PA: Israel fabricating stories on "child bombers"

The Palestinian Authority has accused Israel of fabricating stories about Palestinian boys carrying explosive belts on their way to carry out attacks against Israeli targets.

The Israeli army on Tuesday said a Palestinian boy carrying an explosive belt was captured at a roadblock outside the northern West Bank town of Nablus.

The army earlier contacted foreign correspondents in Israel, briefing them on the incident and asking them to cover the story.

The occupation army made a similar claim about another boy being captured, prompting speculations that the Israeli Shin Bet might be behind these reports for the purpose of besmirching the Palestinian image prior to President Mahmoud Abbas's visit to Washington.

"I am 100% sure that these incidents are fabricated from A to Z by the Shin Bet," said Ahmed Subh, Director-General of the Palestinian Ministry of Information.

Influence

Speaking to Aljazeera.net on Wednesday, Subh accused the Israeli authorities of seeking to influence Abbas's talks in Washington by showing that the PA is not doing enough to control resistance fighters.

"We must note that these concocted stories are timed to coincide with important political events," said Subh. "They are meant to serve and justify the overall Israeli posture, especially the unmitigated theft of Palestinian land and Israel's refusal to take its troops and tanks from Palestinian towns."

Subh pointed out that the Palestinian security apparatus has conducted a "thorough and comprehensive investigation" into Israeli allegations and found out that the whole thing was a sheer fabrication.

"Their families told us that anonymous persons gave them money and explosive belts and promised them that they wouldn't be imprisoned."

"It is crystal clear that these anonymous persons are Shin Bet agents, Palestinian organisations are smarter than sending boys with explosives to pass through Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks."

Abdul Sattar Kassem, Professor of Political Science at Al-Najah University, told Aljazeera.net he was convinced that Israeli was recruiting Palestinian teenagers for its hasbara (propaganda) efforts.

He said that capturing Palestinian youngsters while carrying explosives on Israeli army checkpoints was becoming a phenomenon of late.

TV cameras

Kassem noted that TV cameras and Israeli reporters were always brought there each time a Palestinian boy was "captured" with an "explosive belt."

"It is very hard to believe the Israeli story due to the striking dumbness of those alleged freedom fighters. At least the organisations that Israeli accuses of responsibility should have learned from their repeated failures."

"I would like to say that rational analysis of how these teenagers are caught and displayed on TV give strong indications of Israeli indulgence in recruiting teenagers."

Aljazeera.net asked the Israeli army spokesman Eitan Arusi why would Palestinian resistance groups do such a stupid thing as sending kids carrying bombs through army checkpoints, knowing well the kids would be arrested.

Arusi said he didn't know.

"You should direct this question to the terrorist groups, not to me."

Arusi insisted that the reports were authentic, saying the army wouldn't indulge in any "foul-play".

But the bulk of the Israeli media, including newspapers such as Ha'aretz, have refused to highlight or even report the latest alleged incident near Nablus.

Aljazeera

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/92B516BA-7579-4F52-A669-51367BDC93F7.htm

Perhaps the word intended was "provocation"? Not that the event was fabricated (apparently the boys really did try to take explosive belts to the checkpoint -- everybody appears agreed on that). The issue appears to be about who gave them the explosive belts with this post claiming that it was Israeli agent provocateurs.

Possible of course, but the resoning isn't convincing.
"It is crystal clear that these anonymous persons are Shin Bet agents, Palestinian organizations are smarter than sending boys with explosives to pass through Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks."

Well, you need to judge that by prior actions. And you need to question whether the intent was necessarily that the boys succeed in "getting through" the checkpoint. Notice that this was a subtle alteration of the story as reported because apparently the boys were supposed to suicide bomb AT the checkpoint (THAT far they would certainly get). There is some information that we DON'T know. Neither side is telling us whether the failure was because of faulty primary detonators or absence of primary detonators.

Clearly the boys had little to no chance of success trying to set the bombs off by lighting the fuse manually. But we don't know if that was how it was supposed to work. Did they HAVE a method of primary detonation? If not, then seems like a very foolish attempt <<although possible just to deliver "we have not stopped making attempts">>. But we need to consider other possibilities. Maybe Shin Bet was involved in another way entirely -- say they have succeeded in introducing a supply of faulty electornic detonators << in which case the Israelis most certainly would not spread the word that these bombs DID have a more sensible detonation system that failed to work >>

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Palestinian armed groups must not use children
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Public Statement

AI Index: MDE 15/033/2005 (Public)
News Service No: 134
23 May 2005
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150332005

Israel/Occupied Territories: Palestinian armed groups must not use children

Amnesty International reiterates its calls to Palestinian armed groups to put an immediate end to the use of children in armed activities.

"Palestinian armed groups must not use children under any circumstances to carry out armed attacks or to transport weapons or other material", Amnesty International said.

On 22 May 2005 a 15-year-old Palestinian child carrying explosive was arrested by the Israeli army at the Huwara military checkpoint, at the entrance to the West Bank town of Nablus.

This is the third such incident this year in which Palestinian children have been arrested at Israeli military checkpoints while carrying explosives or munitions.

On 3 February a 17-year-old was arrested at the same checkpoint
while carrying explosives and bullets, and on 27 April two 15-year-olds also carrying explosives and bullets were arrested at a military checkpoint at the entrance of the West Bank town of Jenin.

Several Palestinian armed groups, including the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, an offshoot of the ruling Fatah party, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), have used children to transport explosives and munitions, thereby endangering their lives.

In some cases these groups have sent children to carry out suicide attacks.

On 1 November 2004 a 16-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank town of Nablus carried out a suicide bombing which killed three Israeli civilians in a Tel Aviv market. He was the youngest Palestinian to carry out such an attack. The PFLP claimed responsibility for the attack. The boy's family
condemned those who used their child for the attack.

Palestinian armed groups have repeatedly shown total disregard for the most fundamental human rights, notably the right to life, by deliberately targeting Israeli civilians and by using Palestinian children in armed attacks. Children are susceptible to recruitment by manipulation or may be driven to join armed groups for a variety of reasons, including a desire to avenge relatives or friends killed by the Israeli army.

see more at http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150332005