I have to give thanks to a certain bozo who started censoring my posts on a certain aggregate. He then kicked off some very good bloggers because they did not agree with him on the Israel-Gaza conflict. As I protested, I was expelled too. That motivated me to do research on the Gaza/Israel conflict. I found out that we were fed a lot of baloney by our Western media.
But once in while some good souls give great information. Rick Sanchez of CNN is one of them. He exposed the truth that it was indeed Israel who was responsible for the current aggression in Gaza and indeed it was Israel who broke the cease-fire and not Hamas. Israel considers it its right to go into Gaza and attack at will.
Here is the CNN video:
You may also like to listen to this song, by The Dark Bob, on Gaza:
Recommend this post
While you are correcting the record, here is another important correction from the Globe and Mail.
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Account of Israeli attack doesn't hold up to scrutiny
PATRICK MARTIN
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
January 29, 2009 at 4:00 AM EST
JABALYA, GAZA STRIP — Most people remember the headlines: Massacre Of Innocents As UN School Is Shelled; Israeli Strike Kills Dozens At UN School.
They heralded the tragic news of Jan. 6, when mortar shells fired by advancing Israeli forces killed 43 civilians in the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. The victims, it was reported, had taken refuge inside the Ibn Rushd Preparatory School for Boys, a facility run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
The news shocked the world and was compared to the 1996 Israeli attack on a UN compound in Qana, Lebanon, in which more than 100 people seeking refuge were killed. It was certain to hasten the end of Israel's attack on Gaza, and would undoubtedly lead the list of allegations of war crimes committed by Israel.
There was just one problem: The story, as etched in people's minds, was not quite accurate.
Physical evidence and interviews with several eyewitnesses, including a teacher who was in the schoolyard at the time of the shelling, make it clear: While a few people were injured from shrapnel landing inside the white-and-blue-walled UNRWA compound, no one in the compound was killed. The 43 people who died in the incident were all outside, on the street, where all three mortar shells landed.
Stories of one or more shells landing inside the schoolyard were inaccurate.
While the killing of 43 civilians on the street may itself be grounds for investigation, it falls short of the act of shooting into a schoolyard crowded with refuge-seekers.
The teacher who was in the compound at the time of the shelling says he heard three loud blasts, one after the other, then a lot of screaming. "I ran in the direction of the screaming [inside the compound]," he said. "I could see some of the people had been injured, cut. I picked up one girl who was bleeding by her eye, and ran out on the street to get help."But when I got outside, it was crazy hell. There were bodies everywhere, people dead, injured, flesh everywhere."
The teacher, who refused to give his name because he said UNRWA had told the staff not to talk to the news media, was adamant: "Inside [the compound] there were 12 injured, but there were no dead."
"Three of my students were killed," he said. "But they were all outside."
Hazem Balousha, who runs an auto-body shop across the road from the UNRWA school, was down the street, just out of range of the shrapnel, when the three shells hit. He showed a reporter where they landed: one to the right of his shop, one to the left, and one right in front.
"There were only three," he said. "They were all out here on the road."
News of the tragedy travelled fast, with aid workers and medical staff quoted as saying the incident happened at the school, the UNRWA facility where people had sought refuge.
Soon it was presented that people in the school compound had been killed. Before long, there was worldwide outrage.
Sensing a public-relations nightmare, Israeli spokespeople quickly asserted that their forces had only returned fire from gunmen inside the school. (They even named two militants.) It was a statement from which they would later retreat, saying there were gunmen in the vicinity of the school.
No witnesses said they saw any gunmen. (If people had seen anyone firing a mortar from the middle of the street outside the school, they likely would not have continued to mill around.)
John Ging, UNRWA's operations director in Gaza, acknowledged in an interview this week that all three Israeli mortar shells landed outside the school and that "no one was killed in the school."
"I told the Israelis that none of the shells landed in the school," he said.
Why would he do that?
"Because they had told everyone they had returned fire from gunmen in the school. That wasn't true."
Mr. Ging blames the Israelis for the confusion over where the victims were killed. "They even came out with a video that purported to show gunmen in the schoolyard. But we had seen it before," he said, "in 2007."
The Israelis are the ones, he said, who got everyone thinking the deaths occurred inside the school.
"Look at my statements," he said. "I never said anyone was killed in the school. Our officials never made any such allegation."
Speaking from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City as the bodies were being brought in that night, an emotional Mr. Ging did say: "Those in the school were all families seeking refuge. ... There's nowhere safe in Gaza."
And in its daily bulletin, the World Health Organization reported: "On 6 January, 42 people were killed following an attack on a UNRWA school ..."
The UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs got the location right, for a short while. Its daily bulletin cited "early reports" that "three artillery shells landed outside the UNRWA Jabalia Prep. C Girls School ..." However, its more comprehensive weekly report, published three days later, stated that "Israeli shelling directly hit two UNRWA schools ..." including the one at issue.
Such official wording helps explain the widespread news reports of the deaths in the school, but not why the UN agencies allowed the misconception to linger.
"I know no one was killed in the school," Mr. Ging said. "But 41 innocent people were killed in the street outside the school. Many of those people had taken refuge in the school and wandered out onto the street.
"The state of Israel still has to answer for that. What did they know and what care did they take?"
Yes C-Nuck and the point is?
ReplyDeleteI've seen so many fright-wingers cling to that article but really don't understand it.
In the larger scheme of things, the IDF and their leaders are still butchers and guilty of war crimes...
C-Nuck, thank you for "the extra-ordinary clarification." Any respect I had for Globe and Mail has gone out of the window.
ReplyDeleteWhat Globe and Mail is saying that if they can prove that 41 innocent people are killed outside the school then it is ok but it could be bad if killed inside the school. How cold-blooded it will get? Who wrote this great "factual" story - Ezra Levant? UNRWA is part of conspiracy now? Wow! This is not journalism this is a piece of crap.
I agree with my friend Cherniak WTF that "..the IDF and their leaders are still butchers and guilty of war crimes...".
Written by Patrick Martin, an award winning Canadian Jpurnalist who is highly respected.
ReplyDeleteDismissing his article is your perogotaive. It does not demonstrate any maturity on your part of WTF's.
UNRWA made claims, now shown to be false.
It is important information.
C-Nuck, I do not know what these awards are based on. Bush was recommended for Nobel Peace prize by his devoted fans.
ReplyDeleteEven if Mr. Martin’s claims are true it still clearly says 30-40 people were slaughtered - innocent civilians. Therefore it does not take away even an iota from the butchery and war crimes. May be Mr. Martin should be given another award for his “earth-shattering facts”. Com’n get in touch with your humanity.
I am in touch with my humanity and that is why I cringe at the thought of UNWRA being in cohoots with the likes of Hamas butchers who place their children (and women) in harms way.
ReplyDeleteUNWRA appears to be part of a growing problem of perpetuating the crisis of refugees rather than being part of a solution.
There are millions upon millions of dollars being poured into Gaza and there is no reason for children to go hungry.
We know that Hamas uses aid to line their own pockets and bank accounts, UNRWA must overcome these actions and take charge. If they are unable it is incumbant on the international community to find another mechanism or organization that can get the job done.
I am impressed by President Abbas' speech in Cairo yesterday where he called Hamas to clean up their act and recognize Israel.
At last, a start of some hope.
C-Nuck, and how much Israel gets aid from US alone. $2 billion or more annually for arms alone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with President Abbas but he also protested about the carnage in Gaza. What about that part? You have still not convinced me that IDF was not involved in slaughter and war crimes. Abbas objected to such a slaughter and war crimes as well.
I love it when some are so disconnected from reality and facts -
ReplyDeleteI am in touch with my humanity and that is why I cringe at the thought of UNWRA being in cohoots with the likes of Hamas butchers who place their children (and women) in harms way.
Sniff, sniff...
What's that smell?
Ahh yes,,, Bullshit....
It's amazing how that lie get trotted out
UNWRA appears to be part of a growing problem of perpetuating the crisis of refugees rather than being part of a solution.
Israel not respecting international law has nothing to do with I suppose.... Maybe all Palestinians should just die and let Israelis build more illegal settlements is the solution...
There are millions upon millions of dollars being poured into Gaza and there is no reason for children to go hungry.
Except for the fact that Israel controls the borders and is not letting much food in....
We know that Hamas uses aid to line their own pockets and bank accounts, UNRWA must overcome these actions and take charge. If they are unable it is incumbant on the international community to find another mechanism or organization that can get the job done.
Hamas was democratically elected in response to a corrupt party... Nice unfounded smear....
I am impressed by President Abbas' speech in Cairo yesterday where he called Hamas to clean up their act and recognize Israel.
You mean the corrupt Abbas?
Hamas has been rather "honourable" in respecting deals. - much more than Israel....
At last, a start of some hope.
Sure, sure....
Cherniak_WTF, thank you. Excellent rebuttal.
ReplyDeleteThese guys really want you to believe all this baloney. Unfortunately for them they get more discredited.
These guys are trying to justify the slaughter of innocent people by Israel at any cost. Because of that their credibility runs into minus 1000 or more – may be worse than Canadian budget in 5 years.
LeDaro, Hamas is not wholly innocent here. But hearing "Hamas did x or y" as a justification for Israel's actions is hardly constructive nor does it make it right...
ReplyDeleteCWTF, I agree. However, Canada is all up in arms against US government for indicating that US companies should use only US made steel. Now think of the embargo on Gaza of everything, including food and basic necessities, by Israel. What those folks are supposed to do?
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