THERE is very little to laugh about these days thanks to the dirty work of
war criminals like
Tony Blair, Ariel Sharon and George Bush.
And if you just had the nerve to catch your breath with feigned
indignation as I called the Terrible Trio war criminals, I suggest you
step down from your high horse and do a quick search on their
human rights
records.
Two launched an illegal military assault on an oil-rich country after
lying to their respective nations about the reasons for going to war &
their decision resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocents. As
for the other one, well he continually ignores or violates international
law while heading up an army
which maims and kills women and children.
As I say, what have we got to smile about? Just about every bad thing
that happens can be attributed to the Trio in one way or another.
Paying higher taxes? Ask the US Government how much money it throws at
Israel to prop up the vile state. Fuel prices gone up? Hmm,
does not that
have to do with a war in Iraq?
Floods in New Orleans as the levees crumble is not that down to US
budget cuts of up to 80%? He slashed the budget so he could spend billions
of bucks on bombs and bullets instead of water defences. The result?
Probably more deaths than those who died in 9/11 and a refugee population
exceeding 750,000.
In Britain our health service, education system and universities are
crumbling because Blair would rather spend more than five million dollars a
day keeping British soldiers in Basra embroiled in the illegal war.
No, we've got little to smile about but I did have a wee chuckle this
week and I really want to share the moment with you.
The former head of Israel’s brutal forces in the Gaza Strip arrived in
the UK on Sunday night to come on a three-day visit aimed at raising funds
for an Israeli charity.
Retired Major-general Doron Almog is a despicable individual who was
going to be arrested for war crimes the moment he stepped onto British
soil.
Sadly most of our fun was spoiled by a Zionist snitch because Almog was
tipped off on touch down and was advised to hold back after he
unbuckled his seat belt.
The war criminal remained on the El Al flight while the military attache
from the Israeli Embassy in London hot-footed it to the plane warning Almog
about his impending arrest.
"We were about to get off the plane, then one of the stewards came up to
me and said the pilot asked that I disembark last," he told Israeli Army
Radio on Mondays.
Almog was told that a British Muslim group had filed an allegation of war
crimes arising from his command of the military in Gaza from the start of
the Palestinian uprising in 2000 to July 2003.
During his service Israel dropped a one-tonne bomb on the home of Hamas
leader Salah Shehadeh, killing him, an assistant and 14 civilians, nine of
them children.
Almog, realising the game was up, followed the advice of the Israeli
military attaché, and remained on the plane with his wife and flew back to
Israel.
Officials at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv declined to comment on
Almog's saga.
Last year, diligent activists in Britain sought an arrest warrant against
Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz during a visit to London.
They accused the former army chief of responsibility for the death or
injury of more than 50 people, including British peace activist Tom
Hurndall, who was shot dead by troops during a Gaza raid in April 2003.
A judge refused to issue a warrant on the grounds that Mofaz enjoyed
diplomatic immunity.
However Almog did not have the bottle to brave it out, and as he fled he
said any Israeli officer could be at risk of arrest in Britain for having
performed his duty.
So? And what point are you trying to make you disgusting little man?
his is justice. And justice is finally catching up with the Israeli war
criminals ¦ oh, joy.
He bleated later: "They could do this tomorrow to any officer who has
served in the Israeli army over the past five years and has fought the hard
fight against terror.
Terror?
You call dropping a one tonne bomb on a family home killing nine
children part of a hard fight on terror?
OK, so we were denied the pleasure of seeing him arrested and detained on
crimes against humanity, but we all had a good laugh when it emerged he was too scared to get off the plane.
Those responsible for this ingenious bid to nail a war criminal came from
the Palestine Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and Hickman & Rose solicitors
who acted on their behalf.
It is really annoying that someone tipped off the Israelis, thus avoiding
a hugely embarrassing diplomatic row between Blair and Sharon.
The PCHR went to court on Saturday, 10th September and were issued an
arrest warrant by Chief London Magistrate Timothy Workman on suspicion of
committing a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949 which is a
criminal offence in the UK under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957.
Acting for victims in Gaza, the Gaza-based PCHR, which is headed by
lawyer Raji Sourani, built a file of evidence with the help of Hickman &
Rose Solicitors to pursue a case against the Israeli general (and others)
in the UK in accordance with the legal principle of universal jurisdiction
over war crimes.
The warrant issued is in relation to the wanton destruction of 59 houses
in Rafah refugee camp on 10th January 2002.
The PCHR and other human rights organisations in Palestine have also
accused the former general of a set of grave breaches, including the:
KILLING of Noha Shukri al Makadma, who was nine months into her pregnancy
at the time of her death on 3rd March 2003
MURDER of Mohammad Abed al Rahman al Madhoun on 30th December 2001
MASS SLAUGHTER committed on 22nd July 2002, when a one ton bomb was dropped on Gaza City killing 15 people and injuring over 150 others.
Almog is a 54 year old Israeli national who was GOC Southern Commander of
the Israeli military from 8th December 2000 to 7th July 2003. Under his
command the Israeli military were responsible for a countless variety of
extensive human rights violations inside the Gaza.
The Muslim Association of Britain believes that an investigation into the
leak over the warrant arrest is of great urgency. Since the General knew of
the warrant arrest only upon, or just before, arrival raises the suspicion
that the leak was been made to Israeli embassy officials.
A MAB statement condemned the whistle blower saying: As a matter of
principle no such leakage should ever be tolerated; if proved, it is
nothing but a sign of serious breach.
Filing similar suits against Israeli generals and politicians in countries
signatories of the Statue of Rome is possible.
http://www.preventgenocide.org/law/i.../languages.htm
All these countries, like the UK, adopted a law in their penal code
enabling a charge being placed against war crimes committed also in other
countries and by foreign citizens.
Last month Hickman and Rose learned of Almog's planned visit to Britain,
and it submitted to Judge Workman information about the Israeli's alleged
involvement in various crimes.
As representatives of the families of the victims, Hickman and Rose
decided to arrange for Almog to be arrested. The firm worked closely over
the past months with the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, which
documents Israeli operations there.
One of the partners in the firm is Daniel Machover, who has dual British
and Israeli citizenship. Machover said that his clients and his firm "were
deeply sorry that Almog slipped away from the British justice system, but
the fact that he feels that he cannot stand up to it, is at least
significant in showing that there is no immunity for war criminals in
Britain."
Three years ago the Israeli embassy in Britain spirited Shaul Mofaz out
of the country to evade an arrest warrant for war crimes, which was issued
at the instigation of a Muslim organization. Israel later managed to
terminate the legal process against Mofaz, who visited the U.K. as defense
minister.
Well let this be a lesson to all those war criminals who are or have
served in the Israeli Army You can run but you can not hide.
This event should serve as a reminder to Bush and Blair that what
happened to Almog could easily happen to the twins of evil sometime in the
future. Now what would I give to personally serve the writs for that trial..
By Yvonne Ridley