Confusing evidence

WARNING - links in this article include very disturbing images!

I received an article via email from a Lebanese citizen. It comprised 5 photographs with a brief narrative in English and Arabic, but it lacked critical information including the date, time, and location of the incident.

I searched the internet and found that the article was widely available, but only two sites, the BBC web site and the "Colorado Campaign for Middle East Peace" (CCMEP) web site carried more detail.

The series of images depict what initially appears to be a routine stop-and-search operation. According to the CCMEP site, this took place on 8th March 2002 in Beit Hannana, Jerusalem. Two men were stopped, one identified only as "Randy", the other as 23-year-old Mahmoud Salah.

The images were reportedly extracted from video footage taken by a local resident.

The images show the Israeli border guards subduing Salah before cutting off all of his clothing except for his underpants. Salah appears to be completely under the control of the border guards, lying face down on the ground with his hands tied behind his back. "Randy" doesn't appear to be subject to the same level of restraint by the guards.

In image 5 at the CCMEP site, one of the guards appears to be restraining Salah's legs, while another one is raising Salah's arms (which are still tied), Salah still face-down on the ground. A third guard stands a few feet away with a pistol pointing at Salah's head.

In the following image, only Salah's body can be seen, a large pool of blood surrounding the area where his head should have been.

The final image shows a "Wheelbarrow" (remote-controlled robot used to defuse or detonate suspected bombs) manipulating unidentifiable material near the body.

On the face of it, it appears to be an unjustified execution, however, according to a police statement, Salah had an explosive device fixed to his chest, out of sight of the camera. This appears to be supported by what I presume is a comment in a pro-Palestinian newspaper (Al-Hayat al-Jadida) which described Salah as a "member of the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades". A report attributed to a French news agency states "An anonymous caller from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah group, on Saturday claimed that Salah had been on his way to carry out a suicide bombing in east Jerusalem in the Neve Yaakov Jewish settlement in the area".

This is a good example of some of the difficulties in assessing evidence in the Middle East. Perhaps it is true that Salah was attempting to detonate a bomb, in which case his execution would be justified. On the other hand, we only have an anonymous telephone call and the word of the Israelis that this is the case - I am sure that Mossad (the Israeli intelligence service) are quite capable of telephoning a news agency, and the Israelis have demonstrated their willingness to lie when the occasion suits them, as evidenced by their statement about the 48-hour abeyance of air strikes, for example.

The version of the article which I received (which I am certain was sent in good faith) ommitted the image with the wheelbarrow, which made the sequence appear as a clear-cut example of Israeli brutality. I can find no trace of the video footage from which the stills are reportedly taken - perhaps it did show an explosive device attached to Salah?

With so much propaganda circulating from both sides, it is often impossible to divine the truth of any specific incident. What is beyond doubt is that Israel is denying the Palestinians the opportunity to thrive, and in fact creating an enviroment where infant mortality is increased, poverty is assured, education is disrupted and life expectancy is reduced. These are facts supported by United Nations and other humanitarian agencies. It is a slow form of genocide, perhaps even more cruel than Hitler's "Final Solution". It is also guaranteed to generate support for anti-Israeli elements, even westerners like me are influenced by Israel's obvious lack of humanity.

I should add that I in no way support terrorist acts perpetrated by any group against anyone. Suicide bombing in particular strikes me as a futile act. However any reaction to such atrocities must always be proportionate.

Joe McGonagle