abu-alwafa

Israeli army accused of Brit murder

By Roshan Muhammed Salih

Monday 03 November 2003, 22:31 Makka Time, 19:31 GMT

British journalists have uncovered fresh evidence that Israeli soldiers may
have murdered a British cameraman in the occupied territories.

James Miller, 34, was killed in Rafah while making a do***entary for an
American cable channel.

An autopsy confirmed he was almost certainly killed by an Israeli soldier,
despite the army's assertions to the contrary.

But revealing new video evidence clearly shows Miller and his team were
carrying white flags and shouting to Israeli soldiers that they were British
journalists.

Miller's death was preceded by the killing of American peace activist Rachel
Corrie, and the shooting of British volunteer Tom Hurndall.

Israeli occupation

The two International Solidarity Movement activists were protesting against
the Israeli occupation in Gaza.

John Sweeney, whose do***entary "When Killing is Easy" was shown on the BBC
on Sunday, said a serving Israeli soldier had no doubt Miller's death was
"murder" after watching the video tape.

Sweeney said: "James was the best operator in war zones that I have ever
come across. When he was killed he was waving a white flag and pointing a
torch towards it.

"A white flag is the most internationally recognised symbol of peace and
surrender so he was clearly posing no threat.

"The Israelis have got the best night vision equipment in the world thanks
to the Americans, and they knew that James was a journalist because they had
been calling out to him earlier in the day. Simple rules simply weren't
followed."

He added: "I don't think it is for me to say that the Israelis have a
deliberate policy of killing impartial observers but that is exactly what
the father of Tom Hurndall says in our do***entary. But I do think the
regiment that shot James is without doubt trigger happy."

Human rights journalism

And Sweeney, who was a personal friend Miller, said he is a great loss to
human rights journalism.

"James was very funny guy and very good man with a strong moral streak. He
will be greatly missed."

After Miller's shooting Israeli defence forces claimed he was caught in
crossfire, even though the video evidence clearly shows this was not the
case.

Israeli military authorities are conducting an internal investigation into
Miller's death and interviewing the soldiers concerned.

But they are not talking to other eyewitnesses, or examining video evidence
or the scene of the shooting.

Criminal investigation

Miller's family is pressing for a full criminal investigation, and the
British government has backed their call.

A married father of two, Miller last year won an award for "Beneath the
Veil", a film about women living under the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He started working as cameraman in 1995 and has worked as a cameraman,
producer, and director in most of the world's hotspots.

He was filming a house demolition in the Gaza Strip when he was killed.

His death was preceded in March by that of Rachel Corrie, a young American
peace activist, who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in Rafah.

Peace activists

An army investigation into the death of a 23-year-old US national concluded
it was an accident. And the Israelis said they would not take any
disciplinary action against the soldiers involved.

Corrie had been trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home.

A month later British photographer and peace activist Tom Hurndall was shot
in the head by an Israeli soldier.

Hurndall was critically wounded in the Rafah refugee camp and was
subsequently pronounced clinically dead. He is currently in a vegetative
state at a London hospital.

Palestinian medics and witnesses said Hurndall was trying to pull two
Palestinian children out of danger when Israeli soldiers deliberately fired
at him.

Aljazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net