Qana probe: IDF estimated targeted building was empty

[sabra]

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3285543,00.html

Qana probe: IDF estimated targeted building was empty

An investigation into the killing of dozens of civilians in an air strike on the Lebanese village of Qana concluded that the military estimated the building was uninhabited and used by Hizbullah terrorists.

The probe concluded that had the military known that civilians were in the building the air strike wouldn't have been okayed.

This might be the IAF investigation, there have been requests for a state commision investigation.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/745185.html

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to establish a state commission of inquiry into the killings at Qana.

As the Israel Air Force continues to investigate the air strike, questions have been raised over military accounts of the incident.

[ThomCat]

1. Right. So if they officially "assume" that no buiding is occupied

and further officially "assume" that there are hezbollah members in every building then they have permission to bomb any building in Lebanon.
:eyes:

We knew this was going to be a whitewash.

[Mandate My Ass]

6. another page from the bushco playbook

I investigated myself and find myself completely blameless. That's all you need to know. Thanks for playing, but really, who cares what you think? Buh, bye. :eyes:

[AliceWonderland]

2. Uh... who conducted this probe?

And why wasn't the source of these conclusions stated in the news article? I know it's brief "breaking news," but that is an essential piece of info.

[sabra]

3. good question, I have added this snip to the post:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/745185.html

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to establish a state commission of inquiry into the killings at Qana.

As the Israel Air Force continues to investigate the air strike, questions have been raised over military accounts of the incident.

[mom cat]

12. Thanks.

[AliceWonderland]

14. Thank you

I appreciate the additional information.

On this being an IAF investigation -- ...

[Kagemusha]

19. Given that Israel loudly told the UN it wasn't wanted as part of the probe

I assume this was by the IDF itself.

[Lerkfish]

4. why bomb an empty building?

oh, what a tangled web we weave.

[tocqueville]

5. that brings some questions

#1 why bomb an empty house ? it was a house, not a bunker
#2 how come it can be unhabited and at the same time used by "terrorists" ?
#3 how come Qana looks more or less like a mini-Hiroshisma in places ?

the real answer is undiscriminate shelling or bombing

[eagler]

7. That building as well as many others were the sight of

missle launches.

[ThomCat]

8. That does not appear to be true according to

the red cross and other witnesses.

But it's a nice hypothetical excuse. If you they simply tell people that missiles came from any building they destroy then they again have retroactive permission to bomb anyplace they want.

[Mandate My Ass]

10. It's maddening

If a member of Hezbollah used a toilet in a crowded apartment building, that building is guilty and must be obliterated. Sorry to those inside, shit happens, but Hezbollah's one-time presence there made it a legitimate military target.

This is why fighting mobile militant forces with standard military tactics is both morally and strategically a huge mistake.

[BillZBubb]

9. That's an Israeli lie.

Not surprised you bought it though.

[Bretttido]

15. Sorry, Israel already admitted that no rockets were launched recently

near the vicinity of the building.

[Kagemusha]

20. Israel changes its story so often even its shills can't keep up anymore

Especially when it abandons old lies in favor of something that sounds like an admission. But hey, the American shills never apologize for anything. So even if Israel does, they won't.

[eagler]

37. link?

nt

[eagler]

36. The surveillance film shows a missile coming from that area

nt

[BillZBubb]

11. Another Israeli "in depth" probe.

Nobody buys their lies except the true believers.

[Ignoramus]

13. My study of my not having my homework to turn in

found that my dog ate my homework.

[w4rma]

16. So what? They shouldn't be going around blowing up every building they see

anyway. The Red Cross said that they weren't recieving fire anywhere in that town.

[Disturbed]

17. The concept is to make that town uninhabitable.

Discourage anyone from rebuilding any towns close to any Irsraeli border.

[w4rma]

22. Or to annex/control the land up to the Litani River? (nt)

[LostinVA]

35. Agreed -- the Litani and getting more "elbow room" are the objectives

[Lerkfish]

24. BINGO

give that person a cigar

[warrens]

18. They tossed a missile at an empty building?

Yeah, I believe that. Of course, I WAS born yesterday.

[xultar]

21. Here's how we know they are lying...they said they targeted the

building next door. But the bomb blast was so fuckin HUGE it brought both buildings down

They are using weapons and trying to destroy civilian infrastructure. They coulda hit the building next door and not affected the building.

So. Did they really target the building with the people or did they target the building next door? They have 2 stories on this so obviously they are lying.

Second...they are saying if they had known civilians were in the building they wouldn't have had the airstrike...yet they keep complaining that H'z is hiding among civilians and that gives them the right to kill who's trying to kill them and whomever happens to be around is an accident but an o.k. accident.

Dude...they are lying..can't keep their propaganda bullshit straight.

[MasonJar]

23. It is incumbent on them to verify such an assumption. With the

number of children alone killed verification should have been easy.

[prole_for_peace]

25. they wouldn't have bombed if they knew there were civilians in it.

well that makes it all ok then. :sarcasm:

[sabra]

26. Update: IDF report: Hezbollah used civilians as shields in Qana

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/745828.html

IDF report: Hezbollah used civilians as shields in Qana

By The Associated Press

Israel Defense Forces' inquiry on the bombing of a building in the south Lebanese village of Qana that killed 56 civilians admits a mistake but charges that Hezbollah guerrillas used civilians as shields for their rocket attacks, according to a statement released early Thursday.

Israel Air Force planes attacked an apartment house in Qana in the early hours of Sunday. The house collapsed, and rescue workers pulled the bodies of civilians, most of them women and children, out of the rubble. An international outcry led Israel to call a halt to its airstrikes in Lebanon for 48 hours and increased pressure on Israel to agree to a cease-fire in its three-week offensive against Hezbollah.

In a statement summarizing the inquiry report, the Israeli military said Israel did not know there were civilians in the building. "Had the information indicated that civilians were present ... the attack would not have been carried out," the statement said.

The bombing followed guidelines regarding attacking "suspicious structures" in villages where civilians have been warned to evacuate, the statement said, adding that Hezbollah forces "use civilian structures inside villages to store weaponry and hide in after launching rocket attacks." The statement said more than 150 rockets have been launched from Qana and the area around it since July 12, when the current conflict erupted.

[uppityperson]

27. They bombed the road to Syria within hours of start of 48 hour thing.

How are these civilians supposed to evacuate? Shades of Brownie/bush/Katrina!

[Mr_Spock]

29. As expected

I can't imagine Israel or Bushco actually ever admitting to a mistake. It can't happen if you are perfect.

[daleo]

28. Witnesses said helicopters had been flying around for days

As had drones. Who knows what other intelligence gathering capabilities the IDF has - satellite, seismic instruments, thermal imaging, etc.

It is hard to believe they didn't know about the civilians, based on the reports of helicopter observation sorties alone.

[cal04]

30. Israel bombed Qana building by mistake - inquiry

An Israeli inquiry into the bombing of the Lebanese village of Qana said on Thursday the army would not have bombed a building if had known civilians were inside, but accused Hizbollah of using human shields.

The strike on Qana last Saturday drew international outrage and intensified calls for a ceasefire. Lebanon says at least 54 people were killed, many of them children. A Human Rights Watch investigation said the toll appeared lower.

A statement said the probe was completed on Wednesday. It said the building was attacked with two missiles, one of which did not explode, because it was believed to be a "hiding place for terrorists".

"Had the information indicated that civilians were present in the building the attack would not have been carried out," the statement said, adding that residents of Qana and surrounding villages had been warned several times to leave their homes.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L03261953.htm

[last1standing]

31. Excuse #135........."Oops!"

Wonder what they'll come up with next?

[Kagemusha]

32. I'm confused. How can civilians shield anything if they're not seen?

That one escapes me...

[Solly Mack]

33. Escapes me too

[Eugene]

34. That "they made us kill civilians" excuse is getting old.

When you bombard a civilian area, innocents will get killed.