[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Urgent Press Release: Minister Abed Rabbo: We Will Pursue the Israeli War Criminals

[Al Kagan]

>Delivered-To: akagan at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu
>From: "PMC" <pr at palestine-pmc.com>
>To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:@linux.palestine-pmc.com;>
>Subject: Urgent Press Release: Minister Abed Rabbo: We Will Pursue 
>the Israeli War Criminals
>Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 14:24:38 +0200
>X-Priority: 3
>Status:  
>
>  Urgent Press Release
>
>          Minister Abed Rabbo: We Will Pursue the Israeli War Criminals
>
>
>
>8 March 2002
>Palestine Media Center - PMC
><http://www.palestine-pmc.com/>http://www.palestine-pmc.com
>
>
>"The Palestinian People and the Palestinian leadership shall never 
>forget these crimes or allow them to be forgotten. We shall never 
>forgive these criminals"
>
>Mr. Yasser Abed Rabbo, the Minister of Culture and Information, 
>strongly condemned the ongoing massacres, perpetrated by the Israeli 
>occupation army, against Palestinian civilians throughout the West 
>Bank and Gaza. In a press release issued today 8 March, the Minister 
>condemned the Israeli slaughter of at least thirty Palestinians in 
>Tulkarem, Bethlehem, and Khan Younis, calling the Israeli government 
>members and top military commanders "war criminals".
>
>Below is the Minister's statement:
>
>Since the early hours of this dawn, real massacres have been 
>unraveling in the Gaza Strip, aiming at murdering the highest 
>possible number of Palestinians and at the largest scale possible. 
>This massacre, which has caused the death of scores of Palestinian 
>civilians and National Security Officers, was premeditated and 
>planned by Ariel Sharon on the political and military levels.
>
>The Palestinian leadership has moved to the Security Council, 
>demanding an immediate and decisive position that would provide the 
>Palestinian People with the urgently needed protection from this 
>ongoing mass murder. We have also called on the Arab world to take 
>decisive measures and clear positions to put an end to these crimes 
>that shall only widen the scope of the conflict.
>
>The Israeli occupation army is launching a systematic war of terror 
>against our People. Destroying our civil and security 
>establishments, specifically targeting civilians, are part in parcel 
>of Israel's terrorist campaign.
>
>For the first time since World War Two, any leader - in this case 
>Ariel Sharon, a war criminal, - announces that an entire People must 
>be "hit hard". The American silence towards these crimes constitutes 
>support to Ariel Sharon's campaign. More importantly, statements 
>made by certain American officials considering the terrorist Israeli 
>war as self-defense, thus justifying it, are unacceptable. This is a 
>justification of an unjust war.
>
>The Palestinian leadership is deeply disappointed from the 
>insufficient position that the American Administration has taken 
>thus far. The American announcement that general Zinni will be 
>returning to the region must be accompanied by a clear demand to 
>stop these massacres.
>
>It is unacceptable to speak equally about the criminals and victims 
>in this conflict. The American Administration must first demand of 
>the criminal Israeli government to instantly stop the massacres it 
>is ordering and committing. All other steps are cosmetic and this is 
>not the time for cosmetic steps or ones that would not put an end to 
>this carnage.
>
>It is unquestionably clear that the Israeli government views the 
>American step of sending Mr. Zinni as a tactical and partial step 
>for it unfortunately does not constitute a new position. The 
>American Administration needs a different kind of policy. So far, 
>its partial and limited positions have not been successful in 
>deterring the Israeli side from committing these massacres. A clear 
>position from this carnage is needed.
>
>The Palestinian People is facing an Israeli plan that aims to widen 
>the ongoing war against our civilians. Consequently, the Palestine 
>National Authority shall not stand idle and shall take all the 
>necessary steps to protect its People. We warn that these massacres 
>will lead to an-all out violent confrontation that will yield 
>suffering and losses on both sides.
>
>We point out that the Israeli occupation forces have been 
>systematically targeting ambulances and medical crews throughout the 
>Palestinian land. In Tulkarem, occupation forces murdered a nurse 
>and an ambulance driver yesterday as well as a medical crewmember 
>working for UNRWA. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation Special 
>Forces confiscated two Palestine Red Crescent (PRCS) ambulances and 
>used them to commit a number of assassinations. Israeli Special 
>Forces used one of the PRCS ambulances to assassinate General Ahmed 
>Mifrej (known as Abu Humeid) and his bodyguards.
>
>The Palestinian People consider these acts as war crimes. Those who 
>kill nurses and doctors; those who prevent medical crews from 
>rescuing the injured, and those who order the soldiers to commit 
>these inhumane acts are war criminals. They should be pursued and 
>punished by the entire world community. We will pursue these 
>criminals and make sure that they are punished for the war crimes 
>they have ordered and committed. The Palestinian People and the 
>Palestinian leadership shall never forget these crimes or allow them 
>to be forgotten. We shall never forgive these criminals and for 
>certain, we will make sure that they are judged and punished in an 
>international court.
>
>Finally, there will be a high-level Arab meeting that shall discuss 
>the present situation. We call on them to take clear and decisive 
>steps; what is needed is an Arab position that would make clear to 
>the United States the urgency of the situation. At present, any and 
>all initiatives are being drowned by Palestinian blood and bombarded 
>by Israeli aggression. First, the ongoing mass murders must stop, 
>international protection must be provided, and then we can discuss 
>any initiatives.

-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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