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Last update - 03:02 08/08/2007
IDF to halt training in populated West Bank villages
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

The Israel Defense Forces will no longer conduct reserves training exercises which involve the "capture" of populated villages in the West Bank, the military Advocate General Brigadier General Avihai Mandelblit announced this week.

Mandelblit informed the human rights organization Yesh Din of the army's decision pending the completion of an investigation into the practice.

Yesh Din approached the advocate general in March, after several complaints were filed by reserves soldiers serving in paratrooper battalions. The battalions were trained in the capture of villages in the West Bank as well as battle in residential areas. These exercises were carried out without any military justification.

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The 'dry-run' exercises were carried out without live fire, but nonetheless sparked panic among the residents of the villages.

Mandelblit responded to Yesh Din's attorney Michael Sfard, announcing that the IDF would reexamine their policy on these types of training exercises. Mandelblit said the investigation would include the scope of the exercises as well as their immediate effect on the population of the Arab villages in question. The advocate general promised that until the completion of the probe, these trainings would be halted.

Sfard also requested that a criminal investigation be launched against those responsible for the existence of such training, claiming that the exercises unnecessarily endangered lives. The advocate general rejected this request, saying that no crime had been committed.

In March, reserves soldiers reported that the residents of the villages in which the exercises had been held were quiet and not at all dangerous. They said the local residents were frightened by the expanded military presence and that IDF officers were not happy with the situation.

These exercises were carried out in December of last year, February and March in villages west of Nablus. They were hailed as a graduation exercise for paratroopers as they prepare for security service in the West Bank.
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  1.   PLEASE A MUST READ FOR ALL JEWS AND ARABS 20:09  |  Mohammed 07/08/07
  2.   And they wonder why Israel isn`t popular 20:18  |  Don Camillo 07/08/07
  3.   Next time they run an exercise shoot them 20:23  |  Matt 07/08/07
  4.   IDF training in populated West Bank villages 20:41  |  Akiva Patysh 07/08/07
  5.   Ending Israel`s State Sponsored Terrorism 20:43  |  Mr. Knowitall 07/08/07
  6.   To Mohammed 20:49  |  Israeli 07/08/07
  7.   Stop supporting terrorism FIRST 20:50  |  Sean 07/08/07
  8.   Mohammed of Jericho 20:52  |  gay fool 07/08/07
  9.   No Crime? 20:55  |  Franky 07/08/07
  10.   Israeli atrocities are a dime a dozen 21:03  |  Natallie Durson 07/08/07
  11.   Read a soldier`s full testimony at Yesh Din`s website 21:07  |  Nadia 07/08/07
  12.   IDF Pathetic Police Force 21:10  |  Meir 07/08/07
  13.   Abu Camillo,are you pals really so popular? 21:17  |  Absolute Sweden 07/08/07
  14.   where have all the supporters gone...? 21:18  |  Gazan 07/08/07
  15.   #1: Mohammed: overlapping sovereignties 21:24  |  Paul Freedman 07/08/07
  16.   #4: no terrorism 21:30  |  Paul Freedman 07/08/07
  17.   #3: Easy for you to say 21:31  |  Paul Freedman 07/08/07
  18.   Whats the fuss? 21:37  |  Most MoralArmyEver 07/08/07
  19.   Matt 21:53  |  Hannah 07/08/07
  20.   #4, ! איזה בושה 22:04  |  Hannah 07/08/07
  21.   #1 Mo they left out who will be Minister of Suicide Bombers 22:05  |  Alan 07/08/07
  22.   #5, Mr. Know-it-all 22:09  |  Hannah 07/08/07
  23.   Keep it in perspective 22:10  |  zenwick 07/08/07
  24.   #6, Franky 22:13  |  Hannah 07/08/07
  25.   Next Steps Olmert Will Take 22:22  |  Chick 07/08/07
  26.   #1, Muhammed 22:28  |  Hannah 07/08/07
  27.   #1 Mohammed 22:34  |  Reuben Jacobs 07/08/07
  28.   Mohammed 22:39  |  Dave 07/08/07
  29.   To Jews 22:55  |  Abe 07/08/07
  30.   #1 p1 23:01  |  duncan 07/08/07
  31.   #1 p2 23:02  |  duncan 07/08/07
  32.   #2 23:05  |  duncan 07/08/07
  33.   A good move 23:14  |  Mark Lincoln 07/08/07
  34.   Not happy with the situation 23:21  |  H50 07/08/07
  35.   #14, Reuben 23:26  |  Hannah 07/08/07
  36.   #15, Dave 23:32  |  Hannah 07/08/07
  37.   America loves Israel 23:36  |  Wendy 07/08/07
  38.   Mohammed 23:41  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 07/08/07
  39.   Reuben Jacobs 23:42  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 07/08/07
  40.   # 1: Mohammad 23:43  |  Adnan 07/08/07
  41.   IDF Training in WB villages 23:44  |  Abu Yusuf 07/08/07
  42.   #12, Chick 23:50  |  Hannah 07/08/07
  43.   Part of Abbas promise to make life easier 00:02  |  El-Birawi 08/08/07
  44.   FALSE HANNAH ALERT! #7 00:15  |  Hannah 08/08/07
  45.   #17: so-called Israel? 00:36  |  Paul Freedman 08/08/07
  46.   to #33 the fake Hannah 01:08  |  Chick 08/08/07
  47.   To Abe .... REALITY CHECK 01:15  |  GZLives 08/08/07
  48.   Why don`t the IDF "capture" settlements.... 01:15  |  Silvienne 08/08/07
  49.   Right of Return 01:17  |  Bagel 08/08/07
  50.   No crime committed???? 01:18  |  Labhras 08/08/07
  51.   So Called Haaaanahhhh 01:21  |  Abu Bim Bam Salaam 08/08/07
  52.   Hateful Hannah@#11 01:21  |  Akiva Patysh 08/08/07
  53.   Hannah the hateful, (oh, and young((extremely young))) 01:26  |  Akiva Patysh 08/08/07
  54.   #20, Abe 01:35  |  Hannah 08/08/07
  55.   Only a racist and immoral army would carry out such excercises 01:36  |  anti-racist 08/08/07
  56.   This is pure INTIMIDATION 01:39  |  Harrison 08/08/07
  57.   Talking about TERRORISM 01:43  |  George H 08/08/07
  58.   #28, Wendy (and Peter Pan) 02:05  |  Hannah 08/08/07
  59.   FALSE HANNAH ALERT! #10 02:07  |  Hannah 08/08/07
  60.   #31 and #1 02:13  |  Ron 08/08/07
  61.   MOhammed making "peace" for Israel 02:28  |  Abdulah stateless 08/08/07
  62.   So Calloed Hannah and Haaretz 02:32  |  Abu Bim Bam Salaam 08/08/07
  63.   Hannah, the hateful,(oh, and insignificant!) 02:45  |  ! איזה בושה 08/08/07
  64.   almost the plan 02:46  |  André 08/08/07
  65.   Now it`s time to discuss compensation to Pal villagers 02:49  |  Tim 08/08/07
  66.   Hannah, the immature and (oh, so stupid!) 02:49  |  Hassan Nassrallah 08/08/07
  67.   FALSE HANNAH 02:56  |  ! איזה בושה 08/08/07
  68.   IDF Training 03:32  |  heinz 08/08/07
  69.   To No 41,Reality Check Yourself 04:10  |  Abe 08/08/07
  70.   Every man, woman and child in Israel needs 04:10  |  Sandy 08/08/07
  71.   Thanks Hannah, No 48 04:12  |  Abe 08/08/07
  72.   Conduct those trainings in Arabised parliament and shamefull High 04:13  |  Joseph E . 08/08/07
  73.   It looks like Al Jazeerah bought haaretz 05:49  |  Dave 08/08/07
  74.   Criminal charges? Against who??? 06:01  |  Dave 08/08/07
  75.   #40.ADNAN.Agree with you, "ABRAHAMISM" 01:36  |  Al Rashid 09/08/07
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  77.   2 Countries 08:01  |  Christopher 21/08/07
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