(Ha'aretz)Ze'ev Schiff - If the war on international terror means that the Americans will be engaging in hard-hitting combat, they should not be preaching morality to others. The extensive harm done to civilians in Iraq by the Americans or in the Ivory Coast by the French did not come in response to attacks by Iraqis or Africans against population centers in the U.S. or France. Neither case may be compared to the Palestinians, who intentionally strike at civilians in Israel. The method employed by the Americans calls for using warplanes and artillery in urban areas. When the Russians did this in Chechnya, President Clinton sharply criticized them. The Iraqi insurgents, who include many foreigners, also show little compassion for the civilians. They have killed more Iraqi civilians than have the Americans. The defense industries in Israel have developed special warheads for missiles fired from helicopters which cause a minimum of collateral damage. Israel Air Force graphs show a steady decline in the number of casualties of those not involved in terrorism. Israel is at least trying to correct the situation and does not preach to others how to behave on the battlefield.
2004-11-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive