U.S. AERIAL BOMBINGS KILL MANY CIVILIANS IN IRAQ

Thanks to Juan Cole in his Informed Comment today for pointing me to this important study by Iraq Body Count reporting on the large number of civilian casualties, mostly women and children, killed in U.S. bombing raids.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a new study on fatalities among women and children in Iraq as a result of the U.S. prosecuting the war there. The study, in conjunction with Iraq Body Count, is authored by Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks, M.D., M.R.C.Psych., Hamit Dardagan, Gabriela Guerrero Serdán, M.A., Peter M. Bagnall, M.Res., John A. Sloboda, Ph.D., F.B.A., and Michael Spagat, Ph.D.

Write the authors:

"In events with at least one Iraqi civilian victim, the methods that killed the most civilians per event were aerial bombings (17 per event), combined use of aerial and ground weapons (17 per event), and suicide bombers on foot (16 per event). Aerial bombs killed, on average, 9 more civilians per event than aerial missiles (17 vs. 8 per event). Indeed, if an aerial bomb killed civilians at all, it tended to kill many. It seems clear from these findings that to protect civilians from indiscriminate harm, as required by international humanitarian law (including the Geneva Conventions),4 military and civilian policies should prohibit aerial bombing in civilian areas unless it can be demonstrated — by monitoring of civilian casualties, for example — that civilians are being protected."

AMNESTY INTL. CONDEMNS BOTH ISRAEL & HAMAS FOR WAR CRIMES

The BBC reports that Amnesty International has condemned both the Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas for targeting civilians, in flagrant violations of the humanitarian laws of war.

Writes the BBC:

"The human rights group said it had evidence both Israel and Hamas had used weapons sourced from overseas to carry out attacks on civilians.

"It called for the UN Security Council to impose the embargo on all parties.

"Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the conclusions of the report, in which Amnesty accuses each of war crimes."

Amnesty specifically cites Israel's use of shells containing white phosphorous which causes severe and deep burns once it attaches to human flesh. And Amnesty condemns Hamas for allowing rockets to be fired indiscriminately at Israeli towns and villages, thereby causing civilian deaths and casualties.

Reports the BBC:

"Donatella Rovera, the head of an Amnesty fact-finding mission to southern Israel and Gaza, said: "Israeli forces used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes.

""Their attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of children and other civilians and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure.

""At the same time, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets that had been smuggled in or made of components from abroad at civilian areas in Israel.

""Though far less lethal than the weaponry used by Israel, such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime and caused several civilian deaths.""

Many politicians in Israel as well as AIPAC here in the U.S. are always blaming Iran for supporting Hamas as well as Hezbollah. But almost all of the weapons used by Israel and the IDF come from the United States. And when they are used with such devastating effect against people, especially children, in Gaza, the Palestinians must believe that America and Americans hate them and stand with Israel in trying to eradicate them from the homeland.

The BBC reports:

"The [Amnesty] report said fragments and components of artillery, tank shells, fins from mortar rounds and aircraft-launched missiles and bombs were found in school playgrounds, hospitals and homes in Gaza.

"Israel's weaponry predominantly came from the US, the report said.

"About 1,300 Gazans and 13 Israelis died in 22 days of fighting last month."

ISRAEL SHELLS HOSPITAL, U.N. IN GAZA ASSAULT

The suffering and devastation caused by Israeli shelling and bombing just seems to be getting worse by the minute. Today we learn that the Israelis shelled the United Nations building in Gaza as well as a large hospital. The Israelis claim there were gunmen from Hamas in the area.

Bill Varner and Saud Abu Ramadan report on Bloomberg.com:

"Israeli tanks rumbled through Gaza City’s southern Tal el- Hawa neighborhood and shelled Al-Quds Hospital, leaving the facility in flames. Also hit was the Al-Shuruk tower, home to several news organizations, including Reuters and the Fox, Sky and Al-Arabiya television channels."

Varner and Abu Ramadan also write:

"Ban [U.N. Secreatry General] was in Israel today lobbying its leaders to accept a cease-fire with Hamas after 20 days of fighting. Ban, who visited Egypt and Jordan yesterday, expressed “strong protest and outrage” over Israel’s strike on the UN site and said Defense Minister Ehud Barak had told him it was a mistake. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees suspended operations after its Gaza compound was shelled."

Where is Israel's compliance with the laws of war and with the United Nations declaration on the rights of man? Don't shoot in an area where there are civilians. Don't put civilians at risk. The Israelis seem to have forgotten these basic humanitarian principles. Their actions are making a good case for showing themselves guilty of many war crimes. However, we all know war crimes apply only to the vanquished, never to the conqueror.

Once again, I condemn the Israelis for their disproportionate response, and above all, to their bombing civilian areas like apartment buildings, hospitals, mosques, relief agencies and schools.

UNLAWFUL TO DROP BOMBS IN CIVILIAN AREAS

I join Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General of the United Nations and other world leaders (save the U.S. government under Bush and Cheney) in calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

Hamas should control those Palestinians who in a paroxysm of revenge and hate fire missiles and rockets into Israel, threatening innocent women, children and civilians.

Israel should also immediately stop bombing Gazan homes, schools and the ordinary people who live and exist there.

To shoot artillery into densely populated areas like Gaza and to drop highly explosive bombs there is to commit horrible war crimes because the likely victims will be children, since children compose almost 50% of the population. Furthermore, even if a child is not killed or maimed by these Israeli attacks, his/her psyche will be forever scarred and traumatized.

But this seems to be the objective of the Israelis. Just like in the war in Lebanon several years ago, the leaders of Israel chose to inflict harsh suffering on civilians out of some misguided strategy that Israel needed to teach them a "lesson." Once again in Gaza, we see this foolish and criminal objective, showing utter disregard for protecting civilians.

The world must insist that Israel stop this insanity now.

CONDI RICE PLAYS THE FOOL, HOPES TO RE-START PEACE TALKS BETWEEN ISRAEL & PALESTINIANS

To think than Condoleeza Rice is going to convince the Palestinians to reconvene peace talks with Israel and prime minister Olmert is beyond comprehension, in view of the fact that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have just killed over 100 Palestinians in Gaza, including some 30 children.

Imagine how you would feel if your child ended up with a bullet fired by the IDF? Would you feel kindly disposed towards Israel? Or would you forever remember that Israel caused the death of your son or daughter?

I realize that Israel wants to stop Palestinians shooting missiles into neighboring Israeli towns. However, that does not justify Olmert sending in the IDF to use disproportional force and to kill Palestinians indiscriminately. Has Israel and Olmert ever heard of the laws of War or the Geneva Convention? Or do all rules go out the window when it comes to the Palestinians?