Post by Teddy Bear on Oct 18, 2009 20:05:06 GMT
As soon as I read this report of Col. Richard Kemp's address to the UN 2 days ago, I knew there would be no mention of it at the BBC. The fact that this man has been the former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. Served with NATO and the United Nations; commanded troops in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Macedonia; Participated in the Gulf War. He spent considerable time in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, and worked on international terrorism for the UK Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee, gives him a hefty credential by any standard, particularly for the UK.
Only a few weeks ago he was interviewed on the BBC's Hardtalk programme about whether troops in Afganistan could ever defeat the Taliban. The BBC are anxious to undermine the efforts of the allies fighting there in their never ending bid to serve their militant Islamist masters.
So the BBC are aware of this man when they feel he serves their purpose. However, when he addresses the UN, following their recent Human Rights report condemning Israel, to say that "...based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defence Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare." the BBC are nowhere to be found.
If they had ANY pretense at being fair, balanced and unbiased they would be proud to present the views and experience of this British Colonel in the face of this multinational conspiracy to bring down Israel.
As it is, they are insidiously part of this conspiracy.
Here's the full statement made by this Colonel.
Only a few weeks ago he was interviewed on the BBC's Hardtalk programme about whether troops in Afganistan could ever defeat the Taliban. The BBC are anxious to undermine the efforts of the allies fighting there in their never ending bid to serve their militant Islamist masters.
So the BBC are aware of this man when they feel he serves their purpose. However, when he addresses the UN, following their recent Human Rights report condemning Israel, to say that "...based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defence Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare." the BBC are nowhere to be found.
If they had ANY pretense at being fair, balanced and unbiased they would be proud to present the views and experience of this British Colonel in the face of this multinational conspiracy to bring down Israel.
As it is, they are insidiously part of this conspiracy.
Here's the full statement made by this Colonel.
UK Commander Challenges Goldstone Report
UN Watch Oral Statement
Delivered by Colonel Richard Kemp, 16 October 2009
UN Human Rights Council: 12th Special Session
Thank you, Mr. President.
www.youtube.com/watchv=NX6vyT8RzMo&feature=player_embedded
I am the former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. I served with NATO and the United Nations; commanded troops in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Macedonia; and participated in the Gulf War. I spent considerable time in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, and worked on international terrorism for the UK Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee.
Mr. President, based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defence Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.
Israel did so while facing an enemy that deliberately positioned its military capability behind the human shield of the civilian population.
Hamas, like Hizballah, are expert at driving the media agenda. Both will always have people ready to give interviews condemning Israeli forces for war crimes. They are adept at staging and distorting incidents.
The IDF faces a challenge that we British do not have to face to the same extent. It is the automatic, Pavlovian presumption by many in the international media, and international human rights groups, that the IDF are in the wrong, that they are abusing human rights.
The truth is that the IDF took extraordinary measures to give Gaza civilians notice of targeted areas, dropping over 2 million leaflets, and making over 100,000 phone calls. Many missions that could have taken out Hamas military capability were aborted to prevent civilian casualties. During the conflict, the IDF allowed huge amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza. To deliver aid virtually into your enemy's hands is, to the military tactician, normally quite unthinkable. But the IDF took on those risks.
Despite all of this, of course innocent civilians were killed. War is chaos and full of mistakes. There have been mistakes by the British, American and other forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq, many of which can be put down to human error. But mistakes are not war crimes.
More than anything, the civilian casualties were a consequence of Hamas’ way of fighting. Hamas deliberately tried to sacrifice their own civilians.
Mr. President, Israel had no choice apart from defending its people, to stop Hamas from attacking them with rockets.
And I say this again: the IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.
Thank you, Mr. President.
UN Watch Oral Statement
Delivered by Colonel Richard Kemp, 16 October 2009
UN Human Rights Council: 12th Special Session
Thank you, Mr. President.
www.youtube.com/watchv=NX6vyT8RzMo&feature=player_embedded
I am the former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. I served with NATO and the United Nations; commanded troops in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Macedonia; and participated in the Gulf War. I spent considerable time in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, and worked on international terrorism for the UK Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee.
Mr. President, based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defence Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.
Israel did so while facing an enemy that deliberately positioned its military capability behind the human shield of the civilian population.
Hamas, like Hizballah, are expert at driving the media agenda. Both will always have people ready to give interviews condemning Israeli forces for war crimes. They are adept at staging and distorting incidents.
The IDF faces a challenge that we British do not have to face to the same extent. It is the automatic, Pavlovian presumption by many in the international media, and international human rights groups, that the IDF are in the wrong, that they are abusing human rights.
The truth is that the IDF took extraordinary measures to give Gaza civilians notice of targeted areas, dropping over 2 million leaflets, and making over 100,000 phone calls. Many missions that could have taken out Hamas military capability were aborted to prevent civilian casualties. During the conflict, the IDF allowed huge amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza. To deliver aid virtually into your enemy's hands is, to the military tactician, normally quite unthinkable. But the IDF took on those risks.
Despite all of this, of course innocent civilians were killed. War is chaos and full of mistakes. There have been mistakes by the British, American and other forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq, many of which can be put down to human error. But mistakes are not war crimes.
More than anything, the civilian casualties were a consequence of Hamas’ way of fighting. Hamas deliberately tried to sacrifice their own civilians.
Mr. President, Israel had no choice apart from defending its people, to stop Hamas from attacking them with rockets.
And I say this again: the IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.
Thank you, Mr. President.