Human Rights Council decides to dispatch independant fact finding mission (on Israeli raid)

[demoleft]

Source: ohchr

In a resolution on the Grave Attacks by Israeli Forces against the Humanitarian Boat Convoy, (A/HRC/14/L.1), adopted by a vote of 32 in favour, three against, and nine abstentions, as orally amended, the Human Rights Council condemns in the strongest terms the outrageous attack by the Israeli forces against the humanitarian flotilla of ships which resulted in the killing and injuring of many innocent civilians from different countries; deeply deplores the loss of life of innocent civilians and expresses its deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families; calls upon the Occupying Power Israel to fully cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross to seek and provide information on the whereabouts, status and condition of the detained and injured persons; demands the Occupying Power Israel to immediately release all detained men and material and facilitate their safe return to their homelands; calls upon the Occupying Power Israel to immediately lift the siege on occupied Gaza and other occupied territories; calls upon the Occupying Power Israel to ensure the unimpeded provision of humanitarian assistance, including of food, fuel and medical treatment to the occupied Gaza strip; and decides to dispatch an independent international fact finding mission to investigate violations of international law resulting from the Israeli attacks on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian assistance, and decides to authorise the President of the Council to appoint members of this independent international fact finding mission who should report to the Council on their findings in its fifteenth session.

The result of the vote was as follows:

In favour (32): Angola, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, and Uruguay.

Against (3): Italy, Netherlands, and United States of America.

Abstentions (9): Belgium, Burkina Faso, France, Hungary, Japan, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.

Read more: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10095&LangID=E

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italy and US against.
go figure.

[demoleft]

1. the related AFP, and the reason why US said "no" to the resolution.

"The United States said on the first day of the sitting it was "deeply disturbed" by the violence. But it also said that it opposed the resolution.
US ambassador Eileen Donahoe said the text "rushes to judgement on a set of facts" that were only starting to emerge.
"It creates an international mechanism before giving the responsible government an opportunity to investigate this incident itself and thereby risks further politicising a sensitive and volatile situation," she added."

afp, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jkOQl7SjRfLCP1Pwp7yUlfoG4zvQ


but according to barak's words of this morning, the thing is settled, as far as israeli government is concerned.
will there ever be any national investigations, with this kind of preface?

ON EDITING: Israeli PM Netanyahu stands by ship raid
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel had "no other choice" but to stop the flotilla of ships which tried to break the Gaza blockade on Monday.

bbc, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10219391.stm

here's a tombstone on any hope for national investigations, and moves US negative position on the resolution in nowhere's land.

[EFerrari]

2. In attempting to block this, the United States is giving up

what remains of its leadership position. We will be by-passed.

[demoleft]

3. sad, isn't it? and dangerous too. n/t

[avaistheone1]

7. I think we left the moral high ground some time ago.

[EFerrari]

9. Of course. But now the value of our influence itself is at issue.

There have been huge protests all over the world.

[pleah]

4. K&R

[dgibby]

5. No wonder my friend tells everyone she's from Canada

whenever she travels out of the US.

It really pisses me off when my Govt makes me ashamed of my country.

[avaistheone1]

8. These days Canada is not much better

in terms of its politics than the U.S.

[lsewpershad]

6. Seems

more and more like Israel is becoming the most powerful country in the world.

[Dutch]

10. LOL! Because Saudi Arabia are such an authority on human rights!

The idea that an autocratic, fundamentalist, woman-hating tyranny should have the right to cast any sort of judgement over the behaviour of a free democracy is absolutely nauseating. That's not even to mention some of the other names on that list...China, Cuba, Egypt, Pakistan? Shame they couldn't have drafted Sudan and North Korea in there while they were at it. It's hard to imagine an organisation more utterly bankrupt to speak on the subject over which it's been given jurisdiction.

Note that most of those countries on the council that are stable democracies with a track record of respect for human rights either abstained or voted against. Personally, I see the Netherlands as a more authoritative voice for human rights than Saudi Arabia or China.