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Col. Richard Kemp: Israel Did Everything It Could to Avoid Civilian Casualties

(Huffington Post) Arsen Ostrovsky - Col. Richard Kemp CBE, a former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, has been in Israel to "get a first hand feel" of events. Kemp believes Israel has continued to take "unprecedented steps" to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza, concluding, "I don't think anybody can do more in these circumstances." He said Israel is taking some "extraordinary steps in a time of war," such as providing fuel, water and electricity, while also dropping leaflets and sending text messages, warning residents of impending strikes. "It's an indication of the humanitarian concerns that Israel has for the civilian population among the enemy it is fighting." He added that some of the steps Israel has put in place for safeguarding civilian life in war have been adopted by NATO forces and applied in Afghanistan, where U.S. and British troops continue to serve. Kemp believes Israel was fully justified in commencing this operation, saying, "I don't believe Israel had any choice" after Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza stepped up their missile attacks over the last few months. The Israeli government "showed enormous restraint over a long period of time in the face of repeated missile attacks," but "no government in the world could sit back and allow these kinds of attacks to continue on its civilian population." Although he believes Hamas will undoubtedly portray the cease-fire as a victory, ultimately, Kemp says Netanyahu achieved his key objective of "re-establishing deterrence" and causing "sufficient damage to Hamas' weapons stocks and leadership." "I see what I see. And I see Israel, a Western democratic state fighting a terrorist organization."
2012-11-23 00:00:00
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