Mid east

[Bernadotte 0]

The IDF demolished another Palestinian home.</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Saeed's stepmother, who was said to be partially deaf, was crushed to death in the house after not heeding warnings to leave.

-- BBC<span id='postcolor'>

How many innocent civilians did Iraq crush today?

[Die Alive 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 05 2003,07:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">How many innocent civilians did Iraq crush today? <span id='postcolor'>

I dont think squishing civies is Iraq's style. They're more into gassing them.

-=Die Alive=-

[Bernadotte 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Die Alive @ Feb. 05 2003,16:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 05 2003,07:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">How many innocent civilians did Iraq crush today? <span id='postcolor'>

I dont think squishing civies is Iraq's style.  They're more into gassing them.<span id='postcolor'>

Right... then how many elderly women did Iraq gas today?  

[Bernadotte 0]

More details in the NY Times:

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">While demolishing the home of a Palestinian militant's family in the Central Gaza Strip today, Israeli forces crushed to death his 65-year-old stepmother, who apparently did not hear their warnings to leave, the woman's family said.

Abla Said, the widow of the militant, Baha Said, said that soldiers ordered her and her children to leave the house, but prevented her from returning to warn the 65-year-old woman, Kamla Said.

"I told the Israelis I have to go and ask her to come, but they didn't let me go and wake her up," she said.

In recent months, the Israeli army has demolished dozens of houses of Palestinian militants, saying that the tactic discourages terrorist attacks.<span id='postcolor'>

In this case, the terrorist was a Palestinian man who was killed in 2000 while attacking a nearby Israeli settlement.  Nearly 3 years later the IDF got around to demolishing his family home and crushing his stepmother to "discourage terrorism."

[HellToupee 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 06 2003,05:44)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Die Alive @ Feb. 05 2003,16:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 05 2003,07:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">How many innocent civilians did Iraq crush today? <span id='postcolor'>

I dont think squishing civies is Iraq's style. They're more into gassing them.<span id='postcolor'>

Right... then how many elderly women did Iraq gas today? <span id='postcolor'>

probly none

[Powerslide 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (HellToupee @ Feb. 05 2003,23:44)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 06 2003,05:44)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Die Alive @ Feb. 05 2003,16:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 05 2003,07:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">How many innocent civilians did Iraq crush today? <span id='postcolor'>

I dont think squishing civies is Iraq's style.  They're more into gassing them.<span id='postcolor'>

Right... then how many elderly women did Iraq gas today?  <span id='postcolor'>

probly none<span id='postcolor'>

Likely none I would say...."hey look guys..the CNN propaganda machine works, amazing"

[Bernadotte 0]

Palestinian nurses shot dead

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">During the house raid, an Israeli soldier fired a live bullet at a window on the first floor of the hospital, which is clearly marked in Arabic and English. The bullet hit a nurse in the chest and exited to hit another nurse in the chest as well, thereby killing the two.

...

The military claimed the two dead men were in a car when they were shot.<span id='postcolor'>

...the old "they were in a car" excuse.

Oh yeah... and how many health care workers did Iraq kill yesterday?

[SpeedyDonkey 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Oh yeah... and how many health care workers did Iraq kill yesterday? <span id='postcolor'>Probably around 3 or 4. But you know, Saddam is not known to be too outspoken and honest about stuff like that  

[Longinius 1]

"Probably around 3 or 4. But you know, Saddam is not known to be too outspoken and honest about stuff like that"

That goes for most parties discussed in this thread.

[Bernadotte 0]

How about a little good news: Sharon Resumes Direct Talks With Palestinians

[Bernadotte 0]

What some of Israel's press is writing about Iraq:

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">“Saddam’s removal has become a necessity.  If America holds back now, he will be intoxicated with success and encouraged to launch aggression after aggression against his neighbors, and more extreme Islamic elements will compete with him in testing the patience of the West, which it perceives as rotten and hollow.  The Romans said that ‘if you want peace, prepare for war.’ In the reality of 2003, this saying must be adapted to ‘if you want peace, go to war.’â€

-- Dan Margalit

“Bush has to come back from Baghdad with Saddam’s scalp.  Any other result would be perceived as a stunning and dangerous victory for world terrorism and a resounding American defeat.  Bush doesn’t intend to make the same mistake as his father, and he intends to go all the way, regardless of the cost.  The juggernaut is already underway and it won’t stop in Baghdad.  Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, North Korea and Al-Qaeda are all in its sights.  Saddam is first, because he is the most accessible, convenient and hated target.â€

-- Ben Caspit

"The emotional sway in America toward Israel includes numerous groups that up till now didn’t know much about or take any interest in the vagaries of the Middle East.  For a public which sees the world in terms of black and white, evil and good, Israel has been indisputably placed on the side of the seekers of freedom and good.  This is especially significant with regard to speculation on the day after the American war on Iraq. With public opinion so warm toward Israel on the eve of the opening of a new presidential election season, even a far less friendly president than Bush would think twice about hurting the apple of the American eye."

-- Chemi Shalev<span id='postcolor'>

[Bernadotte 0]

Belgium rules Sharon can be tried for war crimes

[Bernadotte 0]

Israel recalls ambassador following Belgian court ruling on Sharon

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Belgium is helping to harm not only Israel, but also the entire free world, and Israel will respond with severity to this.

-- Benjamin Netanyahu<span id='postcolor'>

It's getting interesting.

[Guest]

I think it is very cute of little Belgium to claim the right to prosecute foregin nationals for something that they did outside of Belgium. It is however ludicrous. If they want Sharon prosecuted it has to be through the ICC.

Unlike USA, Belgium doesn't have any weight to add to their claims. The only thing this is going to result in is bad relations between Israel and Belgium.

[Bernadotte 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (denoir @ Feb. 13 2003,02:36)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I think it is very cute of little Belgium to claim the right to prosecute foregin nationals for something that they did outside of Belgium. It is however ludicrous.<span id='postcolor'>

Imagine a case where:

- the accused did not personally commit any of the crimes but ultimately bore responsibility

- the crimes did not take place in the prosecuting state

- the victims were not citizens of the prosecuting state

- in fact, the prosecuting state didn't even exist when the crimes took place

- the accused is kidnapped from a 3rd country and taken to the prosecuting state

- the accused is found guilty by the prosecuting state and hanged

I don't believe the ICC existed in the early 60s when Adolph Eichmann was captured, put on trial and executed.  And even if it did, nobody could blame Israel for taking the matters into their own hands.  It was a good thing what the Israelis did and I really can't regard such endeavours as "cute" or "ludicrous" when the crime is genocide.

[PitViper 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (denoir @ Feb. 12 2003,20:36)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I think it is very cute of little Belgium to claim the right to prosecute foregin nationals for something that they did outside of Belgium. It is however ludicrous. If they want Sharon prosecuted it has to be through the ICC.

Unlike USA, Belgium doesn't have any weight to add to their claims. The only thing this is going to result in is bad relations between Israel and Belgium.<span id='postcolor'>

This Belgian judicial activity has always puzzled me.

[Blake 0]

Why is nobody suing Idi Amin, the former dictator of Sudan? He's blamed for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of his fellow countrymen and he's even claimed to be guilty of cannibalism along with all else. Currently he is sipping coffee and puffing cigars in luxury hotel in Saudi-Arabia knowing nobody cares to bring him to justice.

[Bernadotte 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Blake @ Feb. 13 2003,19:o9)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Why is nobody suing Idi Amin, the former dictator of Sudan?<span id='postcolor'>

Sudan... Uganda... whatever...  It's still a very good question.  Somebody should sue Amin in Belgium and keep him from ever being able to set foot in the EU capital again.  ...Not that Amin would care as much as Sharon.

By the way, how many innocent lives were lost in the past 2 years because of Idi Amin?

[Guest]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 13 2003,13:49)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I don't believe the ICC existed in the early 60s when Adolph Eichmann was captured, put on trial and executed.  And even if it did, nobody could blame Israel for taking the matters into their own hands.  It was a good thing what the Israelis did and I really can't regard such endeavours as "cute" or "ludicrous" when the crime is genocide.<span id='postcolor'>

While I agree that in the case of Eichmann it was perhaps justified, I am very opposed to such actions in principle. It sets a very dangerous precedent. What if for instance Iran decides to give itself the right to kill people that violate their religious laws abroad? There is so much room for abuse.

It's very simple, we have the ICC today and they are the ones that who should handle questions of war crimes. It's none of Belgium's business.

[Jinef 2]

Shouldn't a country be able to bring up the issue of accusing a person of war crimes though? Surely the Belgians are a bit silly trying to do it themselves but i think complaining about a person or instigating an investigation is perfectly viable.

[E6Hotel 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (denoir @ Feb. 13 2003,2004)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">What if for instance Iran decides to give itself the right to kill people that violate their religious laws abroad?<span id='postcolor'>

They already have, in the case of Salman Rushdie.

EDIT:  Damned smiley-inducing post times!

Semper Fi

[Bernadotte 0]

Arafat agrees to give up day-to-day control of Palestine

[Blake 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 13 2003,20:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">By the way, how many innocent lives were lost in the past 2 years because of Idi Amin?<span id='postcolor'>

I don't see it matters if they happened 10, 20 or 50 years ago.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 13 2003,22:25)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Arafat agrees to give up day-to-day control of Palestine<span id='postcolor'>

Well praise Allah.

[Bernadotte 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Blake @ Feb. 14 2003,00:49)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bernadotte @ Feb. 13 2003,20:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">By the way, how many innocent lives were lost in the past 2 years because of Idi Amin?<span id='postcolor'>

I don't see it matters if they happened 10, 20 or 50 years ago.<span id='postcolor'>

I kinda doubt that Sharon would have become the target of Belgian litigation if, today, he were merely sitting somewhere in exile, instead of washing more blood off his hands.