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Expressing Deep Concern Over The Use Of Civilians As Human Shields

Floor Speech

Date: April 25, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Judicial Branch


EXPRESSING DEEP CONCERN OVER THE USE OF CIVILIANS AS HUMAN SHIELDS -- (House of Representatives - April 25, 2007)

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 125, championed by Ranking Member ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Dr. BOOZMAN and Mr. Ackerman, which opposes using civilians as human shields.

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, as a 31-year veteran of the Army Reserves and National Guard, and as the father of four sons in the U.S. military, I know firsthand that using human shields violates international law.

Just last year, American and international leaders condemned the use of human shields. The Lebanese have been particularly victims of human shields in the past year. On August 11, 2006, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated, ``Hezbollah and its sponsors have brought devastation upon the people of Lebanon, dragging them into a war that they did not choose and exploiting them as human shields.''

On August 14, President George W. Bush stated, ``Hezbollah terrorists targeted Israeli civilians with daily rocket attacks. Hezbollah terrorists used Lebanese civilians as human shields, sacrificing the innocent in an effort to protect themselves from Israeli response.''

Also, as to Israel, we should note that the Israeli Supreme Court has ruled a ban to the use of human shields. Additionally, Israel has a strict policy against the use of civilians as human shields, and in dealing with the isolated incidents where the policy is violated, takes measure to punish those responsible and prevent these acts from occurring in the future.

It is clear, as eloquently reviewed by Mr. Ackerman, that no one should seek to apply a moral equivalency between isolated incidents formally opposed by Israel's democratically elected government and the actions of Hezbollah, whose policies and tactics show disregard for human life and advocate intentionally using the tactic of embedding its forces among civilians to use them as human shields, abusing the people of Lebanon.

I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 125, condemning the use of human shields.

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