US raps UN Gaza report
Pepe Silvia
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US raps UN Gaza report
By MATTHEW LEE
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration on Friday sharply criticized a U.N. report alleging Israeli war crimes in its Gaza war earlier this year, ending nearly a week of muted reaction to findings already rejected by Israel.
The State Department said the conclusions of a U.N. commission headed by South African justice Richard Goldstone were unfair to Israel and did not fully address the role of the militant Palestinian group Hamas in the conflict. And it said the U.S. objected to a recommendation that alleged crimes be referred to the International Criminal Court.
"Although the report addresses all sides of the conflict, its overwhelming focus is on the actions of Israel," spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.
"While the report makes overly sweeping conclusions of fact and law with respect to Israel, its conclusions regarding Hamas' deplorable conduct and its failure to comply with international humanitarian law during the conflict are more general and tentative," he added.
The report, released on Tuesday, faulted Israel for civilian deaths in Gaza, saying it used disproportionate force in the offensive. About 1,400 Palestinians were killed during the three-week conflict. Israel charged that Hamas was to blame, saying they placed rocket launchers and forces in crowded neighborhoods.
The report also called Hamas' firing of rockets at Israeli civilians a war crime.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the findings, saying Israel's security forces were exercising their right to self-defense. The United States had until Friday been largely silent, limiting its response to expressions of concern about unspecified content and the panel's mandate.
That mandate was given to Goldstone and his colleagues by the U.N. Human Rights Council earlier this year, before President Barack Obama decided to end the Bush administration's policy of snubbing the body and join it.
Kelly said Friday that the United States wanted to keep discussion of the report within the council and had "very serious concerns" about a recommendation that it be raised at other bodies, including the International Criminal Court.
"We note in particular that Israel has the democratic institutions to investigate and prosecute abuses and we encourage it to use those institutions," he said.
U.S. officials are also concerned that Arab states and others might attempt to raise the report at next week's United Nations General Assembly session. Kelly said it was important for the world to remain focused on trying to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
"We hope efforts related to the Middle East at the Human Rights Council and other international bodies will look to the future and how we can support the goal of a two-state solution," he said.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
US raps UN Gaza report
By MATTHEW LEE
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration on Friday sharply criticized a U.N. report alleging Israeli war crimes in its Gaza war earlier this year, ending nearly a week of muted reaction to findings already rejected by Israel.
The State Department said the conclusions of a U.N. commission headed by South African justice Richard Goldstone were unfair to Israel and did not fully address the role of the militant Palestinian group Hamas in the conflict. And it said the U.S. objected to a recommendation that alleged crimes be referred to the International Criminal Court.
"Although the report addresses all sides of the conflict, its overwhelming focus is on the actions of Israel," spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.
"While the report makes overly sweeping conclusions of fact and law with respect to Israel, its conclusions regarding Hamas' deplorable conduct and its failure to comply with international humanitarian law during the conflict are more general and tentative," he added.
The report, released on Tuesday, faulted Israel for civilian deaths in Gaza, saying it used disproportionate force in the offensive. About 1,400 Palestinians were killed during the three-week conflict. Israel charged that Hamas was to blame, saying they placed rocket launchers and forces in crowded neighborhoods.
The report also called Hamas' firing of rockets at Israeli civilians a war crime.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the findings, saying Israel's security forces were exercising their right to self-defense. The United States had until Friday been largely silent, limiting its response to expressions of concern about unspecified content and the panel's mandate.
That mandate was given to Goldstone and his colleagues by the U.N. Human Rights Council earlier this year, before President Barack Obama decided to end the Bush administration's policy of snubbing the body and join it.
Kelly said Friday that the United States wanted to keep discussion of the report within the council and had "very serious concerns" about a recommendation that it be raised at other bodies, including the International Criminal Court.
"We note in particular that Israel has the democratic institutions to investigate and prosecute abuses and we encourage it to use those institutions," he said.
U.S. officials are also concerned that Arab states and others might attempt to raise the report at next week's United Nations General Assembly session. Kelly said it was important for the world to remain focused on trying to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
"We hope efforts related to the Middle East at the Human Rights Council and other international bodies will look to the future and how we can support the goal of a two-state solution," he said.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
don't compete; coexist
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
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Comments
They don't care that our own country has gone to the shitter, Americans are losing their jobs, homes are repossessed, school budgets cut , businesses fail, 45 million are without health insurance. The do care enough about israel though, to keep giving them massive amounts of our tax money.
Awesome. I will never understand their mentality.
Israel is a modern army, and committed a massacre of a defenseless civilian population. 1600 Palestinians were massacred, including 800 civilians, and approx 400 Palestinian policemen. 9 Israeli's died, including 3 civilians.
I wonder why the overwhelming focus of the report was on the actions of Israel?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/se ... alks-obama
Settlements row throws Middle East peace talks into doubt
• US envoy fails to get deal ahead of Obama meeting
• Palestinians insist on total freeze on construction
Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem and Chris McGreal in Washington
Guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 September 2009 19.18 BST
'A high-stakes meeting between President Barack Obama and the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to restart peace talks was yesterday in doubt after the US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, failed to win an agreement on a halt to Jewish settlement construction.
In the last four days Mitchell has met Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, four times seeking an agreement to stop settlement building in the Palestinian territories. Israel offered a freeze, but only with broad caveats. The Palestinians, taking an unusually firm line, said that was not enough.
Obama had hoped to bring Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas together at a meeting at the UN in New York next Wednesday. It would have restarted peace talks between the two sides for the first time in nearly a year, the first such Middle East negotiations under the Obama administration.
Mitchell met Netanyahu in Jerusalem yesterday, then crossed to Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, where he met Abbas. He returned to Jerusalem to see Netanyahu again just before the Jewish New Year began at sunset, but could not bridge the gaps between the two.
"There is no agreement yet with the Israeli side, and no middle-ground solution," Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said after the Abbas meeting. "A settlement freeze is a settlement freeze."
Netanyahu is not due to leave for New York until Wednesday next week, but it is understood that if the Palestinians do agree to meet, preparations have been made to get the Israeli premier there earlier. The Israelis regard the Palestinians as the side holding up the talks.
Initially the US had asked Israel for a complete halt to settlement activity – one of the commitments in the US roadmap of 2003, which remains the basis for peace talks. However Netanyahu leads a right-wing coalition which strongly supports the settlers. Nearly 500,000 Jews now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, even though settlement on occupied land is illegal under international law.
Netanyahu offered a compromise: there would be a freeze to settlement building, but only for a limited period and it would not include east Jerusalem. In addition, Israel wanted work to continue on 2,500 homes where construction has started. In a final move, the Israeli government approved an additional 500 new settlement homes and said work would start or continue on those during the freeze.
Israel views that offer as part of a package: in return it wants Arab states to take steps towards normalising relations with Israel and for the Palestinians to meet their commitments under the roadmap, which include tackling militant violence and incitement.
US officials say they remain optimistic that Obama will finalise an Israeli agreement for a partial freeze on settlement construction when he meets Netanyahu in New York, and suggested that the unusually tough Palestinian position is in part last minute manoeuvring.
The Americans believe a deal to limit construction on existing West Bank settlements to about 2,500 new homes already planned will be endorsed. But they recognise that falls short of the Palestinian demand for a total freeze on expansion that must also include East Jerusalem. Diplomats in Washington say it would be difficult for Abbas to resist pressure from Obama to commit himself to talks, not least because the Palestinian government is heavily dependent on US and European money. However, it would be a setback for Obama if he were not able to at least get Netanyahu and Abbas in the same room.
At first Israel proposed a freeze lasting six months, but the US was hoping for at least one year. One Israeli official suggested yesterday that might be extended up to nine months. "Israel will agree to extend the freeze beyond six months – possibly nine months, but less than a year," the official said.
Erekat, the Palestinian negotiator, said a meeting in New York might still go ahead but that it would be meaningless unless Israel committed to a full settlement freeze.
Yesterday the EU gave strong backing to the US efforts. In a statement, the Swedish EU presidency called on both sides to "fully engage in resumed negotiations".
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Good. Let us know how it goes.
Thank you Cate.