Two questions must be answered regarding the Israeli attack on Mavi Marmara. The first is whether the Israeli use of force was "lawful", and the other is whether the use of force was "proportional". Information that we have so far suggests the Israeli attack was unlawful because it took place in international waters. And even those who think it was an act of Israeli self-defense are not claiming that killing the only U.S. citizen on board by shooting him one time in the chest and four times in the head is "proportional" by any measure.
Despite the information we have so far, the Obama Administration has refrained from taking on either of these issues, claiming that more information is needed before they give a final judgment. That is why, according to the Obama folks, they have supported the UN Security Council resolution calling for a "prompt, impartial, credible and transparent" investigation.
Unlike the U.S. government, the Israeli government has been very vocal on what they think of the attack. They think it was justified, legal and necessary. Not only that, today the British Times Online reports that an Israeli commando who has killed six out of the nine casualties on the Mavi Marmara is now being considered for a medal of valour to reward his actions on the ship.
The Israeli government's policy in the last few days, added to its poor track record of investigating killings by its armed forces, highlights the need for an international investigation. An Israeli-only investigation will not be seen as "credible" to all of the parties involved in the incident, and will not be seen as "impartial" by the international community.
Unless the investigation is international, it will not meet the standards called for in the UN Security Council.
Clinton called for an “impartial” Israeli investigation based on “international standards.”
It all points to a single admission from the US that the Obama administration has no intention of holding the Israel’s accountable to anything more than “self-defense,” the latest Israeli exercise of which left 9 peace activists dead, including an American citizen whose body was riddled with bullets to head.
Make no mistake, left to its own devices, the Israeli investigation will end up with only one consequence: the criminal finding itself innocent.
The story may be developing beyond Israel’s control. Turkey is no banana replublic. And there probably are more than 9 dead.
link to guardian.co.uk
Give that commander a medal of valor for courageously killing 6 innocent human beings in international waters and for being responsible for the death of others that morning.
It shouldn’t be long before an arrest warrant is issued for that murderer in a European country, be it Spain or the UK or others.
And, if this is the kind of anarchy that both the US and Israel are promoting, and believe in, then that Israeli commander had better not sail into international water, or step on foreign soil lest he be treated to his own medicine. Humanity can live in accordance with the rule of law, or in accordance with the law of the jungle. We can’t have exceptions. No human being, no state or entity is more entitled than others. That’s the problem with Zionism.
Israel, apparently, does not believe in the rule of law, unless the law can be manipulated or used in its favor as was the case when the UN recognized Israel in 1948.
International courts will be busy, so will all the courts, hehehe!
Treason is still a crime here in the usa, hey congress did you and all the others hear that. treason !! Obama are you listening????
how hard pressed would anyone be to find two people to be witness to any of the gross negligent politicians whom are either duel citizens or committing treason against the usa, by either serving in another countrys armed forces and/or politicians whom have aided and abedded actions committed by the IOF aparthied. Thats a lot of people considering this 60+ years, does treason have a statute of limitations???
They will only change the laws to include the IOF, most likely they are immune