Katyn

Leftism kills, those misguided fools that wave their lollipops have little clue, they should watch this, watch this and realise the true face of communism, realise that even now Blokhin is the worlds must prolific serial killer, we must ever fight the left, lest they kill again…

Katyn (2007) Trailer

Gaza white flag deaths probe call

Israel must investigate the "unlawful" killing of 11 civilians carrying white flags during its Gaza operation earlier in 2009, Human Rights Watch has said.

Five women and four children were among those killed in seven incidents detailed by the US-based rights group.

Researchers said the soldiers at best failed to protect civilians, and at worst deliberately shot at them.

Israel has launched investigations into five "white flag" incidents, but says Hamas exploited civilians with flags.

In one incident, east of Jabalya, HRW said Israeli soldiers fired at two women and three children, three of whom were holding pieces of white cloth.

Two girls, aged two and seven were killed, and another, now aged four, was left paralysed below the waist.

The five were standing outside their home after an Israeli soldier had ordered them to leave it, HRW said.

"We spent seven to nine minutes waving the flags, and our faces were looking at them [the soldiers]," HRW quoted the girls' grandmother as saying.

"And suddenly they opened fire and the girls fell to the ground."

Two of the incidents in question have also been investigated by the BBC.

In five of the seven incidents, Israeli soldiers shot at civilians who were walking down the street with white flags, trying to leave the areas of fighting, HRW said.

"All available evidence indicates that Israeli forces were in control of the areas in question, no fighting was taking place there at the time, and no Palestinian forces were hiding among the civilians or using them as human shields," the report said.

The Israeli foreign ministry has opened investigations into at least five cases involving Palestinians who were waving white flags.

As of the end of July, one case had been closed. The Israeli military said troops had fired at "suspicious men" who ignored warnings as they walked near a Palestinian family carrying a white flag.

HRW said its findings were based on site investigations, ballistic evidence found at the scene, medical records of victims and lengthy interviews with multiple witnesses.

An Israeli government spokesman said the report lacked credibility because it was based on evidence from an area under Hamas control.

The Israeli military said troops were obliged to respect white flags, but accused "Hamas terror operatives" of "exploiting those with white flags as cover for belligerent action and to protect themselves from return fire".

But it gave no details of specific incidents.

Israel has said its soldiers acted lawfully during the operation, although some mistakes were made, such as the bombing of a house containing 21 civilians by accident.

It says it went to great lengths to distinguish between civilians and combatants, while Hamas put civilians at great risk by firing rockets from near schools and UN facilities, commandeering hospital facilities and ambulances, hiding weapons in mosques and booby trapping civilian neighbourhoods.

War crime accusation

Human Rights Watch last week accused Hamas of war crimes, for firing rockets at Israeli population centres. The group also says Palestinian militants operated from populated areas.

HRW's Bill Van Esveld said last Thursday that a Newsweek report quoted in a recent Israeli Foreign Ministry briefing was "as clear evidence of human shielding [by Hamas] as you're going to get".

Journalist Rod Nordland wrote on 20 January: "Suddenly there was a terrific whoosh, louder even than a bomb explosion. It was another of Hamas' homemade Qassam rockets being launched into Israel - and the mobile launch-pad was smack in the middle of the four [apartment] buildings, where every apartment was full."

But Mr Van Esveld said he was only aware of evidence of "three or four" such cases, and had seen more evidence of the use of human shields by Israeli troops than by Palestinian militants.

The Israeli activist group Breaking the Silence has published anonymous testimonies of Israeli soldiers describing a procedure in which they said Palestinians were forced at gunpoint to enter building where militants were hiding.

Soldier jailed

Israel said its 22-day operation in Gaza was "necessary and proportionate" and was aimed at reducing Palestinian rocket fire.

The Israeli military says it his currently investigating about 100 incidents, of which 13 are criminal investigations.

On Wednesday a soldier was jailed for seven months for using a credit card he stole from a Palestinian in Gaza during the operation to withdraw money in Israel. continues here

Hijacking of the abortion debate: How pro-choice campaigners are backing sex clinic TV adverts

Pro-abortion groups were last night accused of hijacking public policy so that abortion services and condoms can be advertised on television. 

It was revealed yesterday that watchdogs plan to allow the promotion of abortion clinics and condoms before the 9pm watershed. 

The review was launched in response to a request from the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV, or IAG, set up by the Government in 2003. 

The group specifically called for greater freedom to advertise condoms on television. 
But the quango is also packed with supporters of abortion clinics. 

Campaigners say it does not contain a single representative from groups who support traditional family units. 

Yesterday, a number of the IAG's key members lined up to support the liberalisation of the advertising of abortion services and condoms. 

'The group does not contain a single representative from any organisation that promotes the traditional family based on marriage. 

'Nor are any of its members known for their support of education programmes aimed at encouraging young people to save sex for marriage. The fact that the group's members represent such a narrow spectrum of opinion raises questions about its true independence.' 

They included Julie Bentley, who is chief executive of the Family Planning Association, Ann Furedi of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, and Simon Blake, of the Brook sexual health advice service. 

Norman Wells of the campaign group Family Education Trust said pro-abortionists on the IAG and beyond were attempting to force through their own agenda. 

'Given that the IAG is formed of individuals and representatives of organisations wedded to the idea that the answer to high teenage conception rates is more sex education and easier availability of contraception and abortion, it is concerning to see it exercising a disproportionate influence on public policy,' he said.

Advocates of advertising liberalisation also face opposition from church leaders and Tory MPs. 

Peter Kearney, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, said: 'This advertising would fly in the face of all the assurances given when abortion was legalised that it would be for extreme and exceptional cases only.'

Tory MP Anne Widdecombe said allowing TV advertising suggests 'abortion is just like any other consumer product'. She added: 'We've never had such a high rate of teenage pregnancy and we also have never had so much sex education and talking about freely available contraception.' 

At least eight of the IAG's 27 members, who are nominated by ministers, are involved in proabortion groups or have worked in NHS regimes providing abortions. 

The chairman is the president of the pro-abortion Family Planning Association, Baroness Joyce Gould. 

Four others have ties to the same group. Three members are linked to Brook, a charity providing sexual health advice to teenagers. 

Others have ties to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which provides a quarter of all abortions in England and Wales. 

IAG has called for tests on sex for children as young as five, and compulsory education on contraception and sexual infections such as chlamydia from the age of 11. 

Members also appeared before MPs to press them to allow women to have abortions at home. 

The chief executive of the Family Planning Association and IAG member Julie Bentley yesterday backed the TV advertising of condoms and abortion services. She said she wanted to see a 'clear message that condoms are important in protecting our health'. 

On abortion services, she said: 'It is crucial that women who are pregnant have access to high quality accurate information about all of their choices. Ideally from a range of different, reliable sources.'  continues here