The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's President Omar al-Beshir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. According to UN estimates, 300,000 civilian died in Darfur. Good, this is what I like to see justice being carry out against leader who killed innocent civilian for their personal gains. But I also would like to see if ICC will also issue arrest warrant on George Bush and Tony Blair for invasion of Iraq and the loss of more than a million Iraqis. What about Israel' s leaders for the death of hundreds of thousands of palestinians for the past 40 years of occupation in Gaza and West Bank?
I urge ICC to open their eyes wider and be even-handed in dealing with such matters.
Now I know why the muslim world hates Israel and the allies, cos they have been thinking that their land was OCCUPIED by israelites.
The middle east can never be solved until they this mentality can be resolved.
If this occupied land is "returned" to the palestinians, where can the israelites go and stay?
Even Israel's Human Rights Group called Gaza and West Bank occupied territories. Below is an extract from B'tselem's webpage and do visit www.B'tselem.org. for other details:
"B'TSELEM - The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories was established in 1989 by a group of prominent academics, attorneys, journalists, and Knesset members. It endeavors to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel.
B'Tselem in Hebrew literally means "in the image of," and is also used as a synonym for human dignity. The word is taken from Genesis 1:27 "And God created humans in his image. In the image of God did He create him." It is in this spirit that the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "All human beings are born equal in dignity and rights."
As an Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem acts primarily to change Israeli policy in the Occupied Territories and ensure that its government, which rules the Occupied Territories, protects the human rights of residents there and complies with its obligations under international law"
Below is an extract from today BCC webpage, www.bcc.co.uk :
Human rights investigators say Israeli forces engaged in "wanton destruction" of Palestinian homes during the recent conflict in Gaza. Amnesty International has told the BBC News website the methods used raised concerns about war crimes. Israel's military said buildings were destroyed because of military "operational needs". The Israeli Defense Forces said they operated in accordance with international law during the conflict.
However, the use of mines to destroy homes contradicted this claim, the head of the Amnesty International fact-finding mission to southern Israel and Gaza, Donatella Rovera, has argued.
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Israeli military statement
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Israeli troops had to leave their vehicles to plant the mines, indicating that they faced no danger and that there was no military or operational justification, she said.
Breaking the Silence, an Israeli group that gathers and circulates the testimonies of Israeli soldiers, has also told the BBC News website that its findings from the Gaza war suggested many demolitions had been carried out when there was no immediate threat.
"From the testimonies that we've gathered, lots of demolitions - buildings demolished either by bulldozers or explosives - were done after the area was under Israeli control," said Yehuda Shaul, one of the group's members. "
What are the judges of ICC waiting now? Show the world that ICC is even-handed and proceeds with the issue of arrest warrants on Israel's leaders.
If Amnesty International is committed to prevent and end abuses of human rights, it should focus on regions which needed attention most.
Dafur is in dire straits.
Israel can take care of business on its own backyard.
ICC, please open your eyes. The result of the invasion of Iraq by Tony Blair and George Bush is the creation of about 740,000 widows. Do we want that to happen to other country? It is time for international communities to be sincerely in their dealing with such matters. Below is an extract from today CNN webpage :
"BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- While violence decreases across Iraq, women in the war-ravaged country face worsening hardships as warfare has thrust them into the role of family breadwinners, an aid group's survey said.
In a release dated Sunday coinciding with International Women's Day, Oxfam International issued, "In Her Own Words: Iraqi Women Talk About Their Greatest Concerns and Challenges."
Many women have been widowed and have had to run their families because their husbands "had been killed, disappeared, abducted or suffered from mental or physical abuse," the survey says.
As a result, many have been unable to earn a decent living. While there are no precise numbers, there are now an estimated 740,000 widows in Iraq, Oxfam says.
"Women are the forgotten victims of Iraq," said Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs, in quotes included in the survey."