Israel accused of war crimes in Lebanon

[tocqueville]

By SUE LEEMAN, Associated Press Writer
42 minutes ago

LONDON - Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Israel of war crimes, saying it broke international law by deliberately destroying Lebanon's civilian infrastructure during its recent war with Hezbollah guerrillas.

The human rights group said initial evidence, including the pattern and scope of the Israeli attacks, number of civilian casualties, widespread damage and statements by Israeli officials "indicate that such destruction was deliberate and part of a military strategy, rather than 'collateral damage.'"

Amnesty International, whose delegates monitored the fighting in both Israel and Lebanon, said Israel violated international laws banning direct attacks on civilians and barring indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks.

"The scale of the destruction was just extraordinary," said Amnesty researcher Donatella Rovera, who visited Lebanon during the war and co-authored the report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060823/ap_on_re_mi_ea/amnesty_lebanon

[acmavm]

1. Geez, ya think? The IDF and reservists were pissed because the

killing was stopped.

Such a civilized bunch.

[ewoden]

2. You've got it all wrong.

The islamofascists were just hiding among the people!! Hiding behind a major oil depot, Hiding on the runways of an international airport, hiding under the loaves of bread and medicine loaded in abulances, hiding underbridges, in hospitals, at post offices, at the local SEARS and the Five and Dime. . . . don't you know that Israel had to destroy Lebanon to save it? :-)

[azurnoir]

3. I thought Israel

got around that by declaring anyone who "supported" Hezbollah was no longer a civilian and there fore a legit target, by the time of the cease-fire that was around 90% of the country.

[ewoden]

4. Hell of a recruiting drive by the Hezbollah don't you think. . .

Perhaps the US Marines need to figure out how an armed force goes from less than 800 fighters at the start of a war to 90% of the country by the end

[azurnoir]

8. I don't know recruitment

by bomb is kinda' rough. And not to sure all of the supporters were "active duty"

[maalak]

5. any mention of Hezbollah?

[mike_c]

6. did you read the article, or is your snark feature simply engaged...?

Amnesty International said it would address Hezbollah's attacks on Israel separately.

Reading. It's a wonderful thing.

[maalak]

7. yes, exactly. it will be very interesting to see what they say...

the New Republic did an interesting piece last month on how Amnesty Internation fails to actually take an understanding of international law into consideration when condemning Israel...

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w060724&s=brook072806

Given the ambiguous state of the law, there is certainly plenty of room for legitimate debate as to whether, in the current conflict, Israel has abided by its legal obligations. But what is beyond debate is that, during the last few weeks, some human rights advocates have misinterpreted the principle of proportionality--twisting the law in order to make unfounded accusations against Israel.
...
By contrast, Amnesty International has jettisoned international law entirely; instead, the group seems to be defining a war crime as any military action of which Amnesty International disapproves. Its website blithely condemns the Israeli targeting of bridges, roads, power stations, and the Beirut airport as "blatant violations of international law, which include war crimes." This accusation makes no reference to the principle of proportionality or, indeed, to any international legal instrument whatsoever.

i'll be curious to see what Amnesty says about Hezbollah... but their credibility on matters of international law is suspect, to say the least.

[azurnoir]

9. You mean like when they condemned Gitmo?

[tocqueville]

10. of course the Hezbollah has commited war crimes

but not ON THE SCALE the Israeli did. There is a huge difference between killing 20 civilians in rocket attacks and 1200 in indiscriminate bombings. Not to talk about environmental crimes.

In the years prior to Israel's July 12 bombing of Lebanese cities, Hezbollah had become less and less of a threat. It had not killed any Israeli civilians for more than a decade (with the exception of one accidental fatality in 2003 caused by an anti-aircraft missile fired at an Israeli plane that had violated Lebanese airspace). Investigations by the US Congressional Research Service, the State Department and independent think-tanks failed to identify any major act of terrorism by Hezbollah for more than a dozen years.

Prior to the attack, Hezbollah's militia had dwindled to about 1,000 men under arms - this number tripled after July 12 when reserves were called up - and a national dialogue was going on between Hezbollah and the government of pro-Western Prime Minister Fuad Siniora regarding disarmament. The majority of Lebanese opposed Hezbollah, both its reactionary fundamentalist social agenda as well as its insistence on maintaining an armed presence independent of the country's elected government.

Stephen Zunes is Middle East editor for the Foreign Policy In Focus Project. He is a professor of politics and the author of Tinderbox: US Middle East Policy and Roots of Terrorism (Common Courage Press, 2003).

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HH23Ak03.html

[pelsar]

11. LOL.....this is a "new one"

and a national dialogue was going on between Hezbollah and the government of pro-Western Prime Minister Fuad Siniora regarding disarmament.

disarmament for who?...the Lebanese army?

perhaps you would like to find us a link .....anything....the shows Hezballa was even considering disarming in some fantasy world (maybe after they took over lebanon.....) or was that just 'made up"

[IntiRaymi]

22. Hopefully, disarming Israel.

Fat chance that will happen.
But, since it won't, here comes World War 3!

[Solo_in_MD]

12. Scale is irrelevant

The question will be if Israel had a valid reason for attacking that target, and under the current standard, it doesn't take much. That there was an unbalanced death toll is irrelevant.

[ShortnFiery]

23. "Unbalanced Death Toll" "Disproportionate Response"

So, in essence, what you are implying is that Israeli Blood can be considered as "more precious" than "Lebanese blood?"

Really, if a MIGHTY POWER does not show proportional restraint, but instead, unleashes COLLECTIVE Punishment on an Entire Nation for the "sins of a few in the south", then it must be considered that Israeli Blood is valued as most precious? :shrug:

[Solo_in_MD]

13. I expect nothing of value from AI on this

1) NR is right about the misinterpreation of proportionality. (damn that hurt to write)

2) Based on their record, they will not substantively condemn Hezbollah. It would not matter if they did. The Arab and Muslim nations have never listened to them before.

3) AI will not have access to key data, namely why the IDF targeted a particular facility. Making charges stick in a tribunal requires specific evidence AI will not be able to obtain. For example, there have been a few samples of IAF strike videos showing up on the net. Would AI consider some of those strikes a war crime?

4) Despite all of the above, the dead will still be dead and the underlying causes of the violence will remain un addressed.

[pelsar]

14. what is worse.....

is that the repucussions are yet to be seen....the general feeling in israel is that it solved nothing. With Chrisian Lebanese coming to israel across the border (israeli TV interviews), as Hizballa returns to S. Lebanon, the EU force has yet to appear in any substantial force, if they even will, rearming of Hizballa is already taking place and the mini state might very will be revised....

[Englander]

15. Dick?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/30/cheney.amnestyintl/index.html

[Englander]

18. TNR = apologists for war crimes.

Was the article written by Dershie?

[IntiRaymi]

25. A Question of scale, you see.

You cannot place both actions on the same category. The far graver crime was the one committed by Israel - and is the one being committed by Israel in Gaza.
I would think that the focus of a human rights organization should be to place as many legal restraints on Israel as possible.
You see, the issue is not Israel's survival anymore, but the focus is the blatant disregard that that country has for international law, and the abusive way by which it goes about defining who is a human being, and who isn't.

[Englander]

16. 'Look! Over there!' n/t

[Englander]

17. ai report;

Israel/Lebanon: Evidence indicates deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure

Press release, 08/23/2006

Amnesty International today published findings that point to an Israeli policy of deliberate destruction of Lebanese civilian infrastructure, which included war crimes, during the recent conflict.

The organization's latest publication shows how Israel's destruction of thousands of homes, and strikes on numerous bridges and roads as well as water and fuel storage plants, was an integral part of Israel's military strategy in Lebanon, rather than “collateral damage” resulting from the lawful targeting of military objectives.

The report reinforces the case for an urgent, comprehensive and independent UN inquiry into grave violations of international humanitarian law committed by both Hizbullah and Israel during their month-long conflict.

"Israel’s assertion that the attacks on the infrastructure were lawful is manifestly wrong. Many of the violations identified in our report are war crimes, including indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks. The evidence strongly suggests that the extensive destruction of power and water plants, as well as the transport infrastructure vital for food and other humanitarian relief, was deliberate and an integral part of a military strategy," said Kate Gilmore, Executive Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International.

The Israeli government has argued that they were targeting Hizbullah positions and support facilities and that other damage done to civilian infrastructure was a result of Hizbullah using the civilian population as a "human shield".

"The pattern, scope and scale of the attacks makes Israel's claim that this was 'collateral damage', simply not credible,” said Kate Gilmore, Executive Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"Civilian victims on both sides of this conflict deserve justice. The serious nature of violations committed makes an investigation into the conduct of both parties urgent. There must be accountability for the perpetrators of war crimes and reparation for the victims.”

The report, Deliberate destruction or 'collateral damage'? Israeli attacks against civilian infrastructure, is based on first-hand information gathered by recent Amnesty International research missions to Lebanon and Israel, including interviews with dozens of victims, officials from the UN, Israeli Defence Force (IDF) and Lebanese government, as well as official statements and press reports.

The report includes evidence of the following:

* Massive destruction by Israeli forces of whole civilian neighbourhoods and villages;
* Attacks on bridges in areas of no apparent strategic importance;
* Attacks on water pumping stations, water treatment plants and supermarkets despite the prohibition against targeting objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population;
* Statements by Israeli military officials indicating that the destruction of civilian infrastructure was indeed a goal of Israel’s military campaign designed to press the Lebanese government and the civilian population to turn against Hizbullah.


The report exposes a pattern of indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, which resulted in the displacement of twenty-five percent of the civilian population. This pattern, taken together with official statements, indicates that the attacks on infrastucture were deliberate, and not simply incidental to lawful military objectives.

Amnesty International is calling for a comprehensive, independent and impartial inquiry to be urgently established by the UN into violations of international humanitarian law by both sides in the conflict. It should examine in particular the impact of this conflict on the civilian population, and should be undertaken with a view to holding individuals responsible for crimes under international law and ensuring that full reparation is provided to the victims.

http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGMDE020182006

[Tom Joad]

19. Yes, they were (and are, as the conflict continues) war crimes.

And i don't agree with some people who attempt to downplay the extremism of those who supported such crimes.

[plasticsundance]

20. From DemocracyNow

I moving this post over from where it got locked in General Discussion:

Amnesty International Accuses Israel of Committing War Crimes in Lebanon

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Yeah, correct. And again, we take them at their word. I mean, when the chief of staff of the IDF says that the purpose of the air strikes is so that the Lebanese government will realize that they don't rein in Hezbollah, that Lebanon will pay a heavy price, that's a very clear statement of policy. When they say that unless the Lebanese government reins in Hezbollah, that they're going to destroy the electrical infrastructure, that's a very clear statement of policy.

So the Israeli government is doing essentially, is what they're saying. If you read their documents, they say, well, it isn't a question of the individual objective, but the overall strategic advantage. It's a very, very broad interpretation of what's called, quote/unquote, “dual use,” where if something has a military purpose and a civilian purpose, it can be targeted. And we and the entire human rights community, as well as the majority of the international community, would have a much more restrictive approach, which would require them to balance each attack, each target, based on whether or not it's a military target or a civilian target.

MARTY ROSENBLUTH: Well, sure. What the report shows is that the Israeli claims that the damage to the civilian infrastructure was purely collateral damage just really doesn't match the facts. And you really only have to look at the statements by Israeli government officials. I mean, Dan Halutz, who’s the Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff, said at the very beginning of the war that the purpose of the air strikes was to send a message to the Lebanese government that if they didn't rein in Hezbollah, that the Lebanese population would pay a heavy price. I mean, that's prima fascia evidence that the strikes were designed as collective punishment. But also just the sheer level of the destruction, the destruction of the electrical infrastructure, the water infrastructure, the roads, the bridges, houses, businesses, etc., just doesn't match the Israeli claims that this was either collateral damage or due to the fact that Hezbollah was shielding amongst the civilian population.

[plasticsundance]

21. This was my second posting to the locked topic

The show from yesterday also had the Israeli Deputy UN Ambassador on the show to tell his side of the story. At first he tried to deny whether he knew that Israel used cluster bombs or not, until Amy Goodman reminded him that a commander of the IDF already had admitted to it during the course of the invasion of Lebanon.

Amy Goodman then asked him if any other countries outside of the US supported the Israeli actions inside Lebanon, and he claimed that Israel had the support of a number of nations that "understood" Israel's position. When Amy Goodman asked him to name some of those countries. the Israeli Ambassador said he did not want to go into the "details" of diplomatic channels.

Amy Goodman was getting a bit angry, because it was obvious this guy was bullshitting as fast he could.

[Englander]

24. Danish lawmaker wants Livni detained

Aug. 28, 2006 16:07 | Updated Aug. 29, 2006 13:35

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

A left-wing lawmaker said he wants Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni detained when she arrives in Denmark later Monday, saying that as an Israeli Cabinet member, she is partly responsible for alleged war crimes in Lebanon.

Livni was to arrive in Denmark later Monday and to meet Tuesday with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller.

Frank Aaen of the small, left-wing opposition Red-Green Alliance said Livni should be detained upon arrival. He said he had reported Livni to Danish police.

"I believe the minister should be detained while it is being investigated whether she can be charged for war crimes," he said in a statement.

Aaen cited an Amnesty International report last week that accused Israel of war crimes, saying Israel broke international law by deliberately targeting Lebanon's civilian infrastructure during its 34-day war with Hizbullah guerrillas.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525959854&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull