Israel promises troops legal backing over Gaza war

Israel promises troops legal backing over Gaza war

news.yahoo.com

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – International calls to investigate Israel over alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip prompted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday to promise military personnel state protection from foreign prosecution.

"The commanders and soldiers sent to Gaza should know they are safe from various tribunals and Israel will assist them on this front and defend them, just as they protected us with their bodies during the Gaza operation," Olmert said.

Last week, the military censor ordered local and foreign media in Israel to blur the faces of army commanders in photos and video footage of the Gaza war for fear they could be identified and arrested while traveling abroad.

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Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Baroness Tonge: "Israel stands accused of war crimes witnessed by the whole world"

This breaking news item seems to indicate that Israeli officials are concerned over the possibility of war crimes prosecutions.

I'm not sure which is more disgusting, the actions of the Israeli military and Hamas that resulted is such devastation and high civilian casualties in Gaza, OR the notion that armies will be compelled to follow the "rules of war" ... They have rules and laws for war? The proper use of weaponry, the proper ways to KILL humans both combatants ans civilians?

Who will defend Hamas?

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Would the international community ever prosecute the US military and government leaders for war crimes related to the civilian casualties in both Afghanistan and Iraq?

I'll answer that for you... NO!

If you look at US actions in both Iraq and Afghanistan that either directly or indirectly resulted in the deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of civilians, is it any less criminal then the Israeli actions in Gaza?

Again... NO!

The United States followed the "rules of war" right?