|
27 israeli pilots refuse bomb civilians Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/25/international/middleeast/25MIDE.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/25/international/middleeast/25MIDE.html
27 Israeli Reserve Pilots Say They Refuse to Bomb Civilians
By GREG MYRE
JERUSALEM, Sept. 24 — Twenty-seven reserve pilots in the Israeli Air Force presented a signed petition tonight saying that they would not take part in "illegal and immoral" strikes in Palestinian areas in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The airstrikes, aimed at Hamas militants, sometimes kill Palestinian civilians.
"We refuse to participate in air force attacks on civilian populations," said the letter, which was sent to the head of the air force, Maj. Gen. Dan Halutz. "We refuse to continue harming innocent civilians."
The petition is similar to a letter signed by hundreds of reserve soldiers who have pledged not to serve in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. Most of the pilots who signed the petition have not been on active duty in recent years, the air force said. It was not clear whether any had been involved in the strikes.
Israel calls the strikes "targeted killings." They have broad support among Israelis, with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government saying they are the most effective way to attack terrorists who hide among civilians.
The Israeli news media said one of the petition's signers was Yiftach Spector, a brigadier general in the reserves, who took part in the bombing of the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981.
In a sharp response to the pilots' letter, General Halutz said members of the military should not take political positions. "We do not choose our wars or missions," he said on Israeli television.
"We will continue to hunt terrorists," he said, adding, "We have no intention of harming civilians."
One recent Israeli target, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas, emerged today for the first time since he was lightly wounded on Sept. 6 in the bombing of a Gaza City apartment where he was meeting with Hamas members.
In a news conference at a Gaza City mosque, the defiant sheik said Hamas was not prepared to call off its bombing campaign, and he accused President Bush of declaring war on Islam.
"Resistance and holy war are the only choices for victory," he said. "We promised God and we promised the people that we won't surrender and we won't raise white flags.
"Bush today is declaring war on Islam. He has to understand that those who have faith are not afraid of threats, and that Islam is stronger than Bush."
The direct criticism of Mr. Bush was somewhat unusual; Hamas usually focuses on the conflict with Israel and avoids otherwise irritating the United States.
The remarks came a day after President Bush, speaking at the opening of the the United Nations General Assembly, defended American military action that toppled the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
"He is going to lose in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine," Sheik Yassin said.
Until recently the top Hamas leaders appeared frequently in public, speaking at large rallies and granting frequent interviews.
But since Israeli forces began striking at the group's senior leaders, they have gone into hiding. Israel has struck at four of the top figures since June, killing one and wounding three.
Sheik Yassin said today that Hamas would keep attacking Israel and would not allow itself to be disarmed by the Palestinian government or anyone else. He said his movement would not take part in the new Palestinian government being formed by Ahmed Qurei.
After high school, most Israeli men perform three years of military service, while women serve for two years. After that, the men are liable for annual reserve duty of up to a month. Some of the soldiers who have refused duty have been jailed for the amount of time they were supposed to serve. The military says the number refusing to serve remains quite small in a country where service is so widespread.
The region has been relatively quiet for two weeks, but daily violence persists.
Israeli troops searching houses in Rafah, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, uncovered explosives in two homes and clashed with Palestinian gunmen before dawn today, the military said.
An 18-year-old Palestinian man was killed and at least 10 Palestinians were wounded, according to witnesses and doctors at the Rafah hospital. The Israelis demolished the two homes with explosives.
Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company
|
|
