Israel destroys US-built wells

[Aidoneus]

(posted upstairs, but that'll probably be locked soon.)

Israel destroys US-built wells
By Justin Huggler in Jerusalem
05 November 2003

The US has reportedly complained after the Israeli army destroyed wells built for civilians in Gaza by an American government aid agency.

Huge areas have been demolished by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks, including more than 150 homes.

The wells had just been dug by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid). A few months ago the agency announced a $20m (£12m) project to rebuild infrastructure including roads, electricity supply lines and sewers in the occupied territories.

The agency was reporting good progress. But its workers were dismayed when they turned up to finish the wells and found that their work had been destroyed. A source at the American embassy said that when USAid complained, the Israelis told them that they demolished the wells because Palestinian militants had been hiding in them.

That has been a regular claim from the Israeli military to justify demolishing houses in Gaza - but in recent weeks whole streets have been knocked down. Israel has also been accused of trying to move refugee camps away from the border with Egypt.

--snip--

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=460551

[Darranar]

1. "Complained"...

about as effective as throwing a penny into a rushing river.

[Aidoneus]

2. indeed, an empty gesture

it did, at least, answer one of my curiousities:--what more could they do to arbitrarily terrorize Gaza? It's not quite firing rockets into crowds or bulldozing streets, but an answer is an answer and I rarely get a clear answer to my questions anymore.

but rest assured, even in an empty gesture the diplomats know when to not cross any red lines and tread lightly:--

Spokesmen at the American embassy were careful not to criticise the Israeli army. But according to reports in the Israeli press yesterday, they were less diplomatic behind the scenes. The newspaper Ma'ariv reported that the US had threatened to stop all reconstruction work unless the Israeli army promised not to demolish anything built by the Americans.

[Darranar]

3. Hey, this isn't terrorizing anyomne!

Hamas used these wells to drink out of! They must be obliterated for the security of little Israel!

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. These wells were also used to provide hydration to thousands

of Palestinians who are suspected of harboring anti-Occupation sentiment.

Destroying these wells will go a long way toward stamping this out.

[Darranar]

5. Indeed!

No threat to Little Israel may go undemolished!

[DuctapeFatwa]

6. LOL hey, I bet Herschel will be mad at you for preempting his new sig

He was just finishing up that ascii art Merkava tank to go under it...

[Scurrilous]

7. Hey Ductape...

You're being discussed at LGF:


http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=8796_Democratic_Underground_Wants_Blood#comments

#11 Jheka 11/4/2003 04:54PM PST


#3 Titus:

I get it over to LGF and let nature take its course ... BTW, some of the usual DU suspects have arrived. Pay special attention to DuctapeFatwa, Nostamj, thebigidea . . . if this stays open for another hour 3 or 4 more of the regulars will pop in and Israel/Sharon/Likud/PNAC/AIPAC/BFEE/etc. will be brought up and blamed.

Just watch.
______________________________________________________________________

And then there is this...

#46 MagnificentBastardRL 11/4/2003 05:24PM PST

The guy with the big picture of Kucinich is my favorite.

[bluesoul]

8. woohoo

Ductape you're a fuckin HERO!! And Darranar! A :toast: and :party: for you guys! When the fine folks from LGF start talking about you, you just know you're doing something right! ;-)

[DuctapeFatwa]

9. That's IT? They didn't even call me a zionist or a terrorist or a

disgusting excuse for a human being, or say I am without common decency and the 21st hijacker?

People here have called me all that, and more.

I'm kind of disappointed in LGF. Maybe it's just their hormones and they'll improve.

[Darranar]

10. LOL.

[Aidoneus]

12. sigh..

all of these DU stalkers STILL don't give me any love.. (or hate, in this case)

fine work Darranar/Ductape, even if you are eclipsing me in the eyes of these twits.

[Scurrilous]

17. Darranar and Ductape..

..better be very careful. Those stalkers from LGF got skills. They've probably broken out their official Kach decoder rings and are at this very moment discussing ways to silence those two.

[TimeLord]

19. It's a small gesture.

n/t

[Aidoneus]

13. at least the military is back to more conventional assaults on Gaza

the burst of creativity involved in destroying wells has again been replaced with the more familiar burst of tank shells and bullets..
might give this a thread of its own sometime later, or just here.. :shrug:

Palestinian child shot dead
Friday 07 November 2003

Israeli soldiers have shot and killed three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including an 11-year-old child, in separate clashes.

The latest casualty on Friday was a Palestinian child killed by shrapnel from an Israeli tank shell in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said.

Mahmud al-Qayed, 11, was hit in his chest as he was playing with a friend near the Karni crossing point between the northeastern Gaza Strip and Israel, the medical sources and witnesses said.

Also, one Palestinian died after being wounded in shooting by Israeli troops near the southern village of Huzaa.

Another Palestinian was killed in an exchange of fire with an Israeli army unit invading the El Moghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, Palestinian security sources said.

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FF31A955-0957-4702-AD1B-E63CFA511DA1.htm

[bluesoul]

14. The 11 year old kid

Terrorist? :shrug:

[Aidoneus]

15. he was engaged in suspicious activities

like "playing", another report of the killing mentioned he & his friend were bird-catching--these are dangerous offenses, serious threats to Israeli security. Children playing! Next you know, they'll want to "grow up" without tanks bashing up their neighborhoods! These unruly wretches must be taught to enjoy their supervision at a young age, or they'll never learn it.

[Aidoneus]

16. another on the same killing

Israeli Troops Kill Boy, Three Militants in Gaza
2 hours, 46 minutes ago
By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed a 10-year-old Palestinian boy and three militants in Gaza on Friday as the army eased a West Bank blockade in a bid to bolster Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie ahead of possible peace moves.

The boy, Mahmoud al-Qayed, was killed by a shell fired by an Israeli tank in the Gaza Strip near the Israeli agricultural community of Nahal Oz while hunting for birds with a net tied to a string, a witness and medics said.

An Israeli military source said soldiers opened fire at suspicious figures handling an electric cable in an area where explosives are often planted against troops, and that one Palestinian was hit while two others fled.

The source said that while soldiers later found no explosives had been placed there, the zone is shut to Palestinian civilians.

"I fell to the ground with my foot bleeding and saw Mahmoud swimming in a pool of blood," said Nimir Abu Asaous, 22, who was wounded in the incident.

Palestinian medics said four other Palestinians hunting birds, a popular hobby among Gazan youth, have been killed by soldiers in the same area in recent months.

--snip--

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20031107/wl_nm/mideast_dc

[RuB]

11. whole streets have been knocked down?

hehe, do they have perpendicular roads?

[TimeLord]

20. The crime:

I know the crime.

They were living amongst "terrorists."

That is the easiest scapegoat in history.


Utterly fascinating and despicable at the same time.

[TimeLord]

18. This disheartining...

I mean really. When will we own up to something that has gone astray.

USAid complained, the Israelis told them that they demolished the wells because Palestinian militants had been hiding in them.

This is a ridiculous statement.

Why are we doing this. This is not good for Israelis or for Palestinians. This is only good for those in power. Those in power are in the government of Israel. This will have severe consequences which I'm so sad for.

I don't know what else to say...this is not the right thing to do.