Israel must investigate charges of crimes in Gaza -US (new UN - U.S. envoy - Susan Rice)

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Israel must investigate allegations that its army violated international law during its three-week war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, the new U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Thursday.

"We expect Israel will meet its international obligations to investigate and we also call upon all members of the international community to refrain from politicizing these important issues," Ambassador Susan Rice said in her debut speech before the U.N. Security Council.

Rice said that Hamas had been guilty of violating international law "through its rocket attacks against Israeli civilians in southern Israel and the use of civilian facilities to provide protection for its terrorist attacks."

"There have also been numerous allegations made against Israel some of which are deliberately designed to inflame," she told the council during a meeting on international humanitarian law.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/B159355.htm

[maddezmom]

1. I think she's going to do a good job

it's nice having adults in charge again.

[Howardx]

4. why?

where else does the suspected criminal get to investigate themselves? israel will find that they have done nothing wrong. bet on it. more of the same.

[hack89]

13. It is a basic principle of the ICC

The Court is designed to complement existing national judicial systems: it can exercise its jurisdiction only when national courts are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute such crimes.<10><11> Primary responsibility to investigate and punish crimes is therefore left to individual states.

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

[damntexdem]

2. Good. And I hope Israel says that the U.S. must investigate war crimes at Gitmo and elsewhere.

Both investigations need be done.

[balantz]

3. She must insist on investigations into US war crimes also. n/t

[Ticonderoga]

5. Oh Fer Chrissakes...not this shit again.

Isn't this akin to having the Nazi's investigate the Holocaust?

[ddss75]

6. funny

When is the world going to demand answers from Hamas that they deliberately targeted civilians for the last 2 years?

[whosinpower]

7. Sure, ok

Shall we ask Hamas to investigate themselves as well?

[Howardx]

8. so

in your mind hamas and israel are both equivalent? and somehow hamas is getting off scot free here?

[EFerrari]

9. You mean, with their guided missiles?

[Pavulon]

10. Na the random ones.

they did manage an own goal on a few kids. Guess those bodies dont count.

[EFerrari]

11. Doesn't work on me, sorry.

I've been reading about the IDF killing surrendering CIVILIANS at point blank range and using human shields and being busted for white phosphorus and flechettes all over the open air prison they've made of Gaza WHILE illegal West Bank settlements are up more than 50%.

Cry me a river.

[Pavulon]

15. Splattering kids all over an apartment

meets my criteria to take notice. they were supposed to be dead Israelis but hamas fucked it up.

I read about them using kids blood to make matzah soup too. Lets see evidence.

[EFerrari]

19. From Amnesty International:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/israeli-army-used-flechettes-against-gaza-civilians-20090127

[classysassy]

18. When

is the world going to demand that Israel stop treating the Arabs like slaves?.

[McCamy Taylor]

12. Israel investigates? How many countries at the end of WWII admitted their own war crimes when they

investigated themselves? Does that mean Germany gets to go back and retry Nuremberg with their own judges in charge?

[hack89]

14. Read how the ICC works

countries are expected to investigate themselves.

[whosinpower]

16. Only if they are signatories to the court

That was my impression. I do not know if Israel is - I don't think so. The US is not either.

[hack89]

17. Which means the ICC can do nothing

unless the UN security council authorizes it.