Suicide bombings are called war crimes by rights group

[zipman]

Suicide bombings are called war crimes by rights group

By Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 11/1/2002

A leading human rights organization charged today that Palestinians who order and dispatch suicide bombers are guilty of war crimes and should be brought to justice.

In a 170-page report, the New York-based Human Rights Watch also said that Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat bears ''significant political responsibility'' for the ''repeated deliberate killing'' of Israeli civilians in the last two years of blood-soaked conflict.

''The scale and systematic nature of these attacks in 2001 and 2002 meet the definition of a crime against humanity,'' the report stated. ''When these suicide bombings take place in the context of violence that amounts to armed conflict, they are also war crimes.''

Human Rights Watch asserts that although Arafat's Palestinian Authority is not a state, it has aspirations to becoming one, has made international commitments, and therefore cannot evade similar responsibilities.

Instead, the report said, Arafat and the Palestinian leadership have failed to prevent suicide bombings, refused to arrest terrorists, and declined to defuse the radicalized political and social climate that encourages attacks on Israeli civilians.

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/3..._are_called_war_crimes_by_rights_group+.shtml

 

[Guest]

 

[miles]

Meaningless.


Pointless.



The fight goes on

Hans, working hard to get that average up to 150 posts per day. Come on buddy. You can do it.

 

[zipman]

I think there are two really interesting issues here.

This is the first time that a human rights group has accused Palestinians and Arafat of war crimes.

The distinction about the Palestinians being held accountable in the same manner as other countries based on their aspirations for statehood and the international commitments they have made.

 

[Lancecastor]

I'm amazed it took 170 pages to say that a palestinian car bomb set off in israel is a war crime.

Have they released their thoughts in Ireland yet?

 

[zipman]

I'm amazed it took 170 pages to say that a palestinian car bomb set off in israel is a war crime.

Have they released their thoughts in Ireland yet?

LOL - no, not yet, but it may be coming soon.

I think thought this development was interesting in that it is the first time that anyone has broken through the taboo of Political Correctness to actually say that the Palestinians should be held accountable for their actions. To date, only the US and the Israelis have taken this stance.

I also was amazed that they based their conclusion that they are war crimes on the possible, future creation of a state. I'm not sure, but this may be the first time that this has been done.

 

[SINthysist]

How can Palestinians be guilty of war crimes?

They're innocent.

If there were no Jews, we wouldn't have this problem. The Arab community has told us over and over that as long as there is an Israel, there can be no peace. Same conclusion Europe kept reaching century after century...

But zipman, it's not PC to have that thought either, now is it?

 

[A Desert Rose]

Arafat was a terrorist long before he became the leader of the PLO. Too many seem to have forgotten about his past.

I agree with the article you posted, Zip.

 

[Olivianna]

How can Palestinians be guilty of war crimes?

They're innocent.

If there were no Jews, we wouldn't have this problem. The Arab community has told us over and over that as long as there is an Israel, there can be no peace. Same conclusion Europe kept reaching century after century...

But zipman, it's not PC to have that thought either, now is it?

Fuck you, unless you were joking - in which case, fuck off.

 

[A Desert Rose]

My memory may be fautly but I believe there is evidence to link Arafat with the murders of the Isreali olympic athletes in Munich.

He is a war criminal.

 

[Guest]

 

[zipman]

How can Palestinians be guilty of war crimes?

They're innocent.

If there were no Jews, we wouldn't have this problem. The Arab community has told us over and over that as long as there is an Israel, there can be no peace. Same conclusion Europe kept reaching century after century...

But zipman, it's not PC to have that thought either, now is it?

The sad thing is that it is PC to have this thought. As long as Palestinians are viewed as nothing more than victims, then any and every excuse that is offered for their behavior is PC.

That's why this article describes a potentially significant turn of events. If more humanitarian groups adopt a stance like this, it will begin to deflate the PC shield obsolving Palestinians from accountability. The other option is that it will simply be an abberation and the argument posted will be discounted because the group is from New York.

 

[SINthysist]

Desert Rose.

I used to be very ambivalant towards the whole Mideast mess, sort of a Pox on both their houses sort of thing (same as with the Irish and the Basques, et. al.). Then the Homicide Bombings began against civilians, the naked targeting of children, etc.

Now I am dead set against the Palestinians as simple as that. Having chosen that position and reading all the arguments, the arguments of people like p_p_man seem hypocritical bordering on anti-Jewish sentiment. Look now. We may see even a more right-wing Israeli Government and get even further from Peace thanks to the renewed attacks.

So I was being tremendously sarcastic and have been in a real anti-European mood this week thanks to some of the LOVELY insights our counterparts have given us on how the view us.

I'm ready to draw lines in the ocean, get all our trrops home no matter what they are doing and go back to my Pox on All of You Attitude (PAYA).

Paya con Dios!