Gaza Freedom Flotilla attack

June 1st, 2010 § 3 comments § permalink

How I see it.

A gang of men break into a house, the owner of the house goes at the intruders with whatever comes to hand, a broom handle maybe or a kitchen knife, and beats the fuck out of the intruders. The intruders are armed and start shooting, killing the owner and injuring other memebers of the household.

Whose side are you on?

For a more informed take on the situation, Craig Murray

Because the incident took place on the high seas does not mean however that international law is the only applicable law. The Law of the Sea is quite plain that, when an incident takes place
on a ship on the high seas (outside anybody’s territorial waters) the applicable law is that of the flag state of the ship on which the incident occurred. In legal terms, the Turkish ship was Turkish territory.

There are therefore two clear legal possibilities.

Possibility one is that the Israeli commandos were acting on behalf of the government of Israel in killing the activists on the ships. In that case Israel is in a position of war with Turkey, and the act falls under international jurisdiction as a war crime.

Possibility two is that, if the killings were not authorised Israeli military action, they were acts of murder under Turkish jurisdiction. If Israel does not consider itself in a position of war with Turkey, then it must hand over the commandos involved for trial in Turkey under Turkish law.

In brief, if Israel and Turkey are not at war, then it is Turkish law which is applicable to what happened on the ship. It is for Turkey, not Israel, to carry out any inquiry or investigation into events and to initiate any prosecutions. Israel is obliged to hand over indicted personnel for prosecution.

Turkey recalls ambassador to US

October 12th, 2007 § 0 comments § permalink

After Congress labelled the genocide in Armenians in 1915-17, erm, genocide, Turkey has recalled it’s ambassador for ‘consultations’.

US President George W Bush had argued against the resolution, saying its passage would do “great harm” to relations with “a key ally in Nato and in the global war on terror”.

Can’t be doing with upsetting a T.W.A.T.* ally, now can we Georgie. After all, if 1.5 million is a genocide then…

*The War Against Terrorism

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