't stop

Or it is just state craft to lie -- but they have been caught in outright lies -- just recently. No the Israeli army did not bomb a family on a beach in Gaza -- it was the other guys. But that's what happened they were caught in a lie -- killing children etc. Lie lie lie -- with each lie the next is easier -- until they cannot be believe. Just like we cannot believe anything that bush says -- even if he tells the truth -- we can't believe him. One has to make a distinction between the Israeli people and their leaders -- just as we Americans aren't responsible for that idiot who lives in the White House.

Anyway there was much speculation that the Israeli's first story of bombing a load of war supplies from Syria (or was it Iran -- hard to keep the stories straight)was FALSE.

Civilians are much easier to hit -- the targets are on a map -- the Israeli air force can be sent out to target anything worth hitting.

Remember this is why Rummy wanted to attack Iraq -- because it has better targets.

Hizbolla just doesn't have the rich targets that the civilian Lebanon has -- and gosh it must be fun for the Israeli air force to hit target rich areas. They've been forced to hit poverty drenched areas in Gaza and the West Bank for far too long. Now they get to have a bit of fun.

And who are who to begrudge a bunch of boys (perhaps also a few girls) some well earned fun?

It is disturbing to see the images of the dead children -- always it is the children who suffer.

Anyway a reporter in Lebanon put it this way -- 'Blow up my city and I'll blow up yours'.

And so the blood feud continues -- and the Generals will win more metals.

[w4rma]

9. I really don't doubt it. Israel is being run by the extreme right-wing

currently. They've assassinated any leader who has pushed for peace there.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Their Defence Minister, Amir Peretz is from the Labour Party

and Shimon Peres is playing second fiddle to Ehud Olmert. This batch of leaders seems more brutal than Ariel Sharon!

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. Ariel Sharon was a bad ass

and no longer had to prove himself. Olmert doesn't have the same battle tested reputation, so apparently he's determined to prove that he's an even bigger bad ass.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Have an unbaised source?

[allemand]

13. You don't consider AFP to be an unbiased source? n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

14. I forgot the "sarcasm" tag.

Although, AFP is not always very unbiased.

[cantstandbush]

17. I sure hope there will trials in the Hague after this. War crimes for

sure. Israel and the US should be made to pay repartations, compensation for this carnage.

[Ragin_mad]

18. What about Hezbollah

Do they get off free ?

[LostinVA]

24. You expect better behavior from sovereign nations than from terrorist

organizations. Just like I expect better behavior from a 30-year-old than a three-year-old.

I also expect nations that belong to the UN to act like responsible, adult nations... Israel went over the line days ago. Let them go after Hezbollah, but leave the innocent people of Lebanon alone... people who despise Hezbollah as much as anyone: Muslim, Christian, etc.

[truth2power]

22. Here's an article from HRW that's worth reading...

Seems relatively unbiased, IMO.

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/07/17/lebano13748.htm

"Questions and answers on hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah"

<snip>

Was Hezbollah's capture of Israeli soldiers lawful?

The targeting and capture of enemy soldiers is allowed under international humanitarian law. However captured combatants must in all circumstances be treated humanely.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nassrallah has stated that the captured soldiers will be used to negotiate the release of Palestinian, Lebanese and other Arab prisoners from Israel. The use of captives who are no longer involved in the conflict for this purpose constitutes hostage-taking. Hostage-taking as part of an armed conflict is strictly forbidden under international law, by both common Article 3 and customary international law, and is a war crime.

<snip>

Is Israel’s blockade of Lebanon legitimate?

Israel has targeted the country's only international airport, imposed a naval blockade, attacked ports, and bombed road links out of the country. Blockades as a tool of war are legitimate under international humanitarian law; however, their imposition is still subject to the principle of military necessity and proportionality.

First, the blockade must not have as its primary purpose to intimidate, harass or starve the civilian population. Such actions are proscribed by international humanitarian law, which prohibits armed forces from deliberately causing the civilian population to suffer hunger, particularly by depriving it of its sources of food or supplies. <underline added>

more...

[Generator]

23. Has Israel hit any cargos of puppies yet?

C'mon Du'ers, you KNOW you can find it. And the only thing that gets people more disturbed than dead babies is dead pets. Of course, There would never be something hidden that helps war stuck in with aid supplies. That would be diabolical. WHO would do such a thing? Only Israel would ever bomb aid supplies JUST for fun.

[LostinVA]

25. Many countries would do this "for fun"... including the US

Israel went over the line days ago... what its government is now doing is despicable. It's taking its Gaza mentality onto the international stage, just like the US has taken its faux cowboy swaggering all over the world. It's sickening. It is past being about Hezbollah.

And yes, I believe it was an aid convoy, because it was the UAE, a very, very US-friendly nation.

[tabasco]

26. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

Tell us how many of the hundreds of people dead were civilians.

Riiiight - - who could do such a thing? :crazy:

[daleo]

28. Nobody said Israel is targeting civilians for fun

It represents a well known strategic doctrine called "deterrence" within Israel. It doesn't have to be fun to be wrong.