BBC: Palestinian student protest. ⇒
25 November 2005, late afternoon
Maybe they should give the soldiers bigger automatic rifles, those children certainly look dangerous.
This is a post from my link log: If you click the title of this post you will be taken the web page I am discussing.
That’s not why they’re armed. The protest took place outside an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank.
by Robert on November 26 2005, 2:32 am #
Yeah, and because they’re at a checkpoint they need to be pointing the rifles directly at the children. See images 4 & 5. Makes sense to me.
by Haran on November 26 2005, 3:33 am #
I imagine their guns are raised because the protesters objected to being searched at a checkpoint:
1. You’ve got a large group of angry people trying to cross a checkpoint.
2. They’re pushing the barricades.
3. They’re refusing to be searched.
Why should anyone be surprised that there are pictures of a soldier raising his weapon? Considering that situation and that a suicide bomber would either have explosives strapped to her body or be carrying them in some kind of bag, I don’t think it’s unreasonable from a security point of view.
by Robert on November 26 2005, 12:02 pm #
It’s true; I often find the reports of 8 year old suicide bombers disturbing. Those little girls with their pencil cases and binders, ready to blow themselves up in the name of algebra. It’s a real tragedy.
by ramanan on November 26 2005, 7:59 pm #
From the BBC page you posted: “The Israeli military said protesters hurled a firebomb and rocks.”
From Wikipedia: Child suicide bombers in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
by Robert on November 26 2005, 8:47 pm #
So what came first, the firebombs and rocks, or the rifles?
by ramanan on November 27 2005, 2:44 am #
Well, it’s somewhat irrelevant since the person obviously brought the firebomb with them to the protest.
by Robert on November 27 2005, 4:41 am #
This is true: someone did bring a firebomb to a protest that wouldn’t have existed had a checkpoint not been set up next to a school where children could be searched for bombs and gun point. Presumably the checkpoint exists to protect Israel, but if it’s turning school children into violent protesters, I would imagine it isn’t doing it’s job.
And I’m sorry, but you aren’t going to convince me that pointing guns at little children has a legitimate purpose.
by ramanan on November 27 2005, 2:52 pm #
Oh, now I understand your point. It’s the checkpoints that are turning children and teenagers into terrorists like those listed in the Wikipedia link I posted. It has nothing to do with Hamas and Hizbullah. The checkpoints are making people bring firebombs to protests involving schoolchildren. The fact that children are concealing and using weapons are protests in no way justifies searching other children at checkpoints.
I’m obviously not going to sway you towards the middle if you’re convinced that Palestinian children and, by extension, teens can do no wrong. Even if they bring firebombs to protests involving young children. Even if they wear explosive belts. Even if they conceal pipe bombs. In this sort of conflict, one side has to be right. It can’t be that both are wrong and as guilty as each other.
by Robert on November 27 2005, 4:12 pm #
You clearly understand my point.
by ramanan on November 27 2005, 4:37 pm #
No one’s saying that soldiers pointing guns at children is a good thing we should be proud of, but when cowards brainwash children and turn them into living weapons, it’s something that is regrettable but necessary. I think you’re in the wrong here, Ram.
by Dave on November 28 2005, 8:10 pm #