Whoever heard of an investigation of yourself, in particular where there are serious allegations against you, which can be anything other than tainted?
Well, the good ol' Israeli IDF did just that. It investigated the allegations of misfeasance during the Gaza War. And, surprise, surprise, the IDF came up trumps! Not one blemish or infraction.
Not on! says Israeli Human Rights Group B'Tselem. In its latest bulletin it reports:
"On the 22.4.08, the Israeli Military made public the conclusions of five internal investigations held by teams headed by officers, who “were not a direct part of the chain of command, and who were appointed by the chief of staff to investigate several issues in regards to which questions were raised during the fighting." The military did not publish the investigations themselves .
The chief conclusion of the investigations is that “the “IDF acted in accordance with the principles of international law, while keeping a high professional and moral standard; all of this, against an enemy that was deliberately engaging in terror activities against Israeli civilians." However, “the investigations shed light on a very small number of mistakes and incidents in which intelligence or operational mistakes occurred during the fighting."
But, as B'Tselem says:
"Immediately following the publication of the conclusions, Minister of Defence, Ehud Barak stated that “the IDF is one of the most moral armies in the world”. He made an identical statement soon after the end of the operation. Similar statements, regarding the morality of the Israeli military and regarding the responsibility of Hamas for any harm to civilians, were made by Israeli officials throughout the operation and its aftermath, and it raises the suspicion that the investigations were chiefly aimed at proving these statements rather than ascertaining the truth.
No agency, including the military, can investigate itself under such complex circumstances, and the fact that the investigative teams were headed by officers who “were not a direct part of the chain of command” does not change this fact. Additionally, the military framework raises additional problems, as these officers are part of the military’s chain of command and know those responsible for the operation personally. Clearly, only in exceptional circumstances, that appear not to have existed here, could such officers conclude that other officers, at times higher ranking than themselves, acted in violation of the law.
Additionally, the military does not have the ability to collect evidence inside Gaza and interview Palestinian witnesses who were harmed by the military’s conduct. Therefore, the investigations were primarily based on military documents and interviews with soldiers. Investigations based on such partial information cannot reach an understanding of the truth".
Well, the good ol' Israeli IDF did just that. It investigated the allegations of misfeasance during the Gaza War. And, surprise, surprise, the IDF came up trumps! Not one blemish or infraction.
Not on! says Israeli Human Rights Group B'Tselem. In its latest bulletin it reports:
"On the 22.4.08, the Israeli Military made public the conclusions of five internal investigations held by teams headed by officers, who “were not a direct part of the chain of command, and who were appointed by the chief of staff to investigate several issues in regards to which questions were raised during the fighting." The military did not publish the investigations themselves .
The chief conclusion of the investigations is that “the “IDF acted in accordance with the principles of international law, while keeping a high professional and moral standard; all of this, against an enemy that was deliberately engaging in terror activities against Israeli civilians." However, “the investigations shed light on a very small number of mistakes and incidents in which intelligence or operational mistakes occurred during the fighting."
But, as B'Tselem says:
"Immediately following the publication of the conclusions, Minister of Defence, Ehud Barak stated that “the IDF is one of the most moral armies in the world”. He made an identical statement soon after the end of the operation. Similar statements, regarding the morality of the Israeli military and regarding the responsibility of Hamas for any harm to civilians, were made by Israeli officials throughout the operation and its aftermath, and it raises the suspicion that the investigations were chiefly aimed at proving these statements rather than ascertaining the truth.
No agency, including the military, can investigate itself under such complex circumstances, and the fact that the investigative teams were headed by officers who “were not a direct part of the chain of command” does not change this fact. Additionally, the military framework raises additional problems, as these officers are part of the military’s chain of command and know those responsible for the operation personally. Clearly, only in exceptional circumstances, that appear not to have existed here, could such officers conclude that other officers, at times higher ranking than themselves, acted in violation of the law.
Additionally, the military does not have the ability to collect evidence inside Gaza and interview Palestinian witnesses who were harmed by the military’s conduct. Therefore, the investigations were primarily based on military documents and interviews with soldiers. Investigations based on such partial information cannot reach an understanding of the truth".
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