Officers cloaked to hamper lawsuits

[DogPoundPup]

The IDF has decided not to release the names and pictures of battalion and brigade commanders who participated in Operation Cast Lead, Army Radio reported Wednesday morning.

The decision was made in anticipation that international war crimes lawsuits would be filed against IDF officers, who could face prosecution when traveling overseas.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the IDF to set up a team of intelligence and legal experts to collect evidence related to operations in the Gaza Strip, that could be used to defend military commanders against future lawsuits.

Called an "Incrimination Team," the group of experts has already received all of the footage filmed by IDF Combat Camera teams deployed inside the Gaza Strip, to review and decipher. All footage taken by Combat Camera soldiers is first given to brigade intelligence officers, who study it for intelligence information.

more: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232292923634&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. only proves that the violations were intentional by Israel.

Considering how they have used the "collective guilt" cudgel in the past, that may come back to bite them.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. You don't recall what happened after Lebanon in this area do you

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. which time? Israel invaded in 82, and again, a few years ago.

both were abject failures.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. No, the legal area...that is the context for the subthread

When it became clear that nothing was going to be done via the ICC, local prosecutors and sometimes civilians tried invoking long arm statutes to go after various high ranking Israelis. After an initial flurry they went away too. There is nothing to indicate that pattern will change.

[azurnoir]

6. Must be nice to lean back so self assured that your side

can get away with showering WP on children must be proud moment how totally disgusting

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. My side is facts and realism vs hyperbole and fantasy

I have never supported the use of WP over populated areas. What I have said is that it is legal under the current LOW as long as the intent is not anti-personnel. I have also called people on the chemical weapons hyperbole. No where have I said I agreed with its use or thought it was a good thing. I have pointed out in numerous threads that the LOW are desperately behind what is going on and needs to be updated in a number of areas.

Consider this...WP may finally be banned for any use since people around the world will be unable to ignore the horrific damage it does. Its also a lot more likely that the US will not try and block it. Landmine treaty may get another look as well. If those things do not happen, there will be more burned children in the future.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. You could see this coming

[DogPoundPup]

9. Experts: Concerns over Gaza op prosecutions justified

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3660451,00.html

"Israel… cannot do as it pleases simply because the Judge Advocate General decided it wouldn’t be looking into the deaths of civilians."


Attorney Michael Sefarad, who specialized in international law, said that we must remember that the entire mechanism of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague was put in place after World War II and the Holocaust, at the Jewish people's demand.


"The notion that some acts cannot be committed even in a time of war and that war criminals cannot find refuge anywhere is of the utmost importance, and this mechanism can be used against Israel as well."

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Its more locally than the Hague

There are pesky things like jurisdictions and treaties that will block the Hague from taking action

[Scurrilous]

11. Israel names justice minister to fight war crime charges

<snip>

"Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has put the justice minister in charge of defending Israel against charges of war crimes during its 22-day Gaza assault, a government source said Friday.

Daniel Friedman will lead an inter-ministerial team to coordinate a legal defence for civilians and the military, the source said.

Israel's military censor has already banned the publication of the identity of the unit leaders who fought against Hamas Islamists on the Gaza Strip for fear they may face war crimes charges."

<snip>

"Palestinian Justice Minister Ali Kashan, meanwhile, was on Thursday in The Hague, where he held talks with International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, an official said.

Beatrice le Fraper, a special advisor to the prosecutor, told AFP that Kasham and Moreno-Ocampo had "a long discussion ... which included allegations of crimes committed in Gaza."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jZ6hcZquoA-VdCfBfa4z913S4CzQ

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Smart move. Especially considering the hatemongers.

[oberliner]

14. I assume there may still be lawsuits

Lord knows where that will all go.

[Scurrilous]

13. Israel to approve aid for IDF officers accused of Gaza war crimes

<snip>

"The government is set to approve a bill Sunday to grant aid and support to Israel Defense Forces officers in cases where they face suits for alleged war crimes from Operation Cast Lead.

The bill, put forward by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, was coordinated by the Defense Ministry, Ministry of Justice and State Prosecutor. There is growing concern at the Defense Ministry and the Ministry of Justice that Israeli officers will be singled out in a massive wave of suits for alleged human rights violations.

Barak said Friday that the government carries the responsibility for sending IDF soldiers on military operations and as a result is obligated to grant them complete support against any possible harm to them stemming from those operations."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1058215.html

[Scurrilous]

15. Leftists drawing up 'blacklist' of officers who fought in Gaza

<snip>

"Israeli leftists have begun drawing up a "blacklist" of army officers involved in the recent operation in Gaza, in response to the military censor's decision to ban the publication of their names, pictures or other identifying details.

Until 10 days ago, the censor had permitted officers' names to be published. However, on orders from Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, it then changed its policy for all officers below the rank of brigade commander, due to fears that any officer publicly identified as being involved in the operation could be vulnerable to prosecution overseas in any of several European countries that claim universal jurisdiction.

By then, however, many names and pictures of lower-ranking officers had already been published, and these reports are still available on the Internet. Hence by searching the Web, leftist activists can easily compile a database of such officers.

So far, the local blacklist contains the names of nine battalion commanders from the Golani and Paratroops brigades and the armored corps. However, defense officials fear that overseas leftist organizations will use the same technique to compile far more comprehensive lists, including junior officers and pilots."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1060131.html