Hamas War Crimes: the CNN Strategy

Alan Dershowitz, Harvard law professor, posted a comment in the National Post on Wednesday Jan 7, 2009 that brings up some very interesting points.

He begins by reminding us that Israel is protecting its citizens from deadly Hamas rockets, (rockets that lack any guidance system which leaves them randomly effective with results so ‘deadly’ that out of the estimated 1,750 launches since their introduction in 2001 have killed 13 Israelis and 2 Palestinians).

He later informs us that the number of genuinely innocent civilians killed by the Israeli Air Force in Gaza is lower than the collateral deaths caused by any nation in a comparable situation. With this statement, he is setting the stage for his coming remarks by reminding us that civilian deaths are inevitable during war and that the number of ‘genuinely innocent civilian’ deaths falls within acceptable limits. I don’t agree with the notion of an ‘acceptable’ innocent civilian death rate.

He points out that there is more protest directed against Israel when it inadvertently kills approximately 100 civilians in a just war of self-defense than against Arab and Muslim nations and groups that deliberately kill far more civilians for no legitimate reason through the use of suicide attacks. He backs this up by saying more Arabs and Muslim civilians are killed every day in Africa and the Middle East by Arab and Muslim governments and groups with little or no protests.

He claims bias when he mentions there has been no protests against the cold-blooded murders by Hamas and its supporters of dozens of Palestinian civilians who allegedly "collaborated" with Israel. Indeed, Hamas and Fatah have killed far more Palestinian civilians over the past several years than have the Israelis, but you wouldn't know that from the media, the United Nations or protesters who focus selectively on only those deaths caused by Israeli military actions.

Hamas is playing Russian roulette with its children. Their use of human shields, in the way Hamas uses the civilian population of Gaza, is a war crime. No question about it. They are committing other crimes against humanity as well, such as: firing rockets at kindergartens, playgrounds and hospitals; hiding behind its own civilians when firing at Israeli civilians; refusing to build bunkers for its own civilians. Every human shield that is killed by Israeli self-defense measures is the responsibility of Hamas, but you wouldn't know that from watching the media coverage.

The media is being manipulated. They set up TV cameras to transmit every image of dead Palestinians, especially children and exaggerate the number of civilians killed by including as "children" Hamas fighters who are 16 or 17 years old and as "women," female terrorists.

Hamas declared war on Israel, long before this latest conflict, calling for its complete destruction and is now interpreting current world-wide protest against Israel as pro-Palestinian and therefore are emboldened to continue fighting using any despicable and unconscionable means at its disposal to bring down the Israeli nation.

Dershowitz is decidedly pro-Israel, but the fact remains that Israel is using their technologically advanced military against what amounts to sticks and stones, by comparison. This current conflict is the result of Israel forcing Palestinians to live in a cramped strip of land and blockading food and medical supplies into the area. When Hamas fired their unsophisticated rockets at Israel as protest, Israel fought back with a lopsided and heavy-handed offense. This is what the world is protesting against.

Olympic protests begin on opening day

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games promises to be one of the most controversial of all time. We are in for a wild ride.

As expected, the protests against China’s treatment of Tibetan protesters began in earnest at the Olympic torch lighting ceremony in Greece, despite heightened security, with three separate incidents.

Moments before the torch was lit, Chinese Party Secretary Liu Qi spoke unfazed to the audience while, immediately behind him, security apprehended a lone protestor attempting to display a banner depicting the Olympic Rings as handcuffs.

China state television cut away from the scene in an attempt to keep the Chinese people ignorant of what the rest of the world thinks and, over fear of losing their jobs or worse, Chinese television commentators did not mention the demonstration.

Also, during Liu Qi’s speech, two men carrying black flags ran onto the field of the stadium. And three men in the audience, representatives of Reporters without Borders, an advocacy group for press freedom everywhere in the world, unfurled the ‘new’ Olympic banner.

In a separate incident, while the torch was being carried on its 85,000 mile journey from Olympia to Beijing, a Tibetan woman covered herself in red paint and lay in front of the runner while other protesters chanted "Free Tibet" and "Shame on China”.

The focus of the demonstrations is China’s latest human rights violations centering around a demonstration that turned violent on March 14 in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. The resultant heavy-handed crackdown by Chinese military and heavily armed police have lead to a disputed number of dead. China claims 22 while Tibet says 80 Tibetans and another 19 in subsequent violence in Gansu province were killed.

More protests are expected and planned when the Olympic torch is carried through Tibet and to the top of Mount Everest leading up to the August 8 opening ceremony.

China is a house of cards and it is only a matter of time before the Chinese people rise up against the picture of ‘false harmony’ the Chinese government wishes the world to see. The Chinese government has been at this game for a very long time and it won’t end soon. Perhaps the Beijing 2008 Olympics is just what is needed to get this house to fall.

Many people consider a sporting event as off limits to political protests but when world leaders do nothing to bring action against such a ‘bully’ for its treatment of its citizens except to sit on the sidelines talking about how terrible it is then it is up to the world’s citizens to stand up and do something. I back these protests one hundred percent.

Let the games begin!

Sources: CNN, Newsvine, Reporters Without Borders