U.S. calls UN Gaza report unfair to Israel

[Fozzledick]

By the Associated Press

The Obama administration sharply criticized a UN report Friday alleging that Israel committed multiple war crimes in its Gaza war this year. The State Department statement ended nearly a week of muted reactions to findings already rejected by Israel.

The State Department said the conclusions of a UN commission headed by South African Justice Richard Goldstone were unfair to Israel and did not fully deal with the role in the conflict of the militant Palestinian group Hamas. It said the United States objected to a recommendation that Israeli actions 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 said.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115659.html

[Ozymanithrax]

1. They found both sides comitted war crimes.

I thought that was both fair and accurate.

Perhaps if Israel consented to cooperate with the investigators it would have been a slightly better for Israel.

But a warcrime is a warcrime.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Actually without information from both sides, claims of war crimes are little more than hyperbole

The report was flawed since there was no information from the IDF about why certain sites were targeted or why certain weapons were employed. Israel knew this and by denying information it eliminated the credibility of the report. Goldstone whined about it, but published it anyway. Totally predictable on both sides.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. Oh, I doubt that very much. ...

I'm sure there's no necessity for a party who's being investigated to cooperate, otherwise anyone being investigated would just refuse to cooperate (and in Israel's case not allow the Commission entry into Gaza, Israel or the West Bank). Israel had many chances to cooperate and didn't, choosing instead to attack the Commission for daring to investigate Israel. You were trotting out this stuff months ago when the investigation was first announced, and it's no more convincing now than it was when you were saying it back then. Predictable, not not at all convincing...

Oh, and Goldstone hasn't whined. Talk about engaging in a bit of hyperbole, there...

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Did you read the article in the Jpost? Classic bureaucratic whining at its loudest

The bad guys refused to give me data so its their fault if there are errors in my report...they had their chance. We should send him several rounds of goat cheese to go with that much whine.

[Violet_Crumble]

6. Yes I did, and it's hyperbolic to label what he says whining just coz you don't like it...

And please don't attempt to make out he said something different to what he did. He did NOT call Israel the bad guys or imply that....

[shaayecanaan]

2. I am sure he read all 575 pages of the report before he came to that conclusion...

I am positive of that, even though the report was 575 pages and was released only three days ago. Mr Kelly is a very fast reader, that is all. In the same way that Iranian election officials must be very fast counters, in order to have announced an election result within one hour of the close of polls.

I am sure that this criticism is well thought-out and considered, and there is nothing reflexive about it at all.

[varelse]

7. U.S. calls UN Gaza report unfair to Israel

The Obama administration sharply criticized a UN report Friday alleging that Israel committed multiple war crimes in its Gaza war this year. The State Department statement ended nearly a week of muted reactions to findings already rejected by Israel.

The State Department said the conclusions of a UN commission headed by South African Justice Richard Goldstone were unfair to Israel and did not fully deal with the role in the conflict of the militant Palestinian group Hamas. It said the United States objected to a recommendation that Israeli actions be referred to the International Criminal Court.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115659.html

[Libertas1776]

8. .

[ArabInIsrael]

9. What's new.

Understatement.

Mandated by the Muslim-controlled UNHRC. Even Mary Robisnon, notorious for libeling Israel and heeding to Islamist demands, wouldn't endorse the report. She was offered to lead the investigation but declined. She said this report is "About politics, not human rights." HA!

All Western members of the UNHRC also boycotted the report.

This pretty much demonstrates Israel's natural loathing of it:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1251804585778

25,000 civilians killed in the Sri Lankan civil war during Operation Cast Lead. The UN actually awarded Sri Lanka for its actions. http://www.nationalpost.com/related/links/story.html?id=1799595&p=1

The UN has become a support group for countries that are obsessed with us!

Obama is trying to make nice with the desert tribes to manufacture a false peace for a foreign policy win which he most certainly needs. the left is pretty mad about his HC failures and everything else. He needs a ME peace win, regardless of cost, to solidify his legacy. Clinton, Carter, Bush...all failed. Can Obama do better by towing the "Israel is bad, Palestinians are good" narrative?

No, but the Muslim world will be happy.

[varelse]

12. Did you read even the quoted paragraphs?

The Obama administration sharply criticized a UN report Friday alleging that Israel committed multiple war crimes in its Gaza war this year.

Your response is

Can Obama do better by towing the "Israel is bad, Palestinians are good" narrative?

To which I can only reply :wtf:

[ArabInIsrael]

14. Response to varlse

think about it.

Obama is very smart. The French took the hint and abandoned Israel after the Six Day war. Even though the Mossad trained pro-French rebels during the Algerian War, that conflict ended...and when Gaulle came in, it made no political sense to support Israel. They adopted the Arab narrative and endorsed the arms embargo. That's when the US replaced the French...

But it is clear, from an American perspective, supporting Israel is becoming politically dangerous. the Islamic states are very disturbed by our support and have done a lot to sabotage it. Israel's wars haven't helped either.

For America's sovereignty, it seems the better thing to do is to go European and side with the loudest and biggest.

It might be wrong, but its right for America. Israel can take care of itself, and I'm pretty confident if it needs money it can go elsewhere, or it will just press the red button and wipe away Amman, Cairo, Tehran, etc.

[varelse]

16. You didn't even GLANCE at the news report, did you?

Seriously.

[Braulio]

23. The view from down here

Seems to be that USA is tied too closely to Israel. The best solution would be to put the Israelis on trial as war criminals in the Hague, and let a court decide, don't you think?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

26. Without access to IDF documents there is little than can be known for certain

The Nuremberg Trials were successful because the Allies had full access to all German records.

Israel is not a signatory to the treaty that established the ICC. There is literally no jurisdiction. They can not force Israel to give up records, people, or cooperate in any way.

Goldstone's report is inherently flawed. He whines about the lack of cooperation, understanding how critical it is, but then publishes anyway knowing it is flawed. Bureaucrats just hate being ignored...

[ixion]

10. war criminals covering for each other

such is the state of our 'modern' era.

[ArabInIsrael]

11. Response to "war criminal"

BE careful to abuse such a word. You have no idea what a war criminal is my American friend.

[ixion]

18. Yes, I do

but thanks.

[varelse]

13. Obama is a war criminal?

Really? Tell me that's not what you meant. Please?

[ArabInIsrael]

15. No.

No, I didn't mean that.

Obama is a lawyer from Chicago.

Or according to my some of my Likud friends...he is a stealth muslim seeking to betray Israel! XD

[ixion]

17. If Pakistan or Afghanistan (or anyone, for that matter) were to launch a drone attack

on US soil, and strike a frat party, or a wedding party, or anything else, you can imagine the wild shrieks (and the outrageous military response) that would result.

It would most definitely be called a war crime, and an Act of War, by our government.

So why should it be any different when we do it?

Why people miss that fact is beyond me.

Innocent civilians have died from US military attacks while Obama was at the wheel. We accused Bush of committing war crimes in this instance, why should it be any different for Obama?

[varelse]

21. We label those acts as "terrorism" (nt)

[hack89]

22. If the drones were based in the US

and had the tacit support of the US government would it still be a problem? Since the drones are being flown out of Pakistani bases, I think it save to assume that the Pakistani government has given their approval.


http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/02/19/world/worldwatch/entry4812368.shtml

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5755490.ece

[ArabInIsrael]

24. War crimes? LOL!

Innocent civilians dying is not a war crime.

War crime laws were designed for a conventional conflict or whole-sale genocides, not sovereign states fighting illegal guerrilla movements.

People have hijacked the word war crime for political purposes, and they de-sensitize its true meaning. Innocent people die in war, that's a fact. To say the USA and Israel targets civilians deliberately, that their wars exist to eradicate Arabs/muslims/whatever, that this is an ethnic conflict rooted in racism and supremacism...is preposterous.

the UN is now controlled by the Muslim bloc which is why we are hearing about Israel's "war crimes" while millions die at the hands of the Saudis, Egyptians, Syrians, Iranians, Pakistan, etc...

It has become a support group for despots who have a manic obsession with Jews and the West. Watching some of the biggest Arab war criminals on Earth accusing a Jewish state of committing war crimes is hilarious. Clearly some of these progressives are more racist than they think.

[ixion]

25. Your distinction is purely semantic

and, yes, it is a crime.

War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war"; including but not limited to "murder, the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied territory to slave labor camps", "the murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war", the killing of hostages, "the wanton destruction of cities, towns and villages, and any devastation not justified by military, or civilian necessity".<1>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_crime

I'm not saying that Arab countries are trouble and/or blame free. That is, however, not the topic in this case.

[Violet_Crumble]

19. It's the Our Friends Can Commit War Crimes theory in action...

The US turned a blind eye on or defended the actions of Indonesia when it invaded East Timor, and also Saddam Hussein's treatment of Iraqi Kurds....

[ProgressiveMuslim]

20. LOL! Love the Hasbara ads that appear on this page!!! ROTFLOL!