(Israeli) Soldiers say they were kept from (anti-war) protest

[deadparrot]

JERUSALEM, Israel (UPI) -- Israeli reservists say their release was delayed for a day to keep them from participating in an anti-war demonstration in Jerusalem.

The group wanted to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz.

'I`ve been in the army and reserves for 26 years and what happened this time was not merely a fiasco, it was a complete debacle,' Avi, one of the soldiers involved, told Ha`aretz. 'We felt like tin soldiers in a game of Olmert and Peretz`s assistants and spin masters.'

About 160 soldiers asked permission to join the protest in Rabin Square in Jerusalem, which was organized via the Internet. A few dozen people did get to the square to denounce Olmert and Peretz for their conduct of the military action against Hezbollah, and for stopping the war before achieving the release of two kidnapped Israeli soldiers.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/article_1192362.php/Soldiers_say_they_were_kept_from_protest

[Missy M]

1. Democray at its best!

Israel is supposed to be the democracy in the ME and the US is supposed to be the greatest democracy in the world yet both countries try to suppress freedom of speech and the right to assemble.