Sharon shifts blame for civilian deaths ( a terrible blunder Israeli President)

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | July 25 2002 | By Ross Dunn, Herald Correspondent in Jerusalem

[dead]

The Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, has blamed misleading intelligence for the deaths of 14 people, including nine children, in an operation to assassinate the Palestinian fugitive at the top of Israel's most-wanted list.

Only a day after describing the raid that killed the Hamas military chief, Salah Shehadeh, as "one of our major successes", Mr Sharon said he and the Defence Minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, would never have approved the air strike against a block of flats in Gaza City had they known innocent people were at risk.

Mr Sharon has reportedly called for an investigation into the intelligence brief and in particular why Shin Bet, Israel's secret police, failed to report that Shehadeh's wife and daughter were in the building, which resulted in them also being killed.

"Israel did not know that there were civilians in Shehadeh's house," he reportedly told a closed-door meeting of his senior aides. "Had it known this, it would have found another way to hit him."

After initially celebrating the raid, Mr Sharon's and Mr Ben-Eliezer's offices later issued statements saying the Gaza operation had been approved on the basis of intelligence from the Israeli Defence Forces that there were no civilians in the area. Most of the information had been provided to the military by Shin Bet.

Only four of those killed were in Shehadeh's home. Most of the victims were in neighbouring buildings. This fact has called into question the advice allegedly given to the Government that the attack would only have a "minor effect" on other dwellings.

Mr Sharon's remarks came amid scathing international criticism of the Gaza bombing.

The White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said: "This heavy-handed action does not contribute to peace."

Mr Sharon is sensitive to comments from Israel's main ally, particularly as President George Bush has been a vocal supporter of Israel's right to defend itself by taking action against Palestinian terrorism.

Yossi Beilin, a member of Israel's Labour Party in the parliament, and a strong advocate of dialogue with the Palestinians, said the operation could put at risk the country's relationship with friendly countries.

"Democratic countries generally do not do things of this nature and the price we are paying today among the best of our friends is very, very high," he said.

Israel's President, Moshe Katsav, described the operation as a terrible blunder but said there was no malicious intent against innocent Palestinians.

"It truly pains our heart to see children that were killed and seriously injured," he said.

"That was not our intention. That is not us. That is nor our policy. Mistakes happen and this was a mistake."

Israeli cabinet ministers also joined in the chorus of soul-searching, saying that the world should not judge those responsible for taking tough decisions in the fight against terrorism.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Silvan Shilom, said anyone who believed Mr Sharon and his cabinet would have knowingly attacked innocent people did not know what they were talking about.

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The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, also criticised the attack yesterday.

"It was an over-reaction," he said. "It was heavy-handed and it doesn't help Israel's cause."

[1bigdictator]

Perhaps Israel should have waited until this terrorist matermind decided to walk his toy poodle in Gaza's Central Park. Afterall the Pali's show the utmost care in trying to minimize civilian casualties in their attacks on Israel... and they would never target women and children.

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Afterall the Pali's show the utmost care in trying to minimize civilian casualties in their attacks on Israel... and they would never target women and children.

The fact that the Palestinians target civilians, while Israel does not, is what gives the Israelis the higher moral ground.

They should be wary about losing that distinction.

[riri]

Insanity. These lunatics blow up everything in their path, welcome the martyrdom of their children, teach nothing but hate, violence and death and we are supposed to share in the outcry when Israel defends herself?

[sheik yerbouty]

Yeah, that way they could have the distincion of being exterminated by sand nazis.(huge sarcasm)

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Yeah, that way they could have the distincion of being exterminated by sand nazis.

If the Israelis start knowingly targeting civilians, what exactly would make them better than the “sand nazis”?

Slaughter of Innocents: The body of Mohamed al-Hwiti (4 1/2) lies next to the body of
his mother mona in Gaza hospital after they were killed in an overnight Israeli missile
strike in the Gaza Strip yesterday.

BTW, I don’t believe they did know there were civilians there. Which is why Israeli officials are acknowledging that they screwed up. Unfortunately, many around here still don’t think they did.

[sheik yerbouty]

Its an old trick the jihadists use, headquartering their most vile terrorists next to civilians, hospitals, and such. They do not care about their own population, only the propoganda mileage they get for it. In war, people die. Would you have the U.S. apologize for, with sudden fuinality, ending the wat in the Pacific,? Would you condemn WW2 Allied bombing raids?

[Thinkin' Gal]

The fact that the Palestinians target civilians, while Israel does not, is what gives the Israelis the higher moral ground.

They should be wary about losing that distinction.

When I learned to drive, my mother used to always say, "Sure, you can insist upon your right-of-way, but do you want to be dead right?"

No, I'm not condoning the intentional targeting of children, but typically war is nasty, intentionally or otherwise. The moral high ground is, unfortunately, a moving target that Israel will never be able to reach in the eyes of those who hate her. I'd be surprised if these terrorist demons didn't continuously surround themselves with groups of children as bullet/missile buffers, guaranteeing a carnage of innocents whenever Israel succeeds in nailing one of them. And I'm tired of the Eurotrash and assorted peaceniks cursing Israel, when Israel fails to measure up to an impossible standard of perfection and restraint. All the while, they gloss over/excuse/justify the atrocities committed by the Arabs.

One thing I know, the more the peaceniks squeal about the actions of the evil Israeli occupation forces, the more likely genuine peace is holding on the ground. When this same kumbaya crowd is pleased about the status of the 'peace process' they champion, homicide bombers are generally running rampant.

I vote for Israel.

[dennisw]

Blunder Schmunder!

[1bigdictator]

"The fact that the Palestinians target civilians, while Israel does not, is what gives the Israelis the higher moral ground. They should be wary about losing that distinction."

They already lost this distinction through the disparate treatment applied by the Liberal media and socialized international community. The Arab world feeds the press misinformation and propaganda which demonizes Israel-- judgement is reached without examining the evidence-- and dupes or those w/ an anti-Israel agenda happily consume and disseminate the propaganda as fact.

The PA and Terror Groups habitually fabricate "masacre" stories like Jenin, yet the international community refuses to give Israel a benefit of the doubt.

You might as well lump America into your condemnation and moral equivalency argument Dead-- afterall I seem to recall we intentionally fire-bombed many Germa towns in our effort to defeat Nazi Germany-- yes we had knowledge that civilian casualties would occur, as is often the case with war-- Israel is at war with Palestinian terrorists who hide behind human shields-- not shocking that some Pali "civilians" may die.

Moreover there is no proportional outrage to the Palis targeting slaughter of Israeli innocents... the international community yawns, while CNN does exposse' on the torment of the poor homicide bomber.

[dennisw]

Right on BigTator. A Pallie honcho has been dispatched to the devil. I don't like to see so many Pallie civilians killed in the process but when have Pallies ever expressed regrets about killing innocent Jews? Their objective is to kill innocents while Israeli objective is to take out major Jew killers. They revel in blood and they got some.

During war innocents get killed but in this case the families will also will get $10,000 checks from Saddam and Saudi Arabians.

[1bigdictator]

P.S. nice touch of including the provocative photo in your response to me... no spin-doctoring there. Would you like me to start inserting photos of mutilated Israeli babies who were gunned down in thier crib by Palistinian gun-men, while they slept?

[Thinkin' Gal]

Judging by the level of rage generated by this incident, I'd say that Israel dealt a serious blow to the advancement of the Jihad.

[dead]

You might as well lump America into your condemnation and moral equivalency argument Dead

I guess you reasoned that I was playing the “moral equivalency” game by my statement that Israel rightfully holds the higher moral ground. (I think you need to learn to read a little better.)

P.S. nice touch of including the provocative photo in your response to me... no spin-doctoring there.

It’s an actual photograph. How you conclude that an undoctored photograph is “spin” is beyond me.

Would you like me to start inserting photos of mutilated Israeli babies who were gunned down in thier crib by Palistinian gun-men, while they slept?

Whatever turns you on.

I am in favor of killing Palestinian gun men who do such things.

I also think that this particular military operation should not have been conducted by the Israelis in the manner that it was. Ariel Sharon shares my opinion on this. You do not.

[1bigdictator]

Sharon must show contrition at the first drop of Pali blood or risk U.N. resolutions up the yin-yang and the eternal blather and condemnation from the terror-sympathising socialist scum-bags E.U. politicos.

[dead]

So he's a liar?

[1bigdictator]

Daniel Pearl also showed contrition to the Arab-terrorist before they sawed off his head... I guess Sharon and Pearl are reading from the same script.

[1bigdictator]

It's called forced appeasment... Jews have been forced to renounce thier beliefs throughout history. He's a polititian... don't play stupid.

[dead]

Oh yeah. I guess the Daily Telegraph was about to decapitate Sharon. Real logical comparison there.

I don't think Sharon is lying. I think he is a good man, who would not have sent these missles flying if he knew what the result would be. Sorry you think less of the man.

[1bigdictator]

"I don't think Sharon is lying. I think he is a good man, who would not have sent these missles flying if he knew what the result would be. Sorry you think less of the man."

Sharon is a pragmatist, realist, strategist, survivor and war general. To accept your conclusion, one would first have to accept your premise. It's flawed. Sharon has stated Israel is at War. Any General knows civillians will be killed in War; particullarly this one where Arab culture encourages and condones, in contravention of the Geneva Convention, that hostile combatants intentionally intermingle w/ the civilian population to shield themselves from attack (recall the Palis breaking into the Church of the Nativity knowing Israel's restraint and reverence for religous antiquity).

Therefore, Sharon's knowledge that civilian casualties may result from a military opperation conducted during the course of this war would not remove his status as a "good" man, as you implied above. In this context, my assertion that Sharon understands the inherent risks of war for all parties bolsters his standing in spite of this incident.