VZCZCXRO9094
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0121 0231503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231503Z JAN 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0323
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000121 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWBG PINS IS PTER PGOV
SUBJECT: PA CONVICTS TWO FOR MURDER OF OFF-DUTY IDF 
SOLDIERS, HANDS DOWN 15-YEAR SENTENCES 
 
REF: 07 JERUSALEM 2628 
 
¶1.  (SBU) National Security Forces (NSF) contacts confirmed 
press reports that on January 22 a PA military court in 
Hebron convicted Ali Abd al-Hamid Dandis and Amar Badr Halim 
Taha of "intentional killing" (a charge similar to voluntary 
manslaughter and not as serious as premeditated murder) in 
the December 28 shooting deaths of two off-duty IDF soldiers, 
and sentenced both to 15 years imprisonment (the maximum for 
the charge under the PA's penal code).  The court rejected 
court-appointed defense attorney Subhi Ja'bari's contention 
that the defendants had been threatened by the armed Israelis 
and acted in self-defense.  However, the court found 
insufficient evidence of premeditation to convict the two of 
murder.  The court dropped a lesser charge, "harming 
Palestinian public interests." 
 
¶2.  (SBU) NSF contacts say they are coordinating with the IDF 
to move the convicts to Jericho prison to serve their 
sentences there.  They say the two will be treated as serious 
criminals. 
WALLES