"when was the last time Hamas and Hezbollah merited a Human Rights Watch press release?"

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/02/29/isrlpa18177.htm

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 29, 2008

2:17 PM

CONTACT: Human Rights Watch (HRW)

hrw.org

Gaza Strip/Israel: Civilians Bear Brunt of Attacks

Fatal Hamas Rocket Strikes Violate Laws of War

NEW YORK - February 29 - Indiscriminate rocket attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas against civilian areas in Israel, including one that killed an Israeli man on February 27, are serious violations of international humanitarian law, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch also said the high number of Palestinian civilians killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza indicates the need for independent investigations to determine whether Israel has taken all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians, as required by the laws of war.

Hamas said it fired 55 locally made rockets from Gaza into Israel on Wednesday, February 27, one of which killed Roni Yichia, age 47, near Sapir College on the outskirts of the Israeli border city Sderot. Israeli authorities said that at least 30 rockets had landed in and around Sderot, resulting in shrapnel wounds to several people. One rocket hit a home and another a factory lunchroom. Another rocket reportedly landed near Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, a larger city farther from Israel's border with Gaza.

"Attacking civilian areas with indiscriminate weapons violates the core humanitarian principle of civilian immunity," said Joe Stork, director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa division. "Hamas leaders have an obligation to stop such indiscriminate attacks immediately."..."

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2007/08/30/lebano16740.htm

"Lebanon/Israel: Hezbollah Rockets Targeted Civilians in 2006 War

Attacks on Northern Israel Violated Laws of War

(Beirut, August 29, 2007) – During the 2006 war, Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets indiscriminately and at times deliberately at civilian areas in northern Israel, killing at least 39 civilians, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch said that Hezbollah’s justifications for its attacks on Israeli towns – as a response to indiscriminate Israeli fire into southern Lebanon and to draw Israel into a ground war – had no legal basis under the laws of war.

" Hezbollah’s explanations for why it fired rockets at Israel’s civilian population utterly fail to justify these unlawful attacks. "

Civilians under Assault: Hezbollah’s Rocket Attacks on Israel in the 2006 War

Report, August 30, 2007

The 128-page report, “Civilians under Assault: Hezbollah’s Rocket Attacks on Israel in the 2006 War,” presents more than 20 case studies based on extensive field research in northern Israel into rocket attacks that killed or injured civilians in Jewish, Arab and mixed villages, towns and cities. It also draws evidence of Hezbollah’s intent behind these rocket attacks from more than 100 Hezbollah communiques and declarations..."

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/13/isrlpa16156.htm

"Gaza: Armed Palestinian Groups Commit Grave Crimes

Fighters Execute Captives, Attack Hospital, Put Journalists at Serious Risk

This press release has been corrected.

(New York, June 13, 2007) – During recent fighting in the Gaza Strip, armed Palestinian groups have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law, in some cases amounting to war crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.

" These attacks by both Hamas and Fatah constitute brutal assaults on the most fundamental humanitarian principles. The murder of civilians not engaged in hostilities and the willful killing of captives are war crimes, pure and simple. "

Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director for Human Rights Watch

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More of Human Rights Watch's Work on Israel/OPT

Country Page, July 6, 2006

In internal Palestinian fighting over the last three days, both Fatah and Hamas military forces have summarily executed captives, killed people not involved in hostilities, and engaged in gun battles with one another inside and near Palestinian hospitals. On Saturday, armed Palestinians from Islamic Jihad and the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade used a vehicle with a “TV” insignia to attack an Israeli military position on the border with Gaza.

“These attacks by both Hamas and Fatah constitute brutal assaults on the most fundamental humanitarian principles,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director for Human Rights Watch. “The murder of civilians not engaged in hostilities and the willful killing of captives are war crimes, pure and simple.”

On Sunday, Hamas military forces captured 28-year-old Muhammad Swairki, a cook for President Mahmoud Abbas’s presidential guard, and executed him by throwing him to his death, with his hands and legs tied, from a 15-story apartment building in Gaza City. Later that night, Fatah military forces shot and captured Muhammad al-Ra’fati, a Hamas supporter and mosque preacher, and threw him from a Gaza City high-rise apartment building. On Monday, Hamas military forces attacked the home in Beit Lahiya of Jamal Abu al-Jadiyan, a senior Fatah official, captured him, and executed him on the street with multiple gunshots. On Tuesday, there were reports of additional killings of individuals not involved in hostilities..."

I'll throw in the latest HRW report on Iran for good measure, posted today:

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/04/10/iran18501.htm

"Iran: Detained Students May Face Torture

Authorities Should Investigate Allegations of Abuse

(Washington, DC, April 10, 2008) – Iranian authorities should immediately investigate allegations that Ministry of Information agents and interrogators tortured four detained student activists, and punish officials involved in such abuse, Human Rights Watch said today. According to sources familiar with the case, the students have suffered physical and psychological abuse during detention. Three students remain imprisoned, and the whereabouts of the fourth detainee, taken from his hospital bed on April 5, are unknown..."

Search terms: "human rights watch"/"hamas" hezbollah" "iran"

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With that item of business out of the way, Elephantman- tell us what you know about the just and proper conduct on terror that the military prosecutors at Guantanamo who quit their assignments don't know.