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Last update - 06:48 02/02/2008
Amnesty Int'l: Winograd report fails to address Israel's war crimes
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Amnesty International 

Human rights organization Amnesty International on Thursday called the Winograd Commission's final report on Israel's conduct during the Second Lebanon War, published Wednesday, "deeply flawed," in its failure to address war crimes committed by Israel.

The organization said that the report failed to investigate government policies and military strategies that didn't discriminate between the Lebanese civilian population and Hezbollah combatants and between civilian property and infrastructure and military targets.
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"This was yet another missed opportunity to address the policies and decisions behind the grave violations of international humanitarian law , including war crimes, committed by Israeli forces," said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Program.

"The indiscriminate killings of many Lebanese civilians not involved in the hostilities and the deliberate and wanton destruction of civilian properties and infrastructure on a massive scale were given no more than token consideration by the commission," said Smart.

The press release explained that that though the Winograd inquiry committee was not vested with the powers of an official state commission of investigation, it had the power to subpoena witnesses and recommend the prosecution of officials it found to have been responsible for willful or negligent criminal conduct.

According to Amnesty International, "the [Winograd Commission] chose to limit its work to reviewing military strategy and political decisions...and made to effort to recommend measures for holding those responsible for [serious violations] to account. It recommends the development of mechanisms to ensure the effectiveness of fighting within the framework of international humanitarian law standards [and] immediate investigations by the army when there are concerns that international humanitarian law was violated and better preparedness for responding to humanitarian problems arising from military action."

"But it essentially brushed aside available evidence of serious violations of international law, claiming that interpretations of international humanitarian law are controversial, that it did not have the capacity to deal with the volume of data, that the alleged violations were already being investigated by other bodies, and that such allegations are used as propaganda against Israel, whereas it did scrutinize military strategies and the conduct of certain operations in detail, including in cases which were already being investigated separately."

Based on its on-the-ground research and analysis of the conduct of hostilities in 2006, Amnesty International concluded that the Lebanese civilian population paid the heaviest price for the Israel Defense Force attacks.

"Of some 1,190 people killed, the vast majority were civilians not involved in the hostilities, among them hundreds of children. The overwhelming majority of homes, properties and infrastructure targeted in air strikes and artillery attacks were likewise civilian."

"Although the Winograd Commission recommended that the army review its policies on the use of cluster bombs to ensure that the use of these weapons will not violate international humanitarian law and army discipline, it did not propose any concrete measures," said Smart.

Amnesty International called on Israel's government to provide data on the use of cluster bombs during the Second Lebanon War, establish an independent and impartial investigation into evidence indicating that IDF forces committed serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the conflict, and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.


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      1.   "ensure that those responsible are brought to justice" 02:02  |  Happy Greek 01/02/08
      2.   What Fricken war crimes, 02:22  |  ottomatik 01/02/08
      3.   Israel`s war crimes are ALWAYS overlooked 02:24  |  POP 01/02/08
      4.   But Seriously 02:39  |  Barry 01/02/08
      5.   as I recall didn`t the hezbollah leader say he caused the shebang 03:00  |  jewish doctor 01/02/08
      6.   Hezbollah killed more soldiers then civilians 03:01  |  Ceasar 01/02/08
      7.   Amnesty International supports War Criminals 03:01  |  anon 01/02/08
      8.   Where Is The Report on Hezbollah War Crimes??????? 03:01  |  Brad 01/02/08
      9.   OttoMatik in Florida 03:07  |  Manual in Ohio 01/02/08
      10.   There was no mistake 03:30  |  Jon 01/02/08
      11.   1.Happy Greek,there is a Petition to the UN from 108 countries 03:55  |  lakshmi 01/02/08
      12.   Who cares of these Leftist lunatics 03:55  |  Frank 01/02/08
      13.   winograd can only deal with one fool at a time be patient amnesty 04:03  |  ralph 01/02/08
      14.   amnesty international your turn is next only one fool at a time 04:03  |  ralph 01/02/08
      15.   Fox reports: No problems in henhouse attack 04:12  |  Sage 01/02/08
      16.   ottomatik: Do your homework 04:16  |  Jeff 01/02/08
      17.   Judgemental cowards 04:21  |  Laurent Szyster 01/02/08
      18.   If Amnesty wants to destroy Israel they can do their own report 06:03  |  McQueen 01/02/08
      19.   Whatc a Crock - Hezbollah Fired 4000 Rockets at Civilians From Ci 08:08  |  Tod Zuckerman 01/02/08
      20.   amnesty international 08:35  |  Connie 01/02/08
      21.   According to Winograd..... 08:42  |  Natallie Durson 01/02/08
      22.   Israel didn`t commit war crimes...Amnesty Int`l is 09:08  |  x 01/02/08
      23.   Got to wonder about the brains at Amnesty 09:44  |  Joe Sittizen 01/02/08
      24.   90% of IDF commander are war criminal 10:25  |  rasta 01/02/08
      25.   how shall israel differentiate... 10:42  |  scallywag 01/02/08
      26.   Did Amnesty Int`l address the Katiushas filled with steel balls? 10:43  |  S 01/02/08
      27.   Barry In Al Quds 11:10  |  Rajiv 01/02/08
      28.   Jewish Doctor 11:13  |  NYC Christian Doctor 01/02/08
      29.   isnt it spelt wrongly? amnesia international ? 11:15  |  v hardman 01/02/08
      30.   # 8 Brad in Canada 11:19  |  Chick 01/02/08
      31.   Perhaps Hizballah`s commission report... 11:20  |  JES 01/02/08
      32.   Frank i n Canada 11:22  |  My name is real 01/02/08
      33.   # 16, to OttoMatk 11:24  |  Phil 01/02/08
      34.   20, Connie 11:26  |  Curt 01/02/08
      35.   When will NATO leaders and militaray staff go to International 11:36  |  Balcan boy 01/02/08
      36.   A FAILED DAMAGE CONTROL FOR ISRAEL 11:38  |  indrajaya 01/02/08
      37.   KIlling Bin-Laden would be a war crime 11:38  |  David Plane 01/02/08
      38.   Wow, the pro-Israel camp`s flustered this morning. 11:49  |  Michael 01/02/08
      39.   Amnesty Int`l is biased, politically Brain Damage 12:05  |  The Archives 01/02/08
      40.   Amnesty, once again, being political 12:08  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/02/08
      41.   #21 - And you, Natalie... 12:37  |  JES 01/02/08
      42.   Amnesty and War Crimes 12:43  |  Eli 01/02/08
      43.   Winograd "We did not find it appropriate to deal with issues 12:43  |  Joseph . E 01/02/08
      44.   THE PURPOSE of the report 12:43  |  Doc Holliday 01/02/08
      45.   Goebbels Medias Sorcerers Always Exonerated Arabs War Crimes 12:56  |  Joseph . E 01/02/08
      46.   Terror Supporters and Inhuman Shields are not Civilians 12:59  |  Joseph . E 01/02/08
      47.   IDF war criminals will face arrest if they leave Israel 13:09  |  Stephen 01/02/08
      48.   How can it be a war crime? 13:16  |  David Rothstein 01/02/08
      49.   Well if Israel doesn`t then the law is that the International 13:24  |  Dario Cassani 01/02/08
      50.   THEY LEFT THE PART TO THE HAGUE 13:28  |  indrajaya 01/02/08
      51.   THEY LEFT THE PART TO THE HAGUE 13:28  |  indrajaya 01/02/08
      52.   Israeli war crimes 13:32  |  Nik Miller 01/02/08
      53.   Amnesty International : a load of nonsense 13:36  |  Mansour M 01/02/08
      54.   Siniora aand Nassaralla will remember Peretz for a long Time 13:37  |  Joseph . E 01/02/08
      55.   "Hundreds of children" 13:44  |  Margareta 01/02/08
      56.   How Israel Beat Hezbollah 13:56  |  Joseph . E 01/02/08
      57.   Did Amnesty report on Hizbollah report?? 14:07  |  The Judge 01/02/08
      58.   #47 - Yes Stephen.... 14:21  |  JES 01/02/08
      59.   Give us a break... 14:48  |  Esther 01/02/08
      60.   Time to use the wisdom of the Supreme Court 14:53  |  Tosefta 01/02/08
      61.   War Crimes 14:58  |  peace lover 01/02/08
      62.   barry 4 15:05  |  realism 01/02/08
      63.   55 Maragareta,check Defense for Children International(Palestine 15:07  |  lakshmi 01/02/08
      64.   Where Went the $7B Siniora Extorted From Paris Donors Conference 15:13  |  Joseph . E 01/02/08
      65.   israel does not commit war crimes 15:23  |  war 01/02/08
      66.   I hope Amnesty covers the anti gay parade in Jerusalem 15:37  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/02/08
      67.   Whne Have Israel`s War Crimes Ever Been Investigated? 15:39  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/02/08
      68.   #21 Natalie. The biggest war crime is Israel existance 15:40  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/02/08
      69.   Readers Beware and Read With Caution 15:42  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/02/08
      70.   #3 POP This is the simple truth 15:50  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/02/08
      71.