Israel Matzav

Al-AP lies: 'No Palestinian collaborator executions since 2001'

Will President Bush's 'man of vision' confirm a death sentence for 25-year old Emad Saad? Saad was convicted this morning of the only 'crime' that's on a par with sullying the 'family honor': 'collaborating' with Israel. The death sentence will be carried out only if President Bush's 'man of vision' - that would be 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen confirms it. Or unless 'vigilante justice' gets to him first like they got to this man pictured above (that's his mother who's about to stamp on his dead body by the way). But to read al-AP, you would think that there hasn't been an execution of a collaborator in the 'Palestinian Authority since 2001. Maybe that's why President Bush still thinks that Abu Mazen is a 'man of vision.'

A Palestinian military court on Monday imposed the death penalty on a man convicted of collaborating with Israeli security, raising the possibility of the first such execution in seven years.

Military judges ruled that 25-year-old Emad Saad, who worked for Palestinian security, provided information to Israel that helped forces kill four Palestinian militants.

A video recording shows the judges declaring the death sentence Monday. Then Saad calmly asks for leniency, explaining he is the main breadwinner for his family. He does not deny the charges.

After the hearing, Samih Steidi, Hebron's Palestinian security commander, was pleased with the death sentence. "Let it be an example to those who sell their homeland and their people," he said.

He said Saad would be executed by a firing squad because of his military status.

However, death sentences imposed by Palestinian courts have often been commuted.

The last time a convicted collaborator was executed was in 2001. Palestinian judges last sentenced an accused collaborator to death in 2004, but the decree has not been carried out. [Really? Go look at the links above. If the courts don't execute 'collaborators,' the 'Palestinian security forces' trained by the United States will stand aside so that the 'Palestinian people' can do it instead. CiJ]

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas must approved Monday's death sentence. Abbas' aide Nimr Hamad did not say what the president would do, but he said an execution would serve as deterrence. [Now there's a 'man of vision.' /sarc. CiJ]

He also complained about Israel's use of collaborators. "I don't think that peace with Israel should mean having to accept spies for Israel. Peace is one thing and spying is another," he said. "There is enough reason for such a penalty - that he caused the death of Palestinian citizens."

A leading Palestinian rights group, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, called on Abbas "not to sign this cruel and inhumane sentence."

If Abu Mazen doesn't confirm the execution, the 'Palestinian people' will. Al-AP is lying. So what else is new?

P.S. From this execution:

Witnesses said the 25-year-old was killed by members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a militant group allied to Fatah, the party of ['moderate'] Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen.

'Man of vision' my you-know-what.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:14 PM