The 2008 Land Operations conduct manual states that "indiscriminate harassing fire from Israeli artillery killed seven members of one family, including both parents and five siblings" during a military operation in the Gaza Strip in June 2006.
The manual also states that "the use of indiscriminate force by the Israelis had a diametric result in that the harassing fire failed to dissuade rocket attacks and new supporters for the adversary were created."
The document was overseen by then-chief of land staff Andrew Leslie, now a military adviser to Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau. Leslie hopes to run for the Liberals in an Ottawa-area riding in the 2015 elections.
Leslie told QMI Agency that he did not "personally include those comments."
He wouldn't comment further, other than saying the manual was written by "expert staff" in Kingston, Ont.
The criticism in the manual echoes Leslie's comments in early September that Israel, during its 2014 summer war in the Gaza Strip, "fired indiscriminately onto Palestinian women and children."
The Conservatives attacked Leslie's comments and Finance Minister Joe Oliver called them "deeply disturbing."
It is unclear if the Conservatives believe the 2008 Canadian Forces manual is also deeply disturbing. The Department of Defence didn't immediately respond to QMI Agency's interview request on Monday.
When shown the manual, retired colonel Michel Drapeau, an Ottawa-based lawyer and military expert, said the it is "at best it's undiplomatic and at worst it's prejudicial."
Moreover, he said that the criticism in the manual is very close to suggesting Israel, by indiscriminately firing on civilians, committed a war crime.
"I don't want to go that far (myself), but if you put one and one together you can lead to that conclusion," he said.
Original Article
Source: torontosun.com/
Author: BY GIUSEPPE VALIANTE
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