Israeli army says no action on wounded reporters

Reuters | 12/19/01

[kattracks]

JERUSALEM, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The Israeli army said on Tuesday it had largely concluded a review of complaints by journalists wounded while covering Israeli-Palestinian violence and decided against any further action against soldiers.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA), representing foreign journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, described the findings as incomplete and said they contributed to an atmosphere in which soldiers were not held accountable for shooting reporters in the field.

The army said in a statement its review "indicates that all the cases in which journalists were injured took place during violent confrontations".

It noted reporters covering a 15-month-old Palestinian uprising put themselves at "certain risk", adding "there is nothing in the complaints to suggest a pattern, or to suggest premeditated or wilful intent on the part of IDF (Israel Defence Forces) troops to harm the journalists".

The army cited six examples of journalists who were shot -- including a Reuters photographer and cameraman -- saying that in each case violent demonstrations or exchanges of fire were taking place between troops and Palestinians at the time.

In some instances, the army said, it did not have conclusive evidence the wounds were caused by Israeli fire.

The FPA said the release of the army's findings more than a year after the complaints were made, and the overall lack of punitive measures, did not suggest the probes were thorough.

"The message this delivers to soldiers, whether the army intends this or not, is that preventing the shooting of journalists and punishing those who shoot them are not of utmost importance," the FPA said in a statement.

It demanded that the army "treat any such future incidents with greater seriousness than it has applied to date".

40 JOURNALISTS SHOT

Press freedom groups have cited some 40 cases of journalists wounded by shooting while working for foreign news organisations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The army mentioned two cases in which soldiers were reprimanded and removed from serving in an area in which reporters were wounded by Israeli fire.

It said one incident involving an Abu Dhabi television reporter was still under review.

The army said it had taken steps such as educational programmes for soldiers and closer coordination with representatives of the press to prevent future incidents.

"The IDF has an unequivocal commitment to the professional freedom of journalists and to their safety in all that regards their contact with the IDF," the army statement said, adding it viewed journalists "as innocent civilians".

© Reuters Limited

[Sabramerican]

Never ever presume I am defensive.

Only the liars and terrorist sympathizers are constantly on the defensive.

[Romulus]

Never ever presume I am defensive.

Quite the opposite, I assure you.

[Sabramerican]

Good. I figure I should be by now "noted" to where I almost merit a toaster. But I hope you and your friends keep on posting because I have my heart set on being "noted" to a big screen TV.

[Romulus]

I thought you were my friend, the way you keep following me around.

[Sabramerican]

If you are in desperate need of friends, just cry out.

[Cachelot]

If you are in desperate need of friends, just cry out.

I suggest he not cry out, but rather be vewwy vewwy quiet. I think I saw something large and hairy in the underbrush. It seemed to have tusks.

[Romulus]

I'm rather picky about my friends, if you don't mind.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... since the IDF was not found to have systematically targeted the reporters, the investigation was obviously not thorough enough."

I did see an .MPEG video not too long ago of a French TV news reporter in the Gaza Strip that was covering a rock-throwing spat between Palestinian kids and the IDF. During his broadcast, a jeep rolled up 50 yards away from his position. An Israeli soldier got out, aimed in deliberately on the French reporter (who was wearing a ceramic/kevlar composite body armor rig) and shot him dead-center in the back plate with his Galil 5.56.

The rest of the video was footage of the French reporter writhing on the ground from the sting that bullet put on his back. It must have felt like a belly-flop into a pool from a 40' diving board, but the ceramic plate saved his life.

That video shows a deliberate shot on a journalist, but it's up to you to judge whether it was 'systematic' or not.

I even think there was a link here on FR about it once.

[dell Arpa]

Hmm. The "Indians" would be the Canaanites--"Later the Canaanite clans scattered and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha." (Genesis 10:19). So the "American settlers" would be the descendants of Abraham, who, if the Bible is to be believed, was originally from southern Iraq.

I've just become a bit cynical that there'll ever be peace in that particular piece of land. Jews kill Canaanites, Canaanites kill Jews, Philistines kill Jews, Jews kill Philistines, Romans kill Jews. . .