KOUTSOUKIS AND THE AGE GET IT WRONG

The Age Middle East correspondent Jason Koutsoukis wrote yesterday that "an Israeli army report on its conduct in Gaza last year has revealed that two officers were disciplined for endangering human life when they authorised white phosphorous shells to be fired in the direction of a UN compound." - Israel disciplines army officers over Gaza.

Wrong.

Koutsoukis must get his news second hand - possibly from the BBC or from Haaretz but as CAMERA and Melanie Phillips both explain, the so-called "news" that Koustoukis happily imparted about Israel's alleged use of white phosphorus during last year's Operation Cast Lead was incorrect. As Phillips says:-

The two officers were reprimanded not for firing phosphorus shells but artillery shells. Phosphorus shells were being fired on this occasion, but entirely lawfully -- in order to create smoke to deter Hamas from firing its anti-tank weapons.

You'd think a good journalist would have gone to the source and actually read the report, wouldn't you?



At least Koutsoukis got one thing right when he confirmed that