Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Not military justice, but . . .

Lieut. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot
Haaretz reports on possible changes in Israel's policy on soldiers who fall into enemy hands:
Israel's military chief has recently ordered to revoke the so-called Hannibal procedure, aimed at averting soldiers' capture even at a risk of endangering them, and formulate a new protocol in its place. 
A senior source in the Israel Defense Forces said Monday night that Chief of Staff Maj. [sic] Gen. Gadi Eisenkot's orders were given several weeks ago, before the distribution of a draft state comptroller report which also relates to the Hannibal procedure.

Other chapters of the comptroller's findings, whose drafts have been released as well, deal with issues like the handling of Hamas’ cross-border attack tunnels and the functioning of the diplomatic-security cabinet.

Sources who read the latest chapter said the most noteworthy recommendation relates to the Hannibal procedure, which dates back to the 1980s but was revised after Hamas abducted soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006. 
Currently, the procedure requires soldiers to try and thwart being captured even if doing so – for instance, by shooting at the abductors – might endanger the captured soldier’s life. 
Though the procedure doesn’t permit soldiers to intentionally kill a kidnapped comrade, many officers and soldiers in the field have interpreted it in this way.

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