Rentagob Howell " disappointed" in Israelis

A 10-man jury at St Pancras coroner's court, London, ruled that the award-winning documentary maker James Miller was killed unlawfully when he died from a single bullet wound in Gaza in May 2003, finding that he had been "murdered".

Foreign Office Minister and all round Government apologist and brow smoother, Dr Kim Howells said he was not surprised by today's verdict.

"The British government has consistently pressed the Israelis at all levels to carry out a thorough and transparent investigation into James's killing," Dr Howells added.

"We are disappointed that the military police investigation did not recommend an indictment and that no one has been held to account for James's death. We continue to support the family's request for compensation."

Miller's father, Geoffrey, served as a colonel in the Royal Artillery in a 33-year army career, he said he was unable to praise the British government's response to his son's death.

"From the outset they were not helpful - one might almost go as far as saying that at one stage they were almost as obstructive as the Israelis. After that they probably gave some encouragement and support, but they had been totally supine and ineffective."

The court had not been told how the Israeli authorities offered £200,000 'blood money' to Miller's widow, Sophy, to settle her case for compensation in the weeks running up to the inquest. Sophy received the offer in January and was encouraged by the British embassy in Israel to accept the deal.

Tim Hurndall

This week the same coroner in the same court will commence the inquest into the death of Tom Hurndall, 22, the British student shot in the head as he shepherded Palestinian children to safety.The IDF will not be represented although they know who fired the fatal shot.

His mother, Jocelyn will tell the court how the Israeli authorities tampered with evidence, suppressed investigations and attempted to cover up the shooting.

At midday on 11 April, 2003, an Israeli sniper fired at 3 children playing in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. Tim Hurndall, an English photographer dashed to the scene, carrying a frightened small boy to safety.

Hurndall returned to pick up a small girl ,a bullet hit in the side of his head. He spent the next nine months in a London hospital. He never regained consciousness.

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Pic is of General Doren Almog who had an arrest warrant obtained by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights as head of the army's Southern Command from 2000 to 2003 and was advised not to leave a plane at Heathrow airport after being tipped off by the Israeli Embassy. The family claim he is ultimately responsible for the policy that led to Tim's death.

Almog (now retired) is a popular Israeli hero for his role in the Entebbe rescue of hundreds of hostages hijacked by Palestinian terrorists to Uganda in 1976. He was the first Israeli para-reconnaissance commander to land on the runway at Entebbe, marking it for incoming Israeli airplanes and leading the capture of the airfield's control tower in the rescue operation of 1976. He also participated in the clandestine airlift of some 6,000 black Jews from Ethiopia to Israel in the 1980's.