Posted by dealer3
are these soldiers?
just wanted to remind you of these events...
Radio exchange contradicts army version of Gaza killing
Thirteen-year-old Iman Al-Hams was killed when an Israeli officer emptied his weapon into her. Israelis have been responsible for killing over 600 other Palestinian children since September 2000.
By Chris McGreal
UK Guardian
An Israeli army officer who repeatedly shot a 13-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza dismissed a warning from another soldier that she was a child by saying he would have killed her even if she was three years old.
The officer, identified by the army only as Captain R, was charged this week with illegal use of his weapon, conduct unbecoming an officer and other relatively minor infractions after emptying all 10 bullets from his gun’s magazine into Iman al-Hams when she walked into a “security area” on the edge of Rafah refugee camp last month.
A tape recording of radio exchanges between soldiers involved in the incident, played on Israeli television, contradicts the army’s account of the events and appears to show that the captain shot the girl in cold blood.
The official account claimed that Iman was shot as she walked towards an army post with her schoolbag because soldiers feared she was carrying a bomb.
But the tape recording of the radio conversation between soldiers at the scene reveals that, from the beginning, she was identified as a child and at no point was a bomb spoken about nor was she described as a threat. Iman was also at least 100 yards from any soldier.
Instead, the tape shows that the soldiers swiftly identified her as a “girl of about 10” who was “scared to death”.
The tape also reveals that the soldiers said Iman was headed eastwards, away from the army post and back into the refugee camp, when she was shot.
Relatives mourn the killing of 13-year-old Iman Al-Hams.
At that point, Captain R took the unusual decision to leave the post in pursuit of the girl. He shot her dead and then “confirmed the kill” by emptying his magazine into her body.
The tape recording is of a three-way conversation between the army watchtower, the army post’s operations room and the captain, who was a company commander.
The soldier in the watchtower radioed his colleagues after he saw Iman: “It’s a little girl. She’s running defensively eastward.”
Operations room: “Are we talking about a girl under the age of 10?”
Watchtower: “A girl of about 10, she’s behind the embankment, scared to death.”
A few minutes later, Iman is shot in the leg from one of the army posts.
The watchtower: “I think that one of the positions took her out.”
The company commander then moves in as Iman lies wounded and helpless.
Captain R: “I and another soldier ... are going in a little nearer, forward, to confirm the kill ... Receive a situation report. We fired and killed her ... I also confirmed the kill. Over.”
Witnesses described how the captain shot Iman twice in the head, walked away, turned back and fired a stream of bullets into her body. Doctors at Rafah’s hospital said she had been shot at least 17 times.
On the tape, the company commander then “clarifies” why he killed Iman: “This is commander. Anything that’s mobile, that moves in the zone, even if it’s a three-year-old, needs to be killed. Over.”
The army’s original account of the killing said that the soldiers only identified Iman as a child after she was first shot. But the tape shows that they were aware just how young the small, slight girl was before any shots were fired.
The case came to light after soldiers under the command of Captain R went to an Israeli newspaper to accuse the army of covering up the circumstances of the killing.
A subsequent investigation by the officer responsible for the Gaza strip, Major General Dan Harel, concluded that the captain had “not acted unethically”.
However, the military police launched an investigation, which resulted in charges against the unit commander.
Iman’s parents have accused the army of whitewashing the affair by filing minor charges against Captain R. They want him prosecuted for murder.
Record of a shooting
Watchtower
‘It’s a little girl. She’s running defensively eastward’
Operations room
‘Are we talking about a girl under the age of 10?’
Watchtower
‘A girl of about 10, she’s behind the embankment, scared to death’
Captain R (after killing the girl)
‘Anything moving in the zone, even a three-year-old, needs to be killed’
_________________
WHY? INTERPAL RESPECT Islam dealer3@hotmail.com
[ This Message was edited by: dealer3 on 2006-05-25 20:30 ]
Posted by axxxr
Barbaric..Inhumane...Evil...these Israeli's have no respect for human life...then they wonder why the Palestinians come and blow their buses and restaurants up!
Posted by PeterKay
Worser than animals.
Cruel insane people.
Shame to Humanity.
Posted by whistla
What a muppet! We should go and shoot them for walking
Posted by BobaFett
sadly, some ppl on the earth us are allowed to handle without any responsibility... what would happen, if a palestinian would kill an israeli girl?
Posted by Dart5
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Not sure what your point is - they do, quite frequently.
Very sad story.
Posted by Sammy_boy
There seems to be a little racism going on here, a lot of statements that seem to be accusing all Israelies of being inhuman b*stards because of the actions of a few, just like the Palestinians get similar treatment from some quarters.
Just because they're percieved as being the 'evil empire' to Palestine's 'Rebel Alliance' (and vice versa as appropriate) doesn't give us carte blanche to slag the entire nation of Israel or the Palestinian people off for the actions of a mindless and bloodthirsty few on both sides.
Posted by carkitter
This is the bit I can't understand:
"In the recording, a soldier in a watchtower radioed a colleague in the army post's operations room and describes Iman as "a little girl" who was "scared to death". After soldiers first opened fire, she dropped her schoolbag which was then hit by several bullets establishing that it did not contain explosive. At that point she was no longer carrying the bag and, the tape revealed, was heading away from the army post when she was shot."
Why she strayed into the no-go zone has not been mentioned. But the soldiers should have been able to establish that she was no threat
to them. A very sad story indeed.
Posted by fatreg
ok so they had a powertrip?
whats new?
fatreg
Posted by JK
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I dont like zionists!!
Posted by Sammy_boy
@786 - Is that another swingeing statement? Are you calling me or all of Israel a Zionist?
Posted by PeterKay
Don't think all of Israel are to blame, its the minority that cause the damage for the rest of the land. As far as i know, most Jews are against what the zionists do to the Palestinians.
A jew came on Islam channel (Sky channel 813) and told us what he thought of the conflicts, and he said we the believing Jews are totally against all these actions.
If one Muslim blows himself up for whatever reason, the rest of the Islamic world suffers, even though the action is not what the religion teaches nor what the the Muslim world likes.
Posted by Sammy_boy
Thank you for speaking some sense PeterKay, Let's hope some of the more hotheaded and biased posters here can see this too
There are ALWAYS two sides to a story.
Posted by PeterKay
To be honest, i would not have know this until i saw it for my self on Islam Channel, which really does open your eyes on the truth.
The Palestinians do suffer daily in silence and have not got the same armour nor tanks like the zionists.
I just hope one day Peace can be found not only in the promised land but the whole world.
Posted by JK
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I didnt write that i dont like jews did I??
I know the difference!
Posted by max_wedge
Words don't always have clear meanings
I agree, the Zionist viewpoint is no better than the Iranian extremist view that believes Israel could be justifiably nuked.
The Zionists don't seem to believe that Palestinians have as much right to self-determination and sovereignty over their own lands as Israeli's do. Time and again Palestinian leadership has accepted US brokered peace plans, only to have the Zionists at the last minute mount attacks against Palestine, completely sabotaging the peace plan on the table. This has happened even when Arafat had secured ceasefire agreements from Hamas.
It shows a complete unwilllingness to reach a solution that is compatible with the human rights of all both parties to the conflict.
But Israel exists and what's done cannot be undone. Jewish ancestry dates from the area, and millions of innocent human beings now live in Israel. Even Palestinians generally accept that the Israeli's have a right to existance. To wish the destruction of Israel will achieve nothing for either side but more generations of war.
I don't believe that the average jew, palestinian or Iranian really wishes destruction on the other. It is only the blustering of extremist leaders that reflects badly on the population.
I'm sure that all the people in the area want is to simply be able to get on with life without fear of death.