Euphemism has become a weapon in the War on Terror, deployed as regrettably as the cluster bombs that were sprinkled over southern Lebanon. Invasion becomes 'liberation'; civilian deaths become 'collateral damage'; torture becomes 'freedom tickling'.
The demand for emphemistic phrases will surge this week, following Israel's direction to senior government officials and military officers to refrain from using Rambo-esque language to describe the Lebanese and Palestinian conflicts.
This newfound sensitivity to describing conflict is not borne out of any sensitivity to its victims, but rather the fear that it will be admissible as evidence in the numerous war-crimes lawsuits being filed against Israeli officials and ministers in several foreign countries.
The Gulf Times quotes a 'political source' who has seen the new instruction as saying: "The type of language now considered off-limits includes 'crushing' the enemy; 'cleansing', 'levelling', or ‘wiping out’ suspected enemy emplacements."
War-crimes lawsuits against Israeli politicians and members of the IDF have been filed in Morocco, France, Belgium, Denmark and Britain. On past experience, there is little chance of any of them succeeding, particularly in Britain. The British government is now changing legal procedures to prevent Israeli politicians or IDF members from being arrested while visiting the UK.
Tony Blair's dedication to protecting Israelis from prosecution is truly exceptional. In addition to changing British law to allow senior Israelis who charged with war crimes to visit Britain without having their collar felt, his government refuses to press for the extradition of IDF members who have been found by a British judge to have murdered British citizens.
The citizens in question are James Miller and Tom Hurndall, both murdered by the IDF in occupied Gaza. Israeli attempts to deal with Miller's murder resulted in a short incarceration and a promotion for his killer. British Judges and Law Lords have publicly acknowledged that the only chance for justice will be to extradite the men responsible to the UK. In a shameful performance, attorney general Lord Goldsmith stonewalled in the hope the the whole matter would go away.
Perhaps they should make Mr. Blair an honorary citizen?
