Israel 'uses excessive force against Palestinians'

The commander of the British forces in the Middle East during the Gulf War said that Israel is using excessive force against Palestinian demonstrators.
Sir Peter De la Billiere told local dailies here that the "force used by the Israelis to contain demonstrations by unarmed stone throwers is excessive. But if one side or the other uses weapons it must expect the other to respond with weapons," he said.
"When violence cannot be contained by all other means, live fire should be used only as an absolute last resort," said Sir Peter, who was appointed Middle East advisor to the British government following the Gulf War, and played an important role in advising the Gulf states on defence restructuring.
Sir Peter, who was in Bahrain to address the Middle East industrial security conference and exhibition, said: "The region is vulnerable to potential threat posed by missiles, submarines and weapons of mass destruction as they could deal a serious blow to trade and undermine international confidence in the region.
He pointed out that some countries in the region have already developed weapons of mass destruction and have the capability of fitting them to missile warheads.
He added: "These missiles and submarines could destroy the integrity of nations, seriously disrupt the free flow of trade, undermine international confidence and endanger indigenous populations; they may even force a large part of the expatriate community to leave the region.
In such an event, the exodus of expatriate population would have serious implications in manning and running the infrastructure especially the utility services in the region.
He emphasised the need for the GCC states to develop a collective security system, including the deployment of submarines capable of closing down, if required, the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.
He said it is also time for the GCC states to develop other export routes for oil and gas to reduce their dependence on the Straits of Hormuz.
He explained that the security of the GCC will be secured or lost through the management of power and wealth. The management of these fundamentals will have its own impact on the future stability of the region.
He didn't foresee a major conflict right now in the region although such a conflict would be potentially a most devastating threat to the stability of the region.