Russell Mokhiber: Ari, last week, you called the Palestinian suicide bombers "murderers." I'm wondering if you believe that the Israeli Defense Forces committed murder in the Jenin refugee camp last week.I'm surprised they still let Mokhiber into the briefings . . .Ari Fleischer: Israel undertook a military operation. And the United States has continued to say that Israel needs to withdraw from that area. The United States has also called for the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian observers to be permitted into Jenin to see what is happening. As Secretary Armitage said, there is now a growing almost mythology about events that took place on the ground in Jenin. And I think what the United States would look for are facts.
Mokhiber: Ari, if in fact the Israeli defense forces destroyed buildings on top of innocent civilians and there were no terrorists in those buildings, would you consider that homicide?
Ari Fleischer: Again, this is the purpose of the international committee on the Red Cross, and the other fact finders who are in the region, to ascertain facts. I can't deal with questions that begin with "if."
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