The investigation by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), seen by Reuters, said its personnel did not record any exchange of fire across the border between Israel and Lebanon for more than 40 minutes before the tank opened fire, killing Issam Abdallah, a 37-year-old video journalist.
The UN (clearly toothless and unable to mount a military strength capable of enforcing international law) found Israel guilty of the war crime of firing on civilians
However, the UN isn't going to do a thing about it post conviction.
Just like nothing was done when Israel destroyed the USS Liberty.
The USS Liberty was an NSA spy ship and though the United States refused to back Israel in the 6 day war, it was eavesdropping on Israeli military communications during the war. According to Bamford, over the course of Israel’s remarkable territorial acquisition and military victory, it allegedly committed a war crime by slaughtering Egyptian prisoners of war in the city of El Arish in the northern Sinai.
Israeli forces jammed the Liberty's antennas and communication channels, took out the four . 50-caliber machine guns on board, and reportedly shot at life rafts and crew members as they attempted to evacuate the vessel.
The U.S.S. Liberty was peacefully engaged, posed no threat whatsoever to the torpedo boats or aircraft.
ABC’s Nightline interviewed survivors decades after the attack, the results of which never aired. Presumably because interested parties didn’t want unsavory information about Israel broadcast on mainstream American television
Over 50 years later, the NSA maintains the federal security classification of the details, and refuses to comment on, or release information about the murdered Americans.
The claim by Israel is that it's aircraft and torpedo boats mistook the American spy ship for an Egyptian freighter. No explanation for why it would attack a freighter....
The Liberty Veterans Association, an organization comprised of survivors of the 1967 attack, has called for a robust and transparent investigation into the incident for decades, to no avail.
A couple of minor points. 1) While Israel was clearly a party to the despicable attack on the USS Liberty, they had a partner, the U.S. Credible 6th Fleet personnel are on record, revealing that fighter aircraft dispatched to assist the Liberty were recalled by Robert McNamara and Lyndon Johnson. Why would they do that if not party to the crime? The Liberty crew was instructed to never speak of their experience to anyone, with harsh penalties for anyone who did. So if we're going to bring the issue of the Liberty up, let's include all the players. 2) The land under control of the Israelis is what the warfare there has been about for the past 76 years. Her enemies claim she's illegally occupying the land, which they argue is theirs. So let's test that claim in the light of some basic logic and history. The following in undisputed historical fact, so let's see where the facts take us. a) A broad swath of land in the middle east was generically called Palestine. Palestine had no defined boarders prior to WW1. b) Palestine had been controlled by the Ottoman Turks for about 400 years in the run up to WW 1. c) Turkey lost the war to England, Italy, France and Japan. (The U.S. was never at war with Turkey.) d) As a defeated empire Turkey forfeited its sovereignty over the land. e) As the victor, the Principle Allied Powers (see point c) became the sovereign, and by definition a sovereign can do as he/she pleases with what they are sovereign over. f) The Principle Allied Powers met in San Remo, Italy in April of 1920 to decide on the fate of Palestine. g) Under the mandatory system of the newly created League of Nations, several mandates were issued, giving rise to the sovereign nations of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Jordan. h) Jewish people were put under the Mandate for Palestine, and for the first time Palestine was defined by specific boarders, boarders that laid out the boundaries for a Jewish state. i) In September of 1922 the League of Nations ratified the Mandate, making it a matter of sealed international law. j) The British were given the responsibility for administering the affairs of the provisional state. k) On May 14, 1948 the British left Palestine, and the provisional government declared the sovereign state of Israel.
ReplyDeleteThe boarders established in 1922 have never been abrogated, therefore under the provisions of international law those boarders remain in effect today. Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank) are within those boarders, as is the Gaza Strip. Thus, Israel is the only entity with a legitimate, sovereign claim to that land.
Logically, if premises a-k are true, the conclusion is as well. If my understanding of history or logic is flawed I welcome correction.
None of the bloodshed over the past 76 years would have been necessary had Israel's enemies recognized her legal right to the land she occupies.
One other thing. If the process that gave birth to Israel was flawed, making her illegitimate, so also are Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Jordan illegitimate as they came to be by the same process.
then, I guess I must respond similarly, a few minor points.
Delete1) This is my blog, not an encyclopedia, not a newspaper, not a historical document
2) I'm not Walter Cronkite
3) this isn't a forum where I've got a group dialog going on.
4) I share what I want, not what's on some editors agenda, business/company viewpoint, or boss telling me what to talk about and how
5) You should do your own blog, write down history the way you want people to know it.
6) I cited my source. I wasn't there, neither were most people, and since the govt has what they know still classified, we certainly are not aware of what that was.
The Israeli military hasn't, from what I found online, and have heard since I was a kid in the news, until now, ever brought the topic up and repeated that they insist they knew they were attacking an Egyptian freighter, or mistook an American ship, with the American flag, and jammed the radio frequencies.
Everything you say about the land, the war, etc, are not relevant to my post, and I probably haven't posted anything the contradicts what you say about that, so, do you say all this to reply to what I said about the nearly 100 civilian journalists being murdered by Israeli military? Or, a ship getting attacked.
Of did you get carried away with trying to make a case for everything else about Israel, and just stray off the path of commenting on the dead civilians murdered by the Israeli military? Is that why you state that "none of the bloodshed would be necessary" and imply that the international law, plus commonly held human rights, military rules of engagement, and the UN ruling of the journalists death being a war crime, means nothing if Israel is whatever you said they are, having a legal right to kill civilians, journalists, and attack ships in international waters, flying the USA flag?
Can you give a statement about if your opinion is that Israel has the legal, moral, or ethical right, plus do they have a responsibility to adhere to the UN international laws, or can they kill anyone inside their borders, military or not, with their military, without a trial, without law enforcement or government legal charges for crimes committed? Can Israel attack ships in international waters and kill the people onboard? Without legal cause, jurisdiction, or cause for military force engagement?
Ummmm, can you yes or no that?
DeleteAnd borders, the area limitations of a country... boarders, are people climbing aboard a object, commonly a ship.
Blows my mind you mistakenly spell borders, 3 times, in the same paragraph you use "abrogated" .
If, and obviously I don't feel the need to fact check everything, Israel has some founding in 1922, then are they part of the Geneva conventions of 1929, 1949? In particular the Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflicts, a group of international laws for the humane treatment of wounded or captured military personnel, medical personnel and non-military civilians during war...
Yup, there it is, the signed in 1951 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parties_to_the_Geneva_Conventions
So, since Wikipedia states that Israel signed onto the Geneva Conventions, would you agree (yes or no) that Israel has violated them, and is guilty of murder of civilians, and also do you agree the UN has competently ruled that Israel has violated international law?
Again, I do not need, require, or find any interest in the founding of this that or any country, and have ignored everything you wrote in that respect.
Because I wrote about the murder of journalists, which I might be considered a member of that category, as I feel the need to report the news on my venue.
Because I wrote about the attack of a ship of the United States of America, which I am a citizen of birthright of, and a sailor for one decade in the Navy of, where the ship was flying the US of A flag, in daylight, in international waters, and not during a war between it, the USA and Israel.
So, in addition to answering with some yes/no or not, as you choose, maybe you'll see how my blog, gets my point of view, on this post, in two layers of how I feel involved, and have been clear about for about 17 years with my many articles and posts.