Amnesty report into weapons use in Gaza

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis

Wednesday February 25, 2009 12:57

by TruthWillOut

Call for weapons embargo on both sides

Amnesty's report on weapons used by both sides in Gaza finds much to condemn.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/012/2009/....html

The group is particularly hard on the U.S., having found numerous remains of American munitions -- including white phosphorus shells from Pine Bluff Arsenal, and a Hellfire missile made in Orlando.

Another weapon which bothers Amnesty is a mysterious munition, filled with cubic particles.

This type of ultra-precise strike capability is supposed to limit collateral damage and civilian casualties.

So we turn once again to Garlasco's comment, from an earlier conflict:

"It is unfortunate that these weapons are being developed specifically for use in densely populated areas which may negate the intended effect."

The BBC has produced a case-study on the use of weapons by the IDF during the recent onslaught on the population of Gaza.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7905320.stm

Human Rights Watch described how the IDF used flechette shells contain several thousand razor-sharp, nail-like metal darts, each about 4cm long. The shells explode in the air scattering the darts over the surrounding area - in a cone-shaped pattern 300m long and 90m wide.

"The black darts can still be seen in the walls above the spot where Wafa Abu Jarad, aged 21 and three months pregnant, was fatally injured on 5 January 2009, outside their home on a residential street near Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza ."

Wired presents an in-depth technical analysis of the probable weapon which produced horrific injuries when used by Israeli forces indiscriminately against the civilian population of Gaza.

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/02/gazas-deadly-cu.html

A candidate is the Spike missile, made by the Israeli company Rafael originally designed as an anti-tank missile. A trailing fiber-optic cable relays video back to the operator meaning that he/she can see exactly the civilian/military nature of the target before the weapon detonates.

Marc Garlaso of Human Rights Watch previously noted the Spike's use in Gaza, describing it as "a special missile that is made to make very high-speed turns, so if you have a target that is moving and running away from you, you can chase him with the weapon."

The Spike has a shaped charge warhead, which produces a narrow jet of metal at very high velocity. This is excellent for slicing through armor, but does little damage to anything not immediately in front of the missile.

To turn an anti-tank missile into a general purpose one capable of damaging other targets (such as people or soft vehicles), the answer is invariably to add a "fragmentation sleeve."

The fragmentation is enhanced by embossing -- cutting grooves into the sleeve. But the best method is to pre-form the fragments, typically producing tiny cubes like those shown.

The end result is a missile which hits the ground almost vertically after the pop-up, leaving a narrow deep hole as described, and spraying the area with small cubic shrapnel.

Predictably pro-Zionist groups have attempted to discredit the report. For instance the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called the report "pernicious and biased" because it presents Israeli actions propaganda-free and calls for an arms embargo.

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/IslME_62/5473_62.htm

The report has been similarly denounced by Mark Regev on behalf of the Israeli government

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7904929.stm

"We tried to be as surgical as humanly possible in a difficult combat situation," he said.

Again Regev's comments should be viewed very critically for truthfulness in the light of the fact that the spike missile provides video feedback to the operator right up to the moment of impact.

Mr Regev criticised Amnesty's methodology, saying the report's authors used what he called "tainted" data provided by Hamas.
He said Israel was conducting its own investigation into whether any of its munitions were used outside international law.
Hamas also criticised the report's findings as "unjust and unfair".

"It [the report] equates between the criminal and the victim," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.
"There is not a single country in the world which exports weapons to the Hamas movement. At the same time main countries, big countries and superpowers are exporting nuclear and phosphorus weapons, as well as weapons of mass destruction, to the Zionist occupier [Israel]."

The IDF has taken heed of the international criticism and has been gathering "evidence" in preparation for anticipated war-crimes tribunals. The group of legal experts reviewing the footage is called, most unfortunately, an "Incrimination Team."

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/01/israeli-combat.html

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Comments (2 of 2)

Israel went ahead with their criminal attacks despite negotiations

by gazasympathiser

Sun Mar 01, 2009 09:06

Hamas, the militant Palestinian organisation, attempted to conduct secret talks with the Israeli leadership in the protracted run-up to the recent war in Gaza - with messages being passed from the group at one stage through a member of prime minister Ehud Olmert's family.

Confirmation of attempts to establish a direct line of communication between Hamas and Israel - and the willingness of senior figures in Hamas to contemplate direct negotiations - fundamentally alters the narrative of the build-up to the war in Gaza which claimed more than 1,300 Palestinian lives and led to about a dozen Israeli deaths.

Most remarkable is the story of the involvement of a member of the prime minister's family in the passing of messages to Olmert about the case of the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.With the conflict only two weeks away Baskin arranged a meeting with his key Hamas contact in Europe, which resulted in another offer to link Shalit to the lifting of the ceasefire.

Nobody on the Israeli side replied to the final offer.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/01/israel-hama...halit

You Failed to Report

by Yes the Truth

Tue Mar 03, 2009 23:59

That Amnesty also said Hamas have commited war crimes against Israel.As they fire rockets into civilian areas.You failed to say that.Your report is totally one sided.

The rocket fire was so bad this sunday.Israeli schools were closed.And Israeli children studying for the 12th form state exams.Took lessons in bomb shelters.Once again the international community fails to stop Hamas attacking Israel.Egypt stopped weapons yesterday before they were smuggled into Gaza.

I suggest in future if your going to use a name like you did.That you actually mean it.
Amnesty has criticised how Hamas killed a 100 Fatah members during cast Iron lead.

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Amnesty report into weapons use in Gaza

Comments (2 of 2)