LIVE emergency UN Security Council meeting- watch NOW (LINK)

[Poll_Blind]

http://www.un.org/webcast/#">HERE

Looks like Channel 1 is the important one. Needs RealPlayer to view. Just started, going through some procedural stuff. This was supposed to be a UN holiday, btw.

PB

[Poll_Blind]

1. WTF, check out channel 1! Two simultaneous meetings? n/t

PB

[Barack_America]

2. Ugh. I have to run to the grocery store.

I'll check into this thread when I get back to see what happened!

[Poll_Blind]

3. Turkey accuses Israel of "banditry, barbarism piracy, illegal murder" Anyone else watching this?

Talk about both barrels. Keeps mentioning "72 miles, in international waters"

PB

[Crystal Clarity]

4. Trying

But link won't work for me :-(

[Poll_Blind]

6. They use RealPlayer codec so if it's giving you a hassle might try refreshing the page or...

...downloading the free version of RealPlayer or just try Internet Explorer.

PB

[Crystal Clarity]

8. Thanks

Will try... I really want to see this

[Poll_Blind]

12. UK speaking now, BTW here is a link for Al Jazeera which might work for you better...

...but it's not a raw feed. It is commentary on what's being said though:
HERE

PB

[TransitJohn]

68. VLC media player plays any format you can throw at it.

Real light weight, free, open source app.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

[LakeSamish706]

5. Yep, I am watching and Turkey is livid as they should be. n/t

[Poll_Blind]

9. Yeah, he is going off bigtime...and he's just the first to speak! He demands:

Israel Apology for killed and wounded
Urgent enquiry by UN into action
Legal action against Israel
Israel must be urged to abide by international law
The countries concerned must be allowed to retrieve deceased immediately
Food must be delivered
Families of those killed and injured must be compensated
Gaza blockade must be lifted

(paraphrased)

PB

[L0oniX]

67. Is murder ever legal?

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

7. i'm watching on cable - Aljazeera is covering it

[WeDidIt]

10. NATO meets tomorrow

and two of the people killed were Turkish naitonals on a Turkish vessel.

Not good since Turkey is a member of NATO and the NATO charter considers an attack on any member an attack on the entire organization.

[harun]

11. Here's to hoping NATO does its job. Israel needs to grow up.

[WeDidIt]

13. Turkey will be sending it's navy to escort aid ships.

If Israel attacks their ships, it is an attack on every member nation of NATO.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

38. WHOA! Link to that? -nt

[WeDidIt]

40. CNN-IBN

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/turkey-threatens-action-israel-on-alert/116743-2.html?from=tn

[Poll_Blind]

44. !!! n/t

PB

[Barack_America]

Holy shit. That really is hugh.

:wow:

[Poll_Blind]

33. Check this out from Daily Kos- have you seen this yet?:

Israel's attack tests NATO Doctrine. -Update x3- NATO agrees

PB

[WeDidIt]

39. I sure have

It's quite possible Israel committed an act of aggression against a member nation of NATO and NATO may have no choice but a military response.

[Poll_Blind]

42. I'm still trying to read that (and it's pithy) and listen to the UNSEC. Very interesting situation.

Strange.

PB

[WeDidIt]

48. It's a rapidly evolving international interest that could potentially pull multiple nations

into a war with Israel.

[Poll_Blind]

51. Or one hell of an organize multi-national economic sanction which could be...

...incredibly powerful.

PB

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

55. What is the layout of Israel's foreign trade, roughly? -nt

[Poll_Blind]

63. Lots of exports, including food which comes to Europe and US. Also, many...

...tech industries have Israeli plants (like Intel) where development occurs. AFAIK, if I were to boil it down, kind of compare how the Japanese economy works: Importing lots of raw or raw-ish material, fashioning it into a various range of things and then exporting it. I think Israel is in pretty much the same boat that Japan is when it comes to certain materials, like lumber, for instance. Lots of trade with other countries to get those materials in. Don't have that much in the way of raw materials, themselves.

BTW, if you actually look up Israeli manufactured goods you'll almost certainly find familiar names, products which you can find in your town. Produced all the way in Israel.

PB

[Poll_Blind]

14. UK Demands:

Comprehensive investigation
Full information and all consular access to all nations involved in this acces
Open crossings for aid to Gaza
Urge Hamas to help achieve a democratic peace so both may live side by side with recognized borders

[moodforaday]

75. Comprehensive investigation

sounds good on paper, but who's going to do the investigating? If it's going to be Israel, then the result will read something like this:

"International Activists Cause Their Own Deaths By Attacking Non-confrontational Israeli Commandos?"
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25583.htm

[MadMaddie]

15. Man oh Man Israel did this in International waters they

fucked up and there is no getting out of this. They have infuriated their one and only Muslim allie Turkey......damn...

[Poll_Blind]

18. Yeah, apparently whether this happened in international waters or not is nolonger a question.

Absolutely in international waters, apparently by a hell of a lot. If you noticed the Turkish delegate repeated this as fact 2-3 times at least. I have no idea, btw, how they're going to whistle and pretend this didn't happen.

PB

[MadMaddie]

21. I think they might have been able to salvage something if 9

Turkish lives were not taken.

This is the "pre-emptive strike" mentality that they got from "*". From what I heard they were "worried" that there "Might" be weapons but they had no proof. I also think they do not understand that this is a different world with a diffferent U.S President.

[Poll_Blind]

25. I am still beyond confused (truly) why Israel would do this- especially in "international waters"

They're going to get the shit sued out of them. This is such a gross fuck-up on Israel's part. I mean, I assume they care what the world thinks. Listening to these countries just go one after the other...universally condemning.

Ouch.

PB

[MadMaddie]

32. They will get sued but what they may have done is

committed an "Act of War"!! Turkey has recalled their ambassador and cancelled all events with Israel.

Israel may have ignited something that they may not have wanted to.

What in the world were they thinking?

[moodforaday]

76. And why did Bush and Rumsfeld do what they did

in Iraq? Yes, it's incomprehensible to rational people. Yet that's exactly what hardliners do. They make up their own facts and prop them up with propaganda (no pun intended). You can't reason with them, and can't expect them to behave in a reasonable manner. That's why they are such a danger to all of us.

[EFerrari]

31. The other times they intervened in international waters, no one died.

They crossed that line this time.

[Poll_Blind]

49. The delegate from Boznia & Heretzgovina (sp?) is like 8th person now to...

...deplore the attack and make a point of stating "in international waters".

Wow, he also just tossed on "It is unacceptable for Israel to act as a state above the law."

PB

[JCMach1]

19. Major major frak up... there is no defending the actions of Israel here

[Moochy]

45. Orly?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8455494#8455630

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=313768&mesg_id=313803

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x314326

[JCMach1]

52. Even say you are an UBER Israel supporter, this is a huge PR problem!

They picked the one thing...

The one thing!

That would make the Hamas douchebags look good.

[Moochy]

16. Mexico condemning it now

thanks for this link!

[Poll_Blind]

17. Mexico demands:

(Strongly condems the attack)
Extends sympathy to the wounded and killed
Decries armed military attacks against civilians and humanitarians- calls them "Violation of UN human rights", actually describes them as "crimes"

Comprehensive investigation
Measures be taken so as to alleviate the regional situation as soon as possible
The Gaza blockade hurts both the Palestinians and the Israelis- this was avoidable
Urges Israel to lift the blockade

[Poll_Blind]

20. Brazil condemns attacks, claims they occurred in international waters. Mentioned...

..."international waters" twice in their first 4-5 sentences. Summoned Israel's ambassador to express "indignation".

Calls for an independent investigation
Calls for the blockade to be lifted
Calls blockade blatant violation of international law, references UN RES 1860 (?)
Calls blockade human rights violation

[Poll_Blind]

22. Austria demands:

Full and formal investigation "which occurred in international waters" (becoming quite the theme)
Israel provide full consular access so families of injured can
"No justification for what has happened today"
Immediate, sustained, and unconditional opening for Gaza blockade

[Poll_Blind]

23. Japan up now, also condeming...It seems everyone so far has been basically...

...expressing the more-or-less exact same thing.

[LaurenG]

24. Israel's immaturity is mind boggling

WTF is wrong with people. Insane egomaniacs are ruling the world.

[MadMaddie]

36. "pre-emptive strike menality" this is one of the consequences

of the previous administration. Did anyone think that another country would not use it to justify this type of action?

[LaurenG]

43. I mistakenly thought that there were grown-ups at the helm

I would love to see them forced to take aid to Gaza personally.

[MadMaddie]

46. I know I would like to see that too!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

26. The usual soft peddling by America and blaming the victim.

Pathetic.

[Poll_Blind]

27. Yeah, I caught that. Calling delivery of aid by sea "irresponsible". Wonder what...

...they think of the attack occurring in international waters?

PB

[inna]

47. "Calling delivery of aid by sea "irresponsible"."

Oh, great. Blaming the victim.


Thanks for this thread/updates, btw! :thumbsup:

[Moochy]

29. who wrote that?

seriously, at this point, at what level did that milquetoast statement get authored and approved?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

34. Benjamin Netanyahu?

[Moochy]

65. You were not kidding

The United States press statement had the same mildest possible diplomatic terms for outrage: "deeply regrets"

[LaurenG]

28. The US makes excuses...

we suck!

[rumpel]

35. Yes

The only country so far, not to condemn the actions....

[JCMach1]

66. Also one of the main ships is US Flagged- this was an act of piracy against the US

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100531/FOREIGN/705319968/1001

...The convoy includes the “Mavi Marmara,” a large Turkish-flagged passenger vessel with about 600 people on board, two cargo ships and three other boats.

Two other boats are also Turkish-flagged, while another two are Greek and one more is from the United States.

A seventh ship, the 1,200-tonne “Rachel Corrie,” named after an American who was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza in 2003, was en route from Ireland to join the flotilla...

[slipslidingaway]

30. knr thanks for the thread and updates n/t

[Poll_Blind]

37. China "Shocked, deplored this action against civilians"

Doesn't speak very long fearing someone will call them a hypocrite, presumably.

PB

[Poll_Blind]

41. France demands:

Nothing warrants justification of the use for force
Full international investigation
Full humanitarian access to Gaza, re UN RES 1860
Calls blockade illegal
Asks for consullar access under Vienna convention to nationals held by Israel
Invokes quartet to force Gaza bloackade be lifted. (interesting)

PB

[sabrina 1]

72. That would be the best outcome of this. That the blockade be

be lifted finally. Then, a multi-national peace-keeping force sent to the region, with Israel having no authority over the Gaza Strip and the Palestinians forced to keep their radicals under control. It's like a schoolyard fight, someone has to separate these two and then monitor their behavior.

The loss of life is tragic, but it could be used to bring about peace if adults take over now.

[Poll_Blind]

50. Boznia & Heretzagovina (sp?) deplores attack, again, mentioning "International waters"n/t

PB

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

54. Bosnia-Herzegovina

[Poll_Blind]

53. Lebanon:

Israel opened fire despite white banner, 600 civilians of many countries including Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor.
Calls attack in "international waters" "piracy"
Goes into detail about the specific building materials, medicines
Ouch, calls Israeli law "law of the jungle".
Israeli policy does not draw distinction between civilians and military
"International community should not fold its arms against this act against civilians"
"Bring to justice those who committed the crime, as well as financial remuneration for victims"
Gives full support to the comments of Turkey (which, BTW, are the stronest comments yet)

PB

[Tripmann]

57. Thanks for the stream link PB

EDIT: Israeli ambaasador speaking at UN meeting just claimed there is no humanitarian crisis in gaza.

Filth.

[Tripmann]

70. Whoa

Spokesman just called israel liars and manufacturing propaganda.

Good

[laughingliberal]

74. Big surprise, there. nt

[Poll_Blind]

56. Palestinian delegate (who was specially invited by UNSEC for this meeting):

Say Palestinians will hold 3 days of mourning
Thanks UNSEC for meeting requested by Palestine, Lebanon & Turkey
Reiterates what the Turkish have, that only foodstuffs, building materials and medicine were onboard.
Severely condemns "Israeli piracy" in its "state of impunity" a "direct consequence of silence of international community and it's inability to enforce international law".
Calls for an end to the blockade, hold Israel accountable for the "war crime" it committed "today" and other "war crimes it has committed in the past"

Immediately release all those detained. (not sure if he's speaking about Palestinians being held in Israeli jails or the entire surviving membership of the flotilla who apparently all in Israeli custody and who have not had any consular access (i.e. being able to speak or have contact with their country's respective ambasadors) Anyone catch what his inflection was?

Decries attacks "Civilians on foreign ships in international waters."

Calls for Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as it's capital. (I believe this is what he said)

[Moochy]

58. Israel ambassador up now...

:mad: what a right wing tool.

[LaurenG]

59. WTF, Those were terrorists on those ships?

This makes no sense as the ship was overwhelmed in International waters.
I deeply hope that no one lets any murderer off the hook.

[Moochy]

60. the IDF will investigate itself too!

whew!

"Deeply regrets" any loss of life.

Gee where did that American milquetoast statement come from?

so transparent.

[Poll_Blind]

61. Israel at special request of UNSEC:

Asserts this was not a regular aid shipment and aid should have been delivers over "existing mechanisms" which are being used "on a daily basis" via (specific land routes)

"There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza"

Flotilla's organizers rejected the (above mechanism mentioned) "Not about delivering humanitarian supply but about breaking Israeli blockade" (quotes someone named Berlin I think)

"What kind of peace activistis use clubs, knives, weapons stolen from soldiers?

Calls some of the peace activists terrorists or those have terrorist ties with Hamas

"Cynically use the guise of humanitarian aid to" (incite violence)

Talks about Hamas launching mortar attacks

"Gaza occupied by terrorist who overthrew Hamas by violent coup"

Blockade may be imposed at sea "including in international waters". (?)

Claims organizers rejected offers by Israel to deliver aid via standard land routes. Quotes another person, from a group called IHH, which they call an anti-Western group which also supports Hamas and "at least in the past" groups like "Al-Quaeda"

Said Israeli naval personnel were attacked with "knives, club, live ammunition" "to lynch the Israeli soldiers". "I hope the media will publish it" "Soldiers acted in self defense" "The seriously injured have been evacuated and are being treated in Israeli hospitals"

When more information is gleaned from the soldiers after a debriefing, Israel will share it.

"Israeli operation not a military attack."

"Responsibility (lies with) of protestors, provocateurs, some associated with terrorist groups."

He's still going, but it's less about the actual event and more about the UN resolutions (like 1860) or the greater threat from Hamas.

[Barack_America]

64. Yeah, God forbid Gazans have water purifiers and cement.

:eyes:

[L0oniX]

69. God forbid that they even exist.

[Poll_Blind]

62. No more speakers. Consultation will continue, session adjourned. n/t

PB

[Imajika]

71. Why did they have to deliver aid this way?

Aren't there normal over land routes to bring aid into Gaza?

Was this really a publicity stunt with boats filled with activists?

Still doesn't excuse what appears to be a ridiculous overreaction on the part of Israel, but didn't these people know they were sailing into an Israeli naval blockade? Didn't whoever put this trip together have an obligation to inform people it could be very dangerous? Israel's actions here are not exactly surprising. This is Israel we are talking about here.

[harun]

73. A valid question, Israel has a full blockade for aid as far as I know. Egypt doesn't

seem to really care about getting in any aid anymore either. It has its own problems to deal with. So I guess this is one of the routes they try to use.

[Barack_America]

77. Isn't the correct question, "why deny aid by any route"?

If it were merely a publicity stunt, why have tens of thousands of tons of aid on board?