Saturday July 15, 2006
DPRK News Fun
- Posted by Rob (#1) on July 15, 2006 02:52 CEST
I'm bored and randomly reading "news" entries from the Korean Central News Agency reporting from Pyongyang. North Korea is incredibly surreal, as are it's news reports.
Month of Anti-U.S. Joint Struggle Observed in Britain
A joint symposium of the British progressive parties and organizations on the U.S. hostile policy against the DPRK was held in London on June 24 on the occasion of the June 25-July 27 month of anti-U.S. joint struggle.
Oh great, that means I can still catch the parade at Trafalgar Square! How could our media have missed this glorious event? (Okay, fair enough, Indymedia syndicates KCNA.)
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- Tags: London, North Korea, KCNA, anti-Americanism
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Palestinian war crimes
- Posted by Rob (#1) on July 15, 2006 04:17 CEST
What is your first impression of Israel going to be from this headline? HUSBAND, HIS WIFE AND THEIR SEVEN CHILDREN KILLED BY ISRAELI SHELLS IN GAZA. Nasty Israel, right?
Dr. Al Saqqa identified the killed family members as Nabil Abu Salmiya, his wife Salwa, both 39, and their seven children were identified as Nasrallah, Basima, 16, Sumayya, 12, Huda, 8, Eman, 11, Aya, 7, and Yahia, 13.
Tragedy, I can't deny that.
None of the killed and injured residents is affiliated with any resistance group.
Army claimed targeting a senior leader of Hamas' armed wing, Mohammad Deif, and several leaders of the Al Qassam Brigades, several leaders of Hamas' armed wing were present at the targeted house, according to army sources.
The army added that Deif was at the house of Abu Salmiya, one of the leaders of the Hamas movement.
Meanwhile, Abu Obeida, media spokesperson of the brigades, said that Deif was unharmed in the attack.
Unharmed. Why did he not say he was not present?
Abu Obaida, spokesman of Al-Qassam brigade, said Deif and Al-Ghandour are safe and were not harmed and vowed a painful revenge.
Safe. Why even bother to mention that when they were not present, had been or were planning to?
The Israeli Air Force carried out a similar attack on a house in Gaza in June 2002, killing Hamas operative Salah Shihadeh and 17 other civilians including elders, women and children.
After bombarding the house, which was leveled to the ground, eyewitnesses said the same warplane fired a missile at a car in an attempt to kill Raed Sa'ad, another Qassam brigade operative.
Sa'ad managed to jump out of the car before it was hit by the missile, witnesses said.
Wow, these brigade operatives sure spend a lot of time in houses with elders, women and children. Not exactly recommended by the Fourth Geneva Convention:
The Fourth Geneva Convention forbids the use of any civilian as a shield: "The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations." (Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, August 12, 1949, 6 U.S.T. 3516, 75 U.N.T.S. 287, art. 28)
Sure, one can put "Israel" in the headline, but wouldn't someone who actually understands the most significant facts from the article make one along the lines of "Hamas commits war crime"? Surely such meetings could take place without so many civilians? Even assuming all these leaders where buddies, it's hardly the time for a neighbourhood BBQ when you're job descriptions are "war and death to Israel". There is a defensive responsibility for preventing civilian harm as well, and it is clear Hamas does not care much about taking that responsibility.
Update: Hezbollah too uses human shields. Robert McClelland concludes Israel is terrorist, but in this case I clearly think the onus is on Hezbollah for failing to protect citizens by hiding amongst them, which is a war crime.
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- Tags: Hamas, Israel, Hezbollah, Al Qassam, Geneva Convention, war crimes, human shield
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