Israeli Forces Raid Gaza Town, Kill Boy

[Aidoneus]

Israeli Forces Raid Gaza Town, Kill Boy
Thursday March 4, 2004 10:31 AM
By IBRAHIM BARZAK
Associated Press Writer

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli forces raided the southern Gaza town of Rafah early Thursday, killing a 14-year-old boy, bulldozing houses and damaging the water and electricity networks, Palestinian officials said.

The Israeli army said it was searching for secret tunnels Palestinian militants use to smuggle weapons across the border with Egypt. Military sources said the soldiers were attacked by militants shooting rifles and throwing hand grenades, but had no reports of the soldiers returning fire.

Residents said there were some clashes in the town and reported fire from tanks and Israeli watchtowers. Hospital officials said six Palestinians were wounded. No soldiers were reported injured, the army said.

--snip--

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3820270,00.html

[Resistance]

1. They sure love to go on their little killing sprees

I thought they were leaving Gaza anyway?

I guess it was another lie.

[Aidoneus]

2. Not necessarily

Probably another lie, but this is not necessarily an indication of it.

When IDF retreated from the resistance in the occupied zone in the north in General Barak's time, Sharon and fellow travellers were angry that Barak didn't cover it with a massive bombing blitz so tragic that it would permanently scar the country they were leaving (such as the bombing run that Barak led for Rabin earlier in the decade). This ongoing sort of act is just making sure that General Barak's "mistake" is not repeated under Sharon's watch.

At any rate, I cannot criticize this killing:--the kid and his frieds were on their way to school, that sort of thing only leads to terrorism. The terrorist electricity and water systems were looking a bit suspicious.

[Herschel]

3. An amusing anecdote

from a related article.

"Also Thursday, Awani Kaloub, a well-known member of the Popular Resistance Committee - an umbrella organization of militant groups responsible for several attacks on Israeli tanks - was killed in an explosion in his Rafah house.

Palestinian security officials said he was apparently preparing a bomb that exploded prematurely..."

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/03/04/build/world/53-israel-gaza.inc

It would appear the bomb was effective, though the maker will never know! We will all agree this is truly a suicide bombing!

It is good for fellow progressives to share a laugh, though we may disagree.

[lefty_mcduff]

4. Perhaps you'd like to comment

on the typical IDF inept, incompetent and goonish actions - you know, the topic at the beginning of the thread.

While I think the article you refer to *is* poetic justice, I don't find it amusing, and certainly not relevant to the discussion started.

And judging by your 'sense of humor' and your support for torture, assassination, etc, your definition of 'progressive' is not the same as mine, and as such, I am not a 'fellow' in *your* idea of what defines the 'progressive' side of political thinking.

[Herschel]

5. Begging your pardon

As I have stated, I am pragmatic rather than extreme leftist in foreign affairs. However, this does not preclude our being fellow progressives. I am a Democrat.

[lefty_mcduff]

8. Uh-huh.

Pragmatic? Belonging to a polictical party is one thing.
You used the term 'progressive'.

[Herschel]

10. I am sure

we share many ideals.

[Herschel]

6. Further

I endorse the actions of the IDF. This was a search for secret tunnels. The loss of the boy was unfortunate. I do wonder why these children were not taken to proper cover.

[lefty_mcduff]

7. Blame the victim.

SOP.

[Herschel]

9. I see no reason to blame the boy

However, I am curious as to his location whether he was inside, and whether there was ample time to shelter him. At times, some Palestinians have allowed children to be endangered in order to attract sympathy.

[Aidoneus]

11. he was walking to school..

[Herschel]

12. Is this from

a reliable source?

[Noon_Blue_Apples]

13. from your source

"Soldiers fired near a school, hitting a 14-year-old boy in the chest, killing him, hospital officials said. Two other students were wounded in that shooting, bringing the total injured in the raid to six, hospital officials said."

[Herschel]

14. This is not necessarily

the same as walking to school. Could Mr. Aidoneus enlighten us?

[Noon_Blue_Apples]

15. what do you think is closer to the truth

based upon your posted article

his statement "walking to school"

or

your statement "some Palestinians have allowed children to be endangered in order to attract sympathy."

[Herschel]

16. Difficult to say

from this distance. There is no gain in guessing. I am confident Mr. Aidoneus will enlighten us. He is quite able in searches, sources, and such matters.

[Noon_Blue_Apples]

17. of course he is

so many children murdered by the IDF and so little attention, the right wing american media bias, a selected president, minorities scrubbed from voter rolls, limiting civil liberties...

searches, sources and such matters are the bread and butter of DU, why would you find it so distasteful?

[lefty_mcduff]

22. Only officially sanctioned sources please.

Heavens - sometimes searches and sources can harvest balanced news. Sometimes, gasp, we're even exposed to opinions and points-of-view from the 'other side'.

Can't have that.

[lefty_mcduff]

18. This is getting old.

Is there *any* evidence that "Palestinians have allowed children to be endangered in order to attract sympathy" in *this* case?

No.

So, why go do we have to go through these hypothetical calisthenics just to give these incompetent goons cover for every time they 'mistakingly' gun down a teenager?

[Herschel]

19. Begging your pardon

You seem to have implied this was not collateral damage. What do you have to support yourself?

[Noon_Blue_Apples]

20. you should beg his pardon

read his post and address it rather than making silly assumptions and implications.

B

[lefty_mcduff]

21. Quit begging my pardon.

I'm not implying anything. In fact, the report is pretty vague.
You're the one macro-keying hypotheticals to offer reasons why it's possible that the IDF is not at 'fault'.

'Collateral damage' is a propagandists term (invented by the Pentagon in Gulf War) to allow their PR hacks to talk, on TV, about civilians getting killed, maimed, burned, pulverized, vaporized, blown-to-bits, etc.

It was to provide press conferences with a term that would not unnerve civilians about the horrors that were being carried out in their name (Google is your friend). Your constant use of the terms is for the same reason. A double-speak way of lessening the carnage that the IDF are exacting. And as such - it offends me.

I used the term mistakingly in quotation marks because that is always the reason offered. And no doubt will be in this case. Which means that the IDF, who routinely gun down teenagers 'mistakingly' are either incompetent, ill-trained, or stupid.