In direct contravention of my wife's explicit instructions, herewith I inaugurate my first blog. Long may it prosper.

For some reason, I think I have something to say to you. You think you have something to say to me? Email me at: gideonsblogger -at- yahoo -dot- com

 
Anyone notice this article, also from the Jerusalem Post (lot of stuff there today)? The salient section is as follows:

Meanwhile, the IDF arrested a delegation of some two dozen foreigners, journalists and suspected Palestinian fugitives, on suspicion they tried to help the fugitives escape the Palestinian Authority's Mukata compound in Ramallah yesterday.

The army declared the area a closed military zone, but the journalists forced their way past tanks and soldiers, into the headquarters to support beleaguered PA Chairman Yasser Arafat.

"The reporters ran inside the building, and the soldiers did not want to shoot at them," said OC Planning Maj.-Gen. Giora Eiland. "When they came out, there were double the number that had gone in. Some [of those coming out] were wanted fugitives. They used Israeli openness." The army arrested all the journalists and suspected fugitives for questioning, Eiland said.

So, basically, these independent journalists were there trying to smuggle out combatants from one side of the conflict. The Foreign Press Association and Journalists Without Borders are now protesting Israeli government restrictions on the movement of journalists in the combat zones. So it is the position of these journalists' groups that reporters have the right to actively intervene in a conflict with complete impunity.

I suppose next they'll demand the right to drive ambulances.

posted by Noah at 10:09 AM