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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 2015)
Page 8A NATION/WORLD East Oregonian Saturday, February 14, 2015 Israeli house strikes killed mostly civilians Obama calls on Children made up Silicon Valley to help one-third of total thwart cyber attacks Associated Press RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The youngest to die was a 4-day-old girl, the oldest a 92-year-old man. They were among at least 844 Palestinians killed as a result of airstrikes on Gaza homes during Israel’s sum- mer war with the Islamic militant group, Hamas. Under the rules of war, homes are protected civilian sites unless used for mili- tary purposes. Israel says it attacked only legitimate tar- gets, alleging militants used the houses to hide weapons, ¿JKWHUV DQG FRPPDQG FHQ- ters. Palestinians say Israel’s warplanes often struck with- out regard for civilians. The Associated Press ex- amined 247 airstrikes, inter- viewing witnesses, visiting attack sites and compiling a detailed casualty count. The review found that 508 of the dead — just over 60 percent — were children, women and older men, all presumed to be civilians. Hamas says it did not use ZRPHQ DV ¿JKWHUV LQ WKH war, and an Israel-based re- search group, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, which tracks militants among the war dead, said it has no ev- idence women participated in combat. In addition: — Children younger than 16 made up one-third of the total: 280 killed, includ- ing 19 babies and 108 pre- schoolers between the ages of 1 and 5. — In 83 strikes, three or more members of one fami- ly died. — Among those killed ZHUH FRQ¿UPHG RU VXV- pected militants — just over 11 percent of the total — though the actual number could be higher since armed groups have not released de- tailed casualty lists. — The remaining 240 dead were males between the ages of 16 and 59 whose names did not appear in AP searches of militant websites or on street posters honoring AP Photo/Adel Hana In this Nov. 17 photo, Mahmoud Abu Amer, 37, walks amid the ruins of an apart- ment building where 16 relatives were killed by an Israeli airstrike on July 29, in Khan Younis, Gaza. The building was one of scores targeted by Israel in its war last summer with the Islamic militant Hamas. Israel says it only attacked homes used by militants for military purposes, while Palestinians say warplanes often struck without regard for civilians. ¿JKWHUV The review was the most painstaking attempt to date to try to determine who was killed in strikes on homes; Israel’s army and Gaza mili- tants have refused to release information about targets and casualties. The count tracked all known airstrikes on homes, though not all strikes had witnesses and damage inspected by the AP wasn’t always conclusive. The number of civilian deaths has been a key issue in the highly charged battle over the dominant narrative of the 50-day war. Fighting erupted in July, after a month of escalat- ing tensions triggered by Hamas’ abduction and kill- ing of three Israeli teens in the West Bank, and an Is- raeli arrest sweep of Hamas supporters that led to re- QHZHG *D]D URFNHW ¿UH RQ Israel. Israel says it tried to avoid harming civilians, even as Hamas embedded ZHDSRQVDQG¿JKWHUVLQUHV- idential areas. Palestinians say Israel attacked with disproportion- ate force and callous disre- gard for civilians. If most of those killed are civilians, “you cannot call BRIEFLY 8NUDLQHFHDVH¿UH deadline provokes last-gasp battle ARTEMIVSK, Ukraine (AP) — Russian-backed separatists mounted a vicious assault Friday in eastern Ukraine ahead of a ZHHNHQGFHDVH¿UHGHDGOLQH pummeling a strategic railway hub with wave upon wave of shelling in a last- minute grab for territory. At least 26 people were killed across the region. 7KH¿HUFHVWFRQIURQWDWLRQV focused on the government- held town of Debaltseve, a key transport center that has been on the receiving end of dozens of artillery and rocket salvos in the 24-hour period after the peace deal was sealed Thursday by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France. Associated Press reporters observed intense shelling Friday along the highway north of Debaltseve, which remains the town’s only land link with the rest of government-controlled territory. The deadline for the warring sides to halt hostilities is Sunday at one minute after midnight. Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted Petro Mekhed, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, as saying that separatist forces had been tasked with hoisting WKHLUÀDJVRYHU'HEDOWVHYH as well as the key port city of Mariupol, before the cease- ¿UHWDNHVKROG Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said 11 soldiers have been killed and 40 wounded across eastern Ukraine since the agreement was reached in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. At least eight civilians also have died in government-controlled territory, regional authorities loyal to Kiev said, while the rebels said seven civilians were killed in artillery attacks on the separatist-held cities of Luhansk and Horlivka. Alabama’s stand against gay marriage crumbles MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Gays and lesbians could get licenses to marry in more than half of Alabama’s counties Friday after a federal judge DI¿UPHGKHUUXOLQJVWULNLQJ down the state’s same-sex marriage ban. More than a dozen counties reversed course Friday and began issuing the licenses to same- sex couples in the wake Thursday’s strongly worded order from U.S. District Judge Callie Granade. By mid-day Friday, at least 35 of the state’s 67 counties were complying. “These numbers represent a seismic shift in favor of equality and justice. Resistance to happy, loving and committed same-sex couples getting married is quickly crumbling throughout the state,” said Fred Sainz, a top spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, which has been lobbying to expand gay rights nationwide. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Alabama’s request to keep Granade’s decision on hold until it decides later this year whether gays and lesbians have a fundamental right to marry and whether states can ban the unions. But Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore KDVUHPDLQHGGH¿DQW demanding that the state’s probate judges keep refusing to issue licenses to same-sex couples until the ¿QDOZRUGIURPWKHQDWLRQ¶V highest court. them collateral damage,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a Pal- estinian spokeswoman. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate the war, a move that could pave the way for possible prosecution of both Israel and Hamas. International law experts note that a high civilian death toll alone does not constitute conclusive evi- dence of war crimes. But it ³UDLVHV D UHG ÀDJ DQG VXJ- gests that further investi- gation is warranted,” said Alex Whiting, a former top RI¿FLDO DW WKH ,&& LQ 7KH Hague, Netherlands. Israel would not say how many of its 5,000 air attacks were directed at homes. However, it insists it only aimed at legitimate military targets. Asked for comment on WKH$3¶V¿QGLQJVDQ,VUDHOL army spokesman, Lt. Peter Lerner, said that “one cannot draw broad conclusions” by examining only a small per- centage of Israel’s airstrikes. Reuven Erlich, a former senior Israeli intelligence RI¿FHU TXHVWLRQHG WKH UH- liability of Gaza witnesses and said only military ex- perts could determine what happened in each strike. According to preliminary 81 ¿JXUHV DW OHDVW Palestinian civilians were killed in the war — 66 per- cent of the overall death toll of 2,205. *D]DPLOLWDQWV¿UHGDERXW 4,300 rockets and mortar rounds at Israel, according to the Israeli military. The barrages drove tens of thou- sands of Israelis from their homes to seek cover. Five civilians were killed, among them a 4-year-old boy, along with 67 soldiers. Advocacy groups and U.N. investigators have said that Hamas’ battle tactics over the years, including in- GLVFULPLQDWHURFNHW¿UHDW,V- rael, amount to war crimes. The AP examined cases in which people were killed in homes or adjacent yards, including those hit by shrap- nel or debris from attacks on neighboring buildings. The count excluded artillery strikes which are inherently inaccurate. Starting in November, three reporters visited the vast majority of attack sites, interviewed survivors and collected hundreds of death FHUWL¿FDWHV ² GRFXPHQWV recognized by Israel as proof of mortality. PALO ALTO, Calif. shared and responded to (AP) — Cyberspace is the quickly. And he signed an new “Wild West,” President executive order aimed at Barack Obama said Friday, making it easier for private with everyone looking to ¿UPVWRKDYHDFFHVVWRFODV- the government to be the VL¿HGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWF\- sheriff. But he told the pri- ber attacks. vate sector it must do more The administration to stop cyber attacks aimed wants Congress to replace at the U.S. every day. the existing patchwork of “Everybody is online, state laws with a national and everybody is vulnera- standard giving companies ble,” Obama said during a 30 days to notify consum- White House ers if their cybersecu- personal in- rity summit formation has at Stanford been compro- University, mised. just miles “The new from Google, proposals Facebook, In- face signif- tel and other icant head- internet gi- — President Obama winds, both ants. legislatively “The business leaders from Congress and cooper- here want their privacy atively from heavyweights and their children protect- in the tech sector,” said ed, just like the consumer Ben Desjardins, director and privacy advocates here of security solutions at cy- want America to keep lead- EHUVHFXULW\ ¿UP 5DGZDUH ing the world in technology “Based on the Snowden and be safe from attacks,” leaks, these companies be- he said. lieve they’ve already been Partnering with the fed- badly burned by the gov- eral government is a hard ernment, and have very sell in the Silicon Valley. little to gain by publicly The pace of innovation in backing the president’s pro- California’s tech hub out- posals.” strips Beltway bureaucra- Scott Algeier, execu- F\ DQG WHFK ¿UPV FKDIH DW tive director of the non- regulations that could limit SUR¿W ,QIRUPDWLRQ 6KDULQJ their reach. and Analysis Center, has Further, disclosures from been working from the pri- former intelligence con- vate-sector side to get the tractor Edward Snowden government to share infor- exposing sweeping U.S. mation. He said the new ex- government surveillance ecutive order seems more programs have angered like a federal takeover of many. The programs tapped private-sector information LQWRGDWDIURP¿UPVLQFOXG- sharing. ing Google and Yahoo. “There’s a lot of talk to- “There’s a drastic col- day about ‘public-private lective disconnect that I partnerships.’ But there think the administration is isn’t a partnership here,” he working hard to bridge,” said. said Amy Zegart, co-direc- Nonetheless, there was tor of Stanford’s Center for agreement at the daylong International Security and summit among White Cooperation, who met with +RXVHRI¿FLDOVDQGOHDGHUV Obama before his speech. from a broad business sec- Obama told more than tor — including utilities, 1,500 business leaders, health care, insurance and students, professors and ¿QDQFH²WKDWWKHWKUHDWLV reporters that informa- getting worse, and no single tion about threats must be institution can take it on. “Everybody is online, and everybody is vulnerable.”