US Only Country To Vote No On UN Resolution Against Killing Civilians In Gaza - FDL

[WillyT]

US Only Country To Vote No On UN Resolution Against Killing Civilians In Gaza
By: DSWright - FDL
Thursday July 24, 2014 5:31 am



<snip>

American exceptionalism strikes again. This time it manifested itself as the US being the only country on the United Nations Human Rights Council to vote against investigating the killing of civilians in Operation Protective Edge. The call to respect international legal restrictions on warfare and investigate whether any violations have taken place received a yea or abstention from every other country on the council. The resolution was presented by Ibrahim Khraishi, the ambassador of the Palestinian observer mission to the UN in Geneva.

The result of the resolution – which passed despite the US’ no vote – will be a UN probe into how Israel is using force in Gaza, particularly against civilians. Of the 732 Palestinians now reported killed from Operation Protective Edge an estimated 80% have been civilians. Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the council yesterday that Israel’s actions could be war crimes.

The 47-member council adopted the investigation under a draft resolution after a request by Palestine, which has UN observer status: 29 states voted in favour of the investigation. 17 abstained, including many EU states. 1 voted against – the US.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that the decision was a “travesty”, adding that Israel had “gone to unprecedented lengths to keep Palestinian civilians out of harm’s way”.

If the current bloodbath is a result of unprecedented attempts to avoid civilian casualties what would less restrained warfare be – a nuclear strike?

<snip>

Link: http://news.firedoglake.com/2014/07/24/us-only-country-to-vote-no-on-un-resolution-against-killing-civilians-in-gaza/

[enid602]

1. ???

Well, given the fact that we arm the people who murder, voting otherwise would seem disingenuous.

[Phlem]

9. you made me giggle.

+1

[potone]

2. This is beyond shameful.

I suppose it is consistent with our refusal to criticize anything that Israel does, and in fact to reward them with even more money for "self-defense", but it is a disgrace nonetheless.

[BainsBane]

43. It is how virtually every vote in the UN toward Israel has gone

Perhaps every single vote.

[iandhr]

3. Saudi Arabia...

… where women can be stoned to death for adultery is on the human rights council. What a joke.

No one says anything about Hamas turning down cease fire offers. How Israel honored a fire hour cease fire to allow civilians to get supplies and Hamas continued to fire at Israel. Nothing about rockets in a UN school.

[Scootaloo]

35. None of which is relevant to the US' vote here.

[sabrina 1]

4. Most of the abstaining votes are our colonial allies I noticed. They don't have the guts

stand up against us, but couldn't quite condone the carnage.

Good for all those who voted 'yes'. But nothing will come of it, sadly.

[Scootaloo]

36. As noted in the article, the measure passed

This isn't the Security council, where we say no and nothing happens.

[dsc]

5. yea when I go looking for Human Rights advice I go to places

such as Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia, that's for sure.

[stevenleser]

14. Yeah, the Saudi's just sentenced a gay man to 450 lashes for TWEETING.

Not sure they have any standing here.

[Caretha]

24. They might not have any

standing, but even a stopped watch is correct twice a day.

[DJ13]

6. The "no" is blood red

[HooptieWagon]

31. How fitting.

[malthaussen]

7. Ton of abstentions there.

That's no less shameful.

-- Mal

[LordGlenconner]

8. Yes, most of Europe

And yes it's just as bad. Should have been included in the OP's subject line as well.

[albino65]

10. I blame AIPAC

and our general acceptance to let monied despots to run our government.

[Phlem]

11. I'm really not surprised by this anymore.

you'd think the least we could do is abstain *sigh*, but no.

[Roy Serohz]

12. Wow. What a shock.

[Starcats]

13. Is this the USA guy who voted NO?

"U.S. Ambassador[edit]

Keith Harper [first Native American to serve in this position] was nominated by President Obama for the position of United States Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council on June 10, 2013.[11][7] Many human rights advocates were unfamiliar with Harper, and as such the pick reflected a long-standing practice of presidents rewarding top supporters with ambassadorships and similar postings.[7][13] The Senate Foreign Relations Committee considered his nomination in two rounds of confirmation hearings, in September 2013 and February 2014.[13]"

[HooptieWagon]

29. Doesn't matter. Whoever would be voting as Obama directs.

[Enthusiast]

15. This is what happens when the Neo-Cons are in control.

[vlakitti]

17. The neocons aren't in charge...

The Obama Administration is.

Or maybe that was your point?

[geek tragedy]

16. Shameful. nt

[oldandhappy]

18. This is not leading.

This is fear or insanity or proof of our slavery to someone. I am disgusted and sad.

[Swede Atlanta]

19. That's cuz America is Israel's "bitch"

[Chemisse]

20. True dat

[MineralMan]

25. Very poorly stated.

Try again, without the sexist slur, please.

[BillZBubb]

34. I don't think you are correct.

The context here is pretty clearly along the lines of the US being subservient/obedient. Their is no sexual connotation. This usage is not a sexual slur.

I might be wrong, but I certainly don't see the comment as sexist at all.

[Skidmore]

21. I just hopped onto the WH contact page and sent

note of protest to the President. I don't think it will make a difference by itself, but I've made my views known. We need to change our policies and it starts by using our moral sensibilities.

[WillyT]

22. Thank You For That !!!

[malaise]

27. You rock

This is shameful.

[WillyT]

23. Kick !!!

[Caretha]

26. This will go down in history

Another blight against America's greatness.

We are no better than the fucking Islamic Jihadist when we stand for this.

May God forgive us.

[WillyT]

28. Well Put, Yet... We Are So Used To The Knee Jerk...

It's gotta be hard for all sides concerned to have no control over the media.

Thanks cell phones and social media !!!

Keep up the good work!

[Caretha]

30. I try Willie

but I'm discouraged. So many people do not know the difference from right or wrong. They think the world is one great big political football game and be damned with what is actually wicked and evil as long as they are told who to cheer for.

[WillyT]

32. If You Have...Wisdom... As YOU Surely Do... It Creates... Confusion... To Those That Do Not...

Man will never fly.

Man will never go to the moon.

There will never be a heart transplant.

Women will never get to vote.

Blacks are better off doing what they're told.

The Irish, Italians, Polish, etc...

We will never be accepted, and never amount to anything.

How many examples do the haters need ???

NOT wisdom.

PROGRESS... comes from shared wisdom

[BillZBubb]

33. Another sad day in America's history

The moral cowardice is astounding.

[Niceguy1]

37. arent they

All civilians according to hamas? Even the ones who are fighting and firing rockets...

[Douglas Carpenter]

38. knr

[countryjake]

39. Pinpoint...

for some reason the word "pinpoint" just keeps ringing in my head as I read that article.

What exactly has Israel been pinpointing?

As I look at all the various websites with the right-wingers' "reasons" and "defense" of the massacre that took place last weekend in Shujai'iya, shrieking "tunnels" and "rockets", and then wildly denigrating the few journalists who have tried their best to inform the world public of what I consider war crimes in that neighborhood, I honestly think that if Binyamin Netanyahu and Moshe Ya'alon ever did decide to pull a few nukes out of their pockets, those same flimsy excuses would be used to justify such action to the rest of the world. Our government, in concert with the Israeli government, have both proven that they have no moral compass whatsoever when it comes to "protecting" American interests in the Middle East.

[Wolf Frankula]

40. Why Shouldn't Israel's Colony Vote With The Metropolis

We're Israel's docile colony. We do what Israel tells us to.

Wolf

[riseabove]

41. Sorry but with our own violent past and all the wars we've waged...

Can't say I'm surprised. But seeing how much pressure was put on Obama to "stand with Israel" by the Republicans during the election, I'm even less shocked.

Does anyone remember how big of a deal it was that Barack say that?

[Karmadillo]

42. Is it possible for someone to post a map on how to get back to the USA I

learned about when I was in high school?

[BainsBane]

44. The USA from that era

voted the same way. Whether you knew about it is another matter. The US has used its position on the Security Council to protect Israel for many decades.

[Jefferson23]

45. Our stain. n/t