We reproduce below a post by Leon Wells in a reply to Colonel Uri Dromi writing for the Guardian's Comment is Free section on Tuesday under the headline: Don't judge Israel's 'war crimes'.
In the article Dromi (of the Israeli Air Force reserve - he doesn't mention his military rank and neither does the Guardian) pleads for the world not to rush to judgment on Israel; that he finds it 'hard to believe' that IDF soldiers would 'intentionally' target medics; and that he has a sense of deja vu over the war crimes accusations. And so he should becuase of course has done it before - committed war crimes and then whitewashed them away. I take it Dromi filed his copy from Israel as if he left he would no doubt risk arrest for war crimes, if shown to have been involved in the Gaza War.
You sir, are a bared-faced apologist of your country's catalogue of war crimes against the predominant innocent population of Gaza. The world can see exactly what the State of Israel has done -- and quite frankly it is an obscenity that deserves our outright condemnation. Furthermore, you and your colleagues at the Israel Ministry of Truth are getting quite desperate in your attempts at damage limitation when you start throwing in crafty little asides regarding what the British did during the Arab revolt in Palestine in 1936-39.
Let's face it -- the IDF and the IAF went on the rampage in Gaza -- and the evidence is mounting by the day of its contempt for Palestinian life. What your military did in those 22 days is an offence against humanity.
Perhaps you should read and digested the following report issued by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel on how the Gaza incursion violated the IDF's own code of ethics. It also states (from WHO figures) that 16 Palestinian medical personnel were killed by IDF fire and 25 were wounded, and accused the IDF of attacking 34 medical centres.
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel Report on Gaza
http://www.phr.org.il/phr/article.asp?articleid=702&catid=55&pcat=-1&lang=ENG
And perhaps you should also read and digest this report issued yesterday by Human Rights Watch. The webpage also contains damning video and photographic evidence.
Israel: White Phosphorus Use Evidence of War Crimes
"In Gaza, the Israeli military didn't just use white phosphorus in open areas as a screen for its troops," said Fred Abrahams, senior emergencies researcher at Human Rights Watch and co-author of the report. "It fired white phosphorus repeatedly over densely populated areas, even when its troops weren't in the area and safer smoke shells were available. As a result, civilians needlessly suffered and died."
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/25/israel-white-phosphorus-use-evidence-war-crimes
Audio slideshow: 'Phosphorus shells' hit Gaza UN school
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jan/21/gaza-israelandthepalestinians
We all have to die sometime, but you and I know just how horrifically people suffer and die when injured by WP – dont we Colonel..?
Phosphorus burns carry a greater risk of mortality than other forms of burns due to the absorption of phosphorus into the body through the burned area, resulting in liver, heart and kidney damage, and in some cases multiple organ failure.[45] These weapons are particularly dangerous to exposed people because white phosphorus continues to burn unless deprived of oxygen or until it is completely consumed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_Pete#Effects_on_humans
Gaza doctors struggle to treat deadly burns consistent with white phosphorus
Small burns were causing death. "A patient with 15% burns should not die, but we are seeing cases with 15% burns where they are dying," Abu Shabaan said.
He described one patient, a three-year-old girl, who was sent for a scan because of a head wound: "After about two hours she came back, we opened the wound, and smoke came out from the wound," he said. Surgeons used forceps to pull out a substance from the wound that was "like dense cotton and it started to burn," he said. "The piece continued to burn until it disappeared." The child, who was from Atatra, in Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza, died.
Yes… Are you comfortable that your military inflicted this kind of horrific suffering and death upon fellow human beings – let alone innocent women and children? Well, are you – Colonel Dromi?
Naturally, many Israelis – more noble and principled than yourself – are calling their government and military to account.
Israeli Human Rights Organizations Call on the Attorney General: Stop whitewashing suspected crimes in Gaza"
Israeli human rights organizations have reiterated demands that Attorney General Menachem Mazuz reconsider his refusal to establish an independent investigative body to examine military proceedings during Operation Cast Lead. Such an investigation is critical following the revelation of soldier testimonies concerning the killing of innocent Palestinians revealed this morning in Haaretz. Many Palestinian accounts have reflected a similar picture to that revealed today, triggering suspicions that today's revelations represent only the tip of the iceberg, and that they are the result of norms of conduct that have taken hold throughout the army.
http://www.btselem.org/English/Press_Releases/20090319.asp
Norms of conduct that have taken hold throughout the army..? No – not possible surely? This is the most moral army in the world – remember?
Well, Im absolutely f**king speechless. But please – do get this:
The time for denials, lies and excuses is well and truly over.
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