Generals in serious position

Press, 27 November 1982, Page 8

Generals in serious position

NZPA Jerusalem Two Israeli officers, the Chief of Staff, . Lieutenant General Raphael Eitan and the commander, of the division surrounding the Sabra and Shatila camps, Briga-dier-General Amos Yaron, could be charged with dereliction of duty over the massacres in the camps, it emerged in Jerusalem yesterday. The statement was given by a spokesman of the official Kahan Commission

investigating the massacres. The Prime Minister, Mr Menachem Begin, and the six other officials questioned about the massacre are not yet in a position to be indicted. But if General Eitan and General Yaron are judged guilty of professional error, they will face courts martial — provided military justice decides to prosecute. The spokesman made the statement because of contradictory rumours circulating

about why the commission had solemnly warned nine high-ranking Israeli officials — Cabinet Ministers and Army officers — to prepare a defence. ' The spokesman said that the letter to Mr Begin was not a veiled indictment. It had merely “informed” him that it was “possible” that the commission’s report would be damaging to his reputation and political standing. It also had told him that he had the opportunity

of organising a defence. Earlier, the commission announced that legal representatives of the nine had consulted its files. It did not say who of the nine were represented in the consultation, which was to enable them to add to, or amend, their previous evidence. Although the commission enjoys court status, it does not have power to pass sentence, except in the case of refusal to testify or perjury. Some legal experts believe

that it may be empowered to indict, but consider this a remote possibility. Meanwhile Begin and eight other Israeli leaders considered their responses to the panel's warning. The spokesman for the commission said that the warnings to the nine did not preclude the possibility that more people could be held accountable for their conduct during the massacre.