| According to Bill Goodman, legal director for the Center for Constitutional Rights, in its 40 year history, the Center for Constitutional Rights has been a leading advocate of human rights and international law in the U.S. and abroad. In the current conflict taking place in Lebanon, Palestine, and Israel, the absolute prohibition on attacks against civilians under international law is being violated by all parties. U.S. law, specifically the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), requires that weapons provided by the U.S. be used for a nation's internal security or legitimate self-defense, and prohibits sales or deliveries if a nation fails to comply."
"Israel is using U.S. supplied weapons to attack civilians and civilian infrastructure, not for purposes authorized under U.S. law. The current conflict already has killed hundreds of civilians and wounded more than 1,000 - nearly a third of whom are children - as well as destroyed billions of dollars worth of civilian infrastructure. Rather than stopping the supply of weapons to Israel, as required by law, the United States Government is reportedly rushing additional weapons to Israel - an unlawful act that will render the U.S. complicit in the death of innocent people."
Goodman reports that the center has sent an official letter to President Bush and Secretary of State Rice calling on them to comply with the AECA and stop delivering weapons to Israel. The center is asking for the help of U.S. citizens to ensure Congress holds the Administration accountable.
From an Israeli viewpoint and ours
Israelis and their supporters understand the manner in which factions like Hamas and Hezbollah hide behind the civilian population. Israel has maintained that they have given the civilian population in southern Lebanan sufficient warning to remove themselves from harm. The Israeli Defense Force has no choice but to retaliate to stop the Katytusha rockets from landing in its country and killing its civilian population.
We seldom if ever agreed with the policies of President Bush, but we can not disagree with his support of Israel and the notion that radical Muslims need to be annihilated.
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