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Last update - 10:07 30/07/2008
IDF officer in shooting probe linked to other Palestinian abuse case
By Yuval Azoulay and Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies
Tags: Na'alin, Palestinians, IDF 

An Israel Defense Forces officer who was caught on camera detaining a bound Palestinian while one of his soldiers shot him with a rubber bullet at point blank range is also alleged to have kicked a Palestinian demonstrator two weeks ago, according to a complaint filed on Tuesday by the human rights group B'Tselem.

The commander of the 71st battalion in the Armored Corps, Lieutenant Colonel Omri Bruberg, is under investigation for the second time, this time for allegedly kicking a Palestinian protester and subsequently stepping on his hands.

The IDF suspended Bruberg over allegations he ordered a soldier to fire a rubber bullet at point-blank range at a bound and blindfolded Palestinian, an IDF spokesman said on Tuesday.
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The spokesman said Bruberg had been suspended for 10 days until military prosecutors decide whether there is enough evidence to indict him.

The suspension order came a day after Bruberg failed his second polygraph test, after having passed the first test which was conducted in a private institute last week.

The results of Monday's lie-detector test, held under the auspices of the military police, prove that Bruberg lied in his testimony, and suggest he did in fact give order to open fire at the Palestinian detainee.

The investigation began after the soldier, who was filmed shooting a Palestinian protester during a demonstration in the West Bank village of Na'alin, said he was just carrying out an order by Bruberg.

Bruberg said he told the soldier only to shake his rifle to frighten the
Palestinian, according to a military investigation.

In the video, Bruberg is seen holding the arm of the Palestinian, Ashraf Abu-Rahama, 27, while a soldier under his command opens fire at close range. Abu-Rahama sustained light wounds to his foot in the incident.

The incident in Na'alin was filmed by a Palestinian girl from a window of her home and sent to military authorities by the Israeli human rights group BT'selem in earlu July.

The soldier was released from police detention last week and sent back to join his unit after telling investigators that his regiment commander had ordered him to fire.


Related articles:
  • Polygraph confirms IDF officer didn't order soldier to shoot cuffed Palestinian
  • Soldier filmed shooting bound Palestinian released from detention
  • B'Tselem cameras pay off for victims of settler attacks
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      1.   Polygraph: Why not futurology? 10:12  |  Ulf 29/07/08
      2.   Polygraphs? = Phrenology? why not 10:28  |  Al 29/07/08
      3.   polygraph 10:29  |  itamar 29/07/08
      4.   Shoting a bound Palestinian 10:30  |  Wolf 29/07/08
      5.   Tip of the iceberg 10:30  |  Natallie Durson 29/07/08
      6.   not a surprise 10:52  |  camera 29/07/08
      7.   Wolf re carrying out illegal orders 11:13  |  Ben Alofs 29/07/08
      8.   The first poligraph should test the second one (and viceversa) 11:35  |  S 29/07/08
      9.   arresting the father of the girl who documented the shooting 11:56  |  Observer 29/07/08
      10.   To Natallie Durson 12:06  |  Observer 29/07/08
      11.   snicker, snicker 12:10  |  potobac 29/07/08
      12.   it`s war! people get killed! why the polygraph?!? 12:39  |  sinalco 29/07/08
      13.   an order is an order! Kill means Kill! no remorse no thinking! 12:56  |  sinalco 29/07/08
      14.   The girl`s house should be DEMOLISH 13:05  |  Ariel 29/07/08
      15.   Kewish Regime & Democracy 13:54  |  Shadi Fadda 29/07/08
      16.   THAT WAS CLEAR FROM 13:56  |  Robert 29/07/08
      17.   IDF 15:57  |  yona schear 29/07/08
      18.   Let`s pick on Israel, again and again 15:59  |  Joanie 29/07/08
      19.   Gosh! Why, reading this one would suspect... 16:21  |  Johnboy 29/07/08
      20.   #18 Joanie 16:23  |  Boycott 29/07/08
      21.   Demolishing his house? 16:25  |  What`s fair is fair 29/07/08
      22.   #7 Here is a likely pointer, Ben Alofs 16:28  |  Johnboy 29/07/08
      23.   #18, Joanie, Let`s play the victim card, again and again... 16:35  |  Silvienne 29/07/08
      24.   The IDF is doing the right thing.... 16:36  |  Silvienne 29/07/08
      25.   #18 Joanie 16:51  |  Cool B 29/07/08
      26.   Why do your headlines imply that an Arab was inhumainly killed. 17:08  |  Rafael 29/07/08
      27.   inconsistency 19:01  |  Fair 29/07/08
      28.   inconsistency 19:02  |  Fair 29/07/08
      29.   Same old gramaphone 19:15  |  Joanie 29/07/08
      30.   Polygraphs, Swollen Toes & Poor Credibility for "Pro-Pals" TBers 19:49  |  JP 29/07/08
      31.   For S #8 21:05  |  Esther 29/07/08
      32.   #29, Joanie and the "Eternal Victim" 21:24  |  Silvienne 29/07/08
      33.   #30, JP, one also wonders... 21:27  |  Silvienne 29/07/08
      34.   If the soldier WASN`T ordered to shoot, why wasn`t he reported? 21:30  |  Pablo B 29/07/08
      35.   Cumulative evidence is what counts... 21:40  |  Esther 29/07/08
      36.   #18 Joanie the Phony 21:46  |  james 29/07/08
      37.   #29 joanie why dont you condemn this crime 21:58  |  Labhras 29/07/08
      38.   Dear Sinalco # 13 22:06  |  North American 29/07/08
      39.   #30 JP and selective observation 22:10  |  Labhras 29/07/08
      40.   I`m sure the 3rd probe will reward him with a medal 22:29  |  POP 29/07/08
      41.   #38, North American... 22:50  |  Silvienne 29/07/08
      42.   this is not strange to me 23:14  |  Robert Calvin 29/07/08
      43.   # 37 Labhras 23:22  |  Joanie 29/07/08
      44.   To James 23:26  |  Joanie 29/07/08
      45.   Ridiculous 23:39  |  Axel 29/07/08
      46.   # 41 silvienne 23:43  |  Axel 29/07/08
      47.   #33 Silvienne - But one need not wonder about the Gov`t of Israel 01:34  |  JP 30/07/08
      48.   #12 Sinalco. Ever heard of the OCCUPATION? 02:35  |  Maureen Ann 30/07/08
      49.   #34 The wider implication, Pablo B 05:05  |  Johnboy 30/07/08
      50.   The Moral Difference 06:52  |  Steve 30/07/08
      51.   The brutalisation of the Israeli people 11:03  |  Clickfool 30/07/08
      52.   the proof is in the pudding folks! 11:04  |  eric 30/07/08
      53.   inevitable 12:36  |  potobac 30/07/08
      54.   #47, JP... 18:54  |  Silvienne 30/07/08
      55.   #46, axel.. 21:09  |  Silvienne 31/07/08
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