From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Thu Apr 11 2002 - 12:50:51 MDT
>From: Harvey Newstrom <mail@HarveyNewstrom.com>
>This is a straw-man argument. No one is talking about reporters
>putting soldiers in danger. We are talking about soldiers trying
>to cover the Arafat meeting being driven away under gunfire.
>There was no enemy or battle going on. Israel knows where Arafat
>lives. There was no danger of any kind. Except the danger of
>reporters putting Israel in a bad light.
>All of these other stories of traitors, spies, mistaken identity,
>etc. are fictional examples that might justify the military
>action, but have nothing to do with the current debate.
This took place in the middle of a war, most certainly a battle,
and Arafat is indeed the enemy.
I was discussing this in the context of reporters trying to follow
Israeli troops around during the West Bank actions, so this
argument is no straw-man.
As to Arafats compound, the Israelis told the press it was a closed
military zone, this means use of deadly force authorized, and the
press chose to try and ignore it.
The Israelis used considerable discretion in running the reporters
off.
Despite their insistance to the contrary the press didn't belong
there, and the Israelis broke no law.
In conducting sensitive operations even on a military base we'd put
a 2000' warning line out clearly marked:
Warning:
Use of Deadly Force
Authorized
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
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