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Last update - 21:24 31/03/2009
Barak welcomes IDF decision to end Gaza misconduct probe
By Amos Harel and Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Gaza, IDF, Israel News 

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday welcomed the military advocate general's decision to discontinue the inquiry into soldiers' accounts of alleged misconduct and serious violations of the army's rules of engagement during Operation Cast Lead.

"I was very happy to learn about the military advocate general's report, in which he addresses the extensive rumors that have considerably damaged the IDF's image both at home and abroad," Barak said during a tour of the Northern Command.

In a press release issued Monday the army said that Brig. Gen. Avichai Mendelblit instructed the Military Police Investigation unit to close the case after a preliminary investigation into the testimonies revealed that they "were based on hearsay and not first-hand experience."
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"There is no other army in the world that is as introspective as the IDF, that scrutinizes its conduct in such a genuine and serious way after an operation," Barak continued. "I'm happy these as the results [of the investigation], and that once again our claim that the IDF is the most moral army in the world ? top commanders and low-ranking soldiers alike ? has proved truthful."

On Monday, Brig. Gen. Mendelblit said it was unfortunate that the soldiers, who discussed their Gaza experiences in private on Feb. 13 at a military academy session which was later leaked verbatim to the media, had been careless about accuracy.

"It will be difficult to evaluate the damage done to the image and morals [of the armed forces] in Israel and the world", his statement said

The probe was launched earlier this month after IDF soldiers were quoted as telling a military cadet academy that combat troops in Gaza fired at unarmed Palestinian civilians and vandalized property during Operation Cast Lead. The army has barred those soldiers from speaking to the press. The allegations first surfaced in the media on March 19.

The testimonies include a description by an infantry squad leader of an incident where an IDF sharpshooter mistakenly shot a Palestinian mother and her two children. "There was a house with a family inside .... We put them in a room. Later we left the house and another platoon entered it, and a few days after that there was an order to release the family. They had set up positions upstairs. There was a sniper position on the roof," the soldier said.

Another squad leader from the same brigade told of an incident where the company commander ordered that an elderly Palestinian woman be shot and killed; she was walking on a road about 100 meters from a house the company had commandeered.

IDF investigators said the soldier who alleged that a comrade was given orders to shoot an elderly woman had not witnessed such an event and "was only repeating a rumor he had heard". They noted, on the other hand, that a woman who approached troops and was suspected of being a suicide bomber had been fired upon repeatedly to try to stop her advancing at them.

The Israeli human rights groups B'Tselem, Yesh Din, Physicians for Human Rights and others issued a statement Monday saying "the speedy closing of the investigation immediately raises suspicions that [it] was merely the army's attempt to wipe its hands of all blame for illegal activity..."

The groups said the allegations should be investigated by a non-partisan body.

Related articles:
  • Gaza probe / Either troops are liars, or the IDF is pure as snow
  • IDF ends Gaza probe, says misconduct claims are 'rumors'
  • IDF in Gaza: Killing civilians, vandalism, and lax rules of engagement
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      1.   Oh dear 16:23  |  Adam 31/03/09
      2.   What we will never see 16:23  |  Moshe Ibn Harb 31/03/09
      3.   The old saying 16:25  |  Dave Duncan 31/03/09
      4.   IDF more Introspective than Ha`aretz 16:27  |  Tom 31/03/09
      5.   The Gaza slander 16:27  |  Christopher 31/03/09
      6.   Oh dear 16:29  |  Adam N 31/03/09
      7.   This Only Makes It Worse 16:31  |  Yaakov Sullivan 31/03/09
      8.   No doubt he is "happy"..... 16:48  |  Esther 31/03/09
      9.   Preposterous 16:51  |  David 31/03/09
      10.   Moshe Ibn Harb, It Simply Is Not Working Anymore 17:00  |  Yaakov Sullivan 31/03/09
      11.   IDF swept under rug but more youth will refuse to serve now 17:06  |  Uri Levy 31/03/09
      12.   "The Israeli human rights groups B`Tselem, Yesh Din, 17:10  |  just wondering 31/03/09
      13.   Mr "No other army in the world" has spoken again! 17:20  |  Gus 31/03/09
      14.   Us? 17:27  |  Moshe Ibn Harb 31/03/09
      15.   "The most moral army in the world": Punchline to 1000 jokes 17:32  |  Natallie Durson 31/03/09
      16.   Barak is right. A side issue of lies must be ignored ! 17:40  |  Akram Zekaria 31/03/09
      17.   just wondering #12, on protecting human rights 17:42  |  Yaakov Sullivan 31/03/09
      18.   Ibn Harb, there he goes again! #14 17:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 31/03/09
      19.   IDF: you can`t prove anything, so we won`t investigate 17:56  |  AT 31/03/09
      20.   Tarnishing Israel ultimately costs Israeli lives 18:00  |  Richard 31/03/09
      21.   Why not impartial investigation? 18:09  |  Nils Levin 31/03/09
      22.   Richard, you wouold have said the same thing 18:20  |  Yaakov Sullivan 31/03/09
      23.   IDF Decision 18:23  |  Eman Loubani 31/03/09
      24.   Durson: Bernard Madoff? Read something please 18:31  |  Israeli citizen 31/03/09
      25.   Well said #21 18:39  |  Fred 31/03/09
      26.   Need glasses 18:44  |  BazMann 31/03/09
      27.   Barak and the IDF just don`t get it... 18:49  |  peacelover 31/03/09
      28.   Natalie - the Joke`s on You 18:56  |  Richard 31/03/09
      29.   Al-Dura case was forgotten too soon 19:07  |  Richard 31/03/09
      30.   What a corrupt mindset... 19:27  |  Dutch 31/03/09
      31.   There "yaakov" goes again 19:29  |  Moshe Ibn Harb 31/03/09
      32.   Liars 19:48  |  KnownUnknown 31/03/09
      33.   Translation 19:56  |  Giora Me`ir 31/03/09
      34.   Moshe ibn harb and what he despises 20:11  |  Yaakov Sullivan 31/03/09
      35.   Ehud Yatom confessed to killing 2 bound Pal. & Knesset 20:15  |  Yossi Cronenberg 31/03/09
      36.   A bowl full of kapos 20:33  |  Moshe Ibn Harb 31/03/09
      37.   moshe ibn harb, my, my, so testy 21:05  |  Yaakov Sullivan 31/03/09
      38.   IDF investigates itself and... 21:11  |  jerrym 31/03/09
      39.   One would think a statement of a banana republic general 21:28  |  zmogus 31/03/09
      40.   even now idf is involved in unpardonable deed 21:32  |  abi ibi kharta 31/03/09
      41.   Why do you want the world to hate you and Jews? 21:54  |  Marsha Steinberg 31/03/09
      42.   That`s a movemnt I can support 21:56  |  marsha s 31/03/09
      43.   I don`t know about you but this just made me sick 22:18  |  Jonny 31/03/09
      44.   the problem of the idf is not its morality 22:28  |  graham nash 31/03/09
      45.   Wish our leaders would have done the same. 23:16  |  Pssd off American. 31/03/09
      46.   one does wonder how much war harb has experienced 1st hand 23:37  |  tamud keini 31/03/09
      47.   Don`t blame the "rumors" Barak! And don`t blame the foot soldier! 00:25  |  Maureen Ann 01/04/09
      48.   Only in Israel does the defence minister welcome the end 00:32  |  Labhras 01/04/09
      49.   Instead of fighting IDF honchos busy themselves with extolling 00:49  |  Absolute Sweden 01/04/09
      50.   Bless Ehud Yatom,it`s likes of Yossi Cronenberg that caused 00:58  |  Absolute Sweden 01/04/09
      51.   Ending investigations - why? 01:14  |  ruiz 01/04/09
      52.   I am certain he does 01:21  |  Mark Lincoln 01/04/09
      53.   i believe the idf`s themost moral army in the world.maybe ever. 02:01  |  tinker 01/04/09
      54.   37 feedbacks already, and not one mention... 03:46  |  Jasper 01/04/09
      55.   #38 An interesting point, Jasper. 09:02  |  Johnboy 01/04/09
      56.   One would think a statement of banana republic general 15:59  |  zmogus 01/04/09
      57.   The Bottom Line 20:49  |  Concerend Israeli 01/04/09
      58.   #52 Lincoln - Nobody cares what you think 15:59  |  *BEN JABO 03/04/09
      59.   war crimes? 21:55  |  Suzy 05/04/09
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