Israel soldier made woman drink cleaning fluid-court

Reuters. ^ | June 22 | Reuters

[OutSpot]

JERUSALEM, June 22 — The Israeli army has charged a female soldier with forcing a Palestinian woman at a checkpoint to drink the cleaning fluid she was carrying, a military spokesman said on Monday.

The military charge sheet said the incident occurred four months ago in the Gaza Strip when the soldier pointed her assault rifle at the Palestinian woman, shouted at her and demanded she drink from a bottle she was holding.

Military sources said the soldier was arrested over the incident, and that the Palestinian woman received treatment in a Gaza hospital.

Palestinian civilians have complained of hundreds of cases of abuse by soldiers at army checkpoints that have spread across Gaza and the West Bank since Palestinian militants began an uprising against occupation in September 2000.

[OutSpot]

Guess there are not just wackos on the Pali side....

(Military sources said the case was among 35 lodged against soldiers during the uprising.)

[wideawake]

Interesting.

Since this woman is up on charges, it would seem that the IDF holds itself to strict standards of comportment and respect for the individual rights of Arabs.

I wonder if the PLO conducts internal investigations over the alleged mistreatment of Jewish settlers by PLO operatives?

I won't hold my breath.

[Courier]

No she didn't.

Palestinians never lie, do they?

I read the full story in Haaretz, the Leftist rag.

The senior state attorney said the Palestinian woman was asked what she carried in a bottle and when she said "water," the soldier allegedly ordered her to "drink the water" and the Palestinian woman refused.

When the Palestinian woman eventually was forced to drink the liquid, which was a chemical and not water, some sprayed in her eyes and she became blind."

Palestinians never lie. The woman said it was water.

Why the question?

Oded Saborai, the soldier's defense attorney, yesterday argued that his client's response was "within her authority and part of her responsibility in view of specific warnings at that time suggesting that terrorist organizations intended to bring poisons into Israel to use in mass attacks." Saborai says that the soldier's version of the incident is corroborated by another soldier at the scene.

Wonder why MSNBC left out the relevant details?

[lilylangtree]

Would have to hear the soldier's side. If the pali woman carrying liquid in a jar was carrying gasoline in the jar, all she needed was a cloth and a match--voila! molotov cocktai. The palis are not known to be trustworthy or honest. Not knowing the complete circumstances the soldier shouldn't be condemned yet.

[Courier]

My defense strategy would be that the Palestinian woman told the truth when she said it was water, Palestinian never never lie, and ALLAH turned it into something else, for reasons only ALLAH knows.

[Courier]

In no story is there a question of why this Palestinian was carrying this unmarked liquid.

Give the soldier a medal.

[lizma]

she became blind

permanently or temporarily?

[Courier]

Don't know where they got "blind". Blinding is not in the indictment according to the story, just some burns around the mouth.

ALLAH, who turns water to caustic chemicals, be praised, for making the "blind" see.

[FourtySeven]

Good detective work!

It's the other faces to the Pali/Israeli conflict like this that, ever more, make me believe the Pali's simply aren't worth any effort and or care.

What amazes me is that so many media outlets refuse to publish the other sides like this....if the whole world could just see that the Palis aren't the "oppressed, downtrodden peoples" that most of the media (seems to) want us believe, and simply the murderous agressors they most likely ARE, then this "peace process" would move much more quickly (i.e., mushroom clouds).

[Alouette]

ping

[redhead]

"Palestinian civilians have complained of hundreds of cases of abuse by soldiers at army checkpoints..."

Hmmm...making the woman consume her own bomb was considered abuse. Good. I hope this kind of abuse continues. Quick thinking on the soldier's part. Good for her.

[Scothia]

No good deed ever goes unpunished.

Make them drink their volatile liquids. Make them eat their bombs. Let Allah sort it out.

[TomGuy]

from Haaretz Daily

Soldier charged with making Palestinian woman drink poison

By Gideon Alon and Amos Harel

A woman soldier was yesterday charged with forcing a Palestinian woman at gunpoint to drink a highly toxic liquid that made her blind and that caused external and internal burns that needed hospital treatment.

The Military Court of Southern Command charged the woman, who has been under arrest for a month, with illegal use of a firearm, aggravated assault and obstruction of justice.

Meanwhile the Knesset Law Committee yesterday took a broader look at human rights violations in the territories during the intifada, at a discussion under the heading "safeguarding human rights while fighting terrorism." The director of the International Section of the State Prosecutor's office, attorney Irit Kahan, and the judge advocate general, Major General Menachem Finkelstein attended the meeting.

Kahan specifically mentioned the case of the woman soldier and said the incident happened in January at the Tufach IDF position, near Khan Yunes in the Gaza Strip.

The senior state attorney said the Palestinian woman was asked what she carried in a bottle and when she said "water," the soldier allegedly ordered her to "drink the water" and the Palestinian woman refused.

When the Palestinian woman eventually was forced to drink the liquid, which was a chemical and not water, some sprayed in her eyes and she became blind."

However, the prosecution charges the soldier with aiming an automatic rifle at the head of the Palestinian woman and forcing her to drink the liquid - reportedly, an industrial toxin used to dry fiberglass.

The prosecutor says the Palestinian woman suffered burns to her mouth and internally, and had to be hospitalized, but makes no mention of the blindness she is said to have suffered.

Oded Saborai, the soldier's defense attorney, yesterday argued that his client's response was "within her authority and part of her responsibility in view of specific warnings at that time suggesting that terrorist organizations intended to bring poisons into Israel to use in mass attacks." Saborai says that the soldier's version of the incident is corroborated by another soldier at the scene.

According to JAG Finkelstein, this does not appear to be an isolated incident since the start of the intifada. The senior officer said that in September 2000, the Military Police began 360 investigations, among them 153 involving violence, 55 on alleged shooting violations, 134 probes into property theft or damage, and 18 into other issues, such as unjustly delaying pregnant women at road blocks.

Finkelstein said that so far, charges were brought against soldiers in 44 cases, 23 in cases involving property, 14 for violence, and six incidents where shooting resulted in death.

The JAG gave an example of five IDF soldiers sentenced to five months imprisonment for an incident in southern Hebron, and pointed to the opening of a special court martial, today, of a colonel who used a Palestinian as a human shield.

He also referred to charges brought against a deputy battalion commander for allegedly causing the death of a young Palestinian man.

The head of Central Command, Major General Moshe Kaplinsky, who also attended the meeting, said that during the intifada, 149 homes of Palestinians were razed because of the families' relation to a suicide bomber.

Members of the committee pressed the IDF officers on the army's policies regarding roadblocks, razing homes, removing outposts and assassinations of suspected terrorists. Yuli Tamir, MK (Labor), recommended that video cameras be stationed at roadblocks to discourage violations of human rights.

Zahava Gal-On, MK (Meretz), said that the data offered by the officers suggests that the soldiers are trigger-happy.

"If out of 2000 Palestinian deaths [during the intifada] charges were only brought in six cases, this suggests a disdainful approach to human life and this should be turning on a warning light," Gal-On said.

[swarthyguy]

Whaddya mean wackos? This chick deserves 72 hunky studs, virgins not necessary!

She caught out the jihadis at their own game. Was there some shortage of cleaning fluid in Israel?

Wouldn't have mattered much if it was really only water, would it?

Buy this soldier roses, chocolotes and flowers! y'go grrl!

[buffyt]

Twenty+ years ago I had to drink from our son's baby bottle and let the screener touch it, she opened it, sniffed it, had me drink some of it, then she put the nipple back on with the hands she had been examining everyone and everything with! Her hands were filthy! No way I could let him drink out of that bottle until it was sterilized again! Sure was a fun time with a fussy baby and no bottle!!!!!!!!!!!! He was a tiny baby at the time. I can still see that screener's face. No one should prosecute this Israeli soldier for doing this to the Palis woman. We have been having to do this at our airports as far back as I can remember, way before 9-11.

[NerdDad]

I flew from MS to NY some time back (post 9-11). I was required to drink from my open (properly labeled) Dr. Pepper. I thought it was a good idea then and still do. Sounds to me like the politicians have lost sight of who the bad guys/girls are.

[OREALLY]

I was thinking how different this forum would be if a member of Homeland Securty did this to a suspected terrorist in America...? Outrage !!!
Israel is well known for being the most humane to their prisoners.
Any Nation or people above criticism is a dangerous thing !
I believe the soldier was inhumane, and violated the Geneva Convention and deserves punishment...How about some sensible honesty once in awhile...?
There are bad Israeli's just like there are bad Americans.

[cake_crumb]

"Guess there are not just wackos on the Pali side...."

There are always wackos on every side. The DIFFERENCE is that the Israeli wackos are ARRESTED, while the PALI wackos have SOCCER FIELDS named for them and become heros.

[cake_crumb]

"Wonder why MSNBC left out the relevant details?"

The Palis and their mouthpieces in the media are changing tactics.

[A_perfect_lady]

I believe the soldier was inhumane, and violated the Geneva Convention and deserves punishment...

Why? For making a woman drink water? As far as she knew, it was water. The Palestinian woman claimed it was water. What's wrong with making someone drink water?