Israel's Air Force Chief Major-General Dan Halutz has issued an order to ground nine pilots who signed a letter refusing to take part in targeted assassinations and other operations in the Palestinian occupied territories.
Twenty-seven reserve pilots signed the letter, but only nine of them still do active duty with the Israeli Air Force.
Halutz told Haaretz he planned to treat the signatories "in the same way as the IDF (Israeli Army) has dealt with refuseniks until now. This method has proven itself."
The nine pilots will be called to meetings with the heads of their bases in the upcoming days and if they do not retract their statement, they will be dismissed from active service.
Halutz also said, "We are talking about 27 out of thousands, so we need to put things in perspective. We are in a vicious war against terrorism. We don't choose our wars. This war is prescribed for us. There is no room for political stands in this war".
"We are going after terrorists. We are the most moral army I know. I am ready to deal with anyone who comes to me and shows me any one single operation we carried out which was not moral or legal. We are fighting terror that wants to kill us every minute, every hour," Halutz said.
Sources close to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the signatories ought to quit the army and join the political arena. The sources added it wasn't proper for the pilots to cynically use their uniforms to carry out this debate while serving in the army.
Meanwhile, Israel's Air Force Commander has also ordered the grounding of signatories of the letter currently serving as flight instructors at the IAF’s (Israeli Air Force) flight school. “These are not the people who should educate the next generation of pilots,” he conveyed.
In the meantime, former Israeli president and one-time air force commander Ezer Weizman attacked the group, saying they lacked "morality," that their act of publishing a letter was a "disgrace," and that they should "put their tail between their legs" and get out of the Air Force "as quickly as possible."
He likened the call to refuse orders to a "cancer" which had to be cut out "immediately, before it spreads."
For his part, Israel's Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon described the entire affair as "a political statement made in army uniforms. This is in no way legitimate," he said.
On his part, Israeli Minister-without-Portfolio Uzi Landau has urged the Chief of Staff to relieve those pilots who signed the letter of refusal immediately.
"There is no place for political statements in the Israeli army. This deed by the pilots should be condemned. It is something that should never be done, especially during a time of war," said Landau.
For her part, Labor Parliament Member Yuli Tamir welcomed the letter of refusal, saying "if the Chief of Staff uses the army as a political platform, then so can pilots."
According to Israel Radio, Israel's Minister of Education Limor Livnat said the pilots who signed the letter are using the army to spread their political ideas.
Likud Parliament Member Michael Ratzon, for his part, said the Israeli Army must try those pilots as "traitors." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
