Amnesty: Israeli Strikes On Gaza Buildings 'War Crimes'

[Purveyor]

Source: BBC

Israeli air strikes on four high-rise buildings in the final days of this summer's conflict in Gaza amounted to war crimes, Amnesty International says.

Evidence suggested the destruction was "carried out deliberately and with no military justification", a new report by the human rights group found.

It called for an independent and impartial investigation to be opened.

--clip
During the last four days before a ceasefire came into effect, Israeli warplanes dropped large bombs on four buildings - the 12-storey Zafer 4 Tower, the 16-storey Italian Complex and the 13-storey al-Basha Tower in Gaza City, and the four-storey Municipal Commercial Centre in Rafah.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30393540

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. No surprise. n/t

[azurnoir]

2. but I thought we were told at the time that Hamas might have had an office

in one of the apartments which apparently 'justified' the bombing

[cosmicone]

3. Translation

Amnesty International wants more aid from well-heeled Arab countries.

I have had no respect for Amnesty since they interviewed Pakistani ISI and issued a report on "Indian Atrocities" in Kashmir when Indian Kashmir has an elected government and a free press.

[cpwm17]

4. Israel destroyed them because they were the tallest buildings in Gaza.

Israel could get the most bang for the buck by knocking them down.

Where do you think Osama got his idea for 9-11?: from Israel knocking down the tallest buildings in Lebanon in the 1980's. At least that's what Osama claimed in one of his videos.

[fingrin]

5. Another possible theory

is Osama got the idea from a Hollywood movie in the 80s showing a plane flying into the White house.
Kind of weird the CIA missed that one and said they didn't anticipate such a scenario, but then again Osama never took credit for 9/11.
If you really want to know Google Osamas declaration of war on the US pre 9/11

[cpwm17]

6. Osama explained that 9-11 was in revenge for actions and policies of US and Israel,

including Israel's destruction of towers in Lebanon.

http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html

So I shall talk to you about the story behind those events and shall tell you truthfully about the moments in which the decision was taken, for you to consider.

I say to you, Allah knows that it had never occurred to us to strike the towers. But after it became unbearable and we witnessed the oppression and tyranny of the American/Israeli coalition against our people in Palestine and Lebanon, it came to my mind.

The events that affected my soul in a direct way started in 1982 when America permitted the Israelis to invade Lebanon and the American Sixth Fleet helped them in that. This bombardment began and many were killed and injured and others were terrorised and displaced.

I couldn't forget those moving scenes, blood and severed limbs, women and children sprawled everywhere. Houses destroyed along with their occupants and high rises demolished over their residents, rockets raining down on our home without mercy....

And as I looked at those demolished towers in Lebanon, it entered my mind that we should punish the oppressor in kind and that we should destroy towers in America in order that they taste some of what we tasted and so that they be deterred from killing our women and children....

This means the oppressing and embargoing to death of millions as Bush Sr did in Iraq in the greatest mass slaughter of children mankind has ever known, and it means the throwing of millions of pounds of bombs and explosives at millions of children - also in Iraq - as Bush Jr did, in order to remove an old agent and replace him with a new puppet to assist in the pilfering of Iraq's oil and other outrages.

So with these images and their like as their background, the events of September 11th came as a reply to those great wrongs, should a man be blamed for defending his sanctuary?

Is defending oneself and punishing the aggressor in kind, objectionable terrorism? If it is such, then it is unavoidable for us.

I very much remember in 1983 when President Ronald Reagan ordered the battleship USS New Jersey, stationed off the Lebanese coast, to bombard the hills near Beirut in retaliation for US Marine getting bombed in their barracks. So the US supported Israel in it's disastrous invasion of Lebanon and then sent in the Marines, allegedly as peace keepers. Reagan then murdered random Lebanese in revenge for their deaths. I hated Reagan for that.

[seveneyes]

7. "Allah knows that it had never occurred to us to strike the towers"

Allah this, Allah that. When this imaginary Allah can produce herself in person and show their existence, maybe thinking people will make note of it.

[cpwm17]

8. People rationalize and blame their own thoughts on this invisible god critter.

It's a pretty good scam.

[pampango]

9. Interesting parallel: Russia: Burning down homes after Chechnya clashes appears to be collective

punishment

Authorities in Russia must urgently investigate the burning down of at least five houses believed to belong to the relatives of 11 men blamed by the authorities of carrying out an armed attack in the Chechen capital, Grozny, Amnesty International said after news emerged today of the “collective punishment” against the families.

The 11 men were killed alongside 14 law enforcement officers during an armed confrontation in Grozny on 4 December. At least one civilian is also believed to have been killed.

A day after the attack, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic, said the families of the armed group members would be expelled from Chechnya and their houses demolished.

“Punishing the relatives of those suspected of involvement in crimes is a flagrant violation of international law. Nothing can justify acts of collective punishment. The federal authorities must ensure an independent and impartial investigation is conducted into the burning of the houses and bring those responsible to justice in fair trials,” said John Dalhuisen, Director for the Europe and Central Asia Programme at Amnesty International.

“By allowing these alleged acts of collective punishment to go unchallenged, the Russian leadership will be sending a dangerous message that such abuses are actually allowed and encouraged.”

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/russia-burning-down-homes-after-chechnya-clashes-appears-be-collective-punishment-2014-12-09