The American Spectator : Human Shields

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Human Shields

By Daniel Mandel on 2.18.09 @ 6:07AM

A paying proposition for terrorists.

(Page 2 of 2)

In entering Gaza three weeks ago, Israel sought to alter this malign calculus, using surprise, detailed intelligence and precision to redress the balance, but its success is far from assured since its withdrawal. Guns rule in Gaza, and only their replacement by bigger guns can break Hamas' hold on the population. There is little to suggest that Israel is working to eliminate Hamas as a regime and if it is its outgoing government is not saying so.

Three things in combination can defeat the successful use of human shields -- the elimination as fighting forces of the groups that use it; utter condemnation by foreign governments, international organizations and publics for this practice; and international support for lawful forces opposing the terrorists.

One instance in which this rare combination did occur came in July 2007, when Pakistani Islamists took cover inside the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. They refused to surrender, resulting in the death of 173 people in battle with the Pakistani security forces. However, as those fighting the terrorists were neither Christians nor Jews but themselves Muslim, international Muslim opinion was notably indulgent towards then-Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf and non-Muslim nations followed their lead.

In short, where human shields are concerned, the world generally bows to Muslim reflexive anger at non-Muslim forces combating other Muslims, whoever these Muslims might be. As a result, who knows how many more civilians will yet die in future conflicts with conscienceless terrorists because the use of human shields is being shown to be a paying proposition?

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About the Author

Daniel Mandel is a Fellow in History at Melbourne University and author of H. V. Evatt and the Establishment of Israel: The Undercover Zionist (Routledge, London, 2004). His blog can be found on the History News Network.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (14) | Leave a comment

Marc Jeric| 2.18.09 @ 11:20AM

When an Al Qaeda chief surrounds himself with his 4 wives and 30 children - I say kill them all and blame the jihadist for the deaths.
There was a well-preserved medieval town in Alsace called Ammerschwier; when the American soldiers approached it in early 1945, their mayor came out with the white flag ensuring the Americans that here would be no resistance and therefore no need to damage the town. Americans then marched in , led by their lieutenant. A sniper killed him, the sergeant took command, retreated and called for bombers; the town was substantially erased. Imagine that our "engagement rules" then called for interruption of hostilities until the population was supplied with food, medicines, and fuel like they were requested by the United Nations and "human rights" groups. Unthinkable - right?

Crusader| 2.18.09 @ 11:29AM

The Serbian air war was an unjust war on a Christain nation which posed NO national security threat to the US of A. In fact, they were our allies in the 2 previous WWs.

Imagine if Canada bombed US civilians so Mexico could annex Atzlan (what mexicans call the SW USA). That was Srbia in a nutshell.

Sons Of Sam| 2.18.09 @ 3:05PM

kudos to you Marc. We need to start defending ourselves by wiping out those who have been assaulting us for years. That includes terrorists, the sawed off little criminals running the inner cities and EVERYONE making excuses for them -- we used to call those guys TRAITORS.

They need to die so that the rest of us can breath.
S.O.S.
http://www.geocities.com/samadamssos/

Indiana Alex| 2.18.09 @ 3:19PM

In the air war over Serbia the primary targets were critical infrastructure; power, water, electricity, desigened to turn the people against Milosevich.

That is why the civilian casualty ratio would be so high.

I wonder how many former KLA are now at Gitmo.

Alan Brooks| 2.18.09 @ 10:35PM

i wish Sheik Mohammed the Hirsute was with his 72 baby prostitutes right now.

we executed McVeigh-- why not the Sheik?

ruth| 2.19.09 @ 2:12AM

Who else would you expect Clinton to attack; our enemies? Hell no, he let Bin Laden go 8 times. He makes me retch.

GreginOkinawa| 2.19.09 @ 11:07AM

Marc Jeric correctly said "When an Al Qaeda chief surrounds himself with his 4 wives and 30 children - I say kill them all and blame the jihadist for the deaths."

If we only kill the terrorist father and let the kids live...I am certain they will LOVE us for our compassion...NOT.

Better to get them all at once!

GreginOkinawa| 2.19.09 @ 11:08AM

In the article it said "When its gunmen were cornered at a mosque in Gaza's Beit Hanoun by Israeli special forces, Hamas used radio to call upon local women to flood the scene of the armed stand-off so as to enable the gunmen to escape, which they did."

Okay, so what's the problem...if the ignorant Palestinian want to martyr themselves so bad...let's honor their request!

Marc Jeric| 7.2.09 @ 5:47PM

Let me finish the story of Ammerschwier. When I visited the town some 30 years ago, it was a brand new medieval town rebuilt by American money. Original materials and work methods were used - macadam streets, grey slate roofs, manually formed stones, brickwork, etc. Same thing happened with the French medieval town of St. Malo in Normandy, substantially destroyed when the Germans resisted the Amrerican troups; rebuilt after the war with American money, using original materials and work methods.

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weddingdress| 7.12.11 @ 5:26AM

Marc Jeric correctly said "When an Al Qaeda chief surrounds himself with his 4 wives and 30 children - I say kill them all and blame the jihadist for the deaths."

If we only kill the terrorist father and let the kids live...I am certain they will LOVE us for our compassion...NOT.

Better to get them all at once!