Charge the Real War Criminals

The American Thinker ^ | June 07, 2010 | Joel B. Pollak

[Scanian]

The organizers of the Gaza-bound flotilla that Israel intercepted last Monday morning accused Israel of "war crimes," blaming it for the deaths that occurred aboard one of the six ships. Yet Israel acted within international law. It may enforce international sanctions when Hamas continues to import weapons for use against civilians. It may board ships in international waters if they refuse to stop. Its soldiers may fire if met with deadly force.

There were war crimes committed last Monday, however: They were committed by those who organized and sponsored the flotilla itself. International law forbids using civilians to achieve a military purpose. It prohibits using civilians as human shields. It outlaws launching an attack when it is clear that doing so will cause civilian casualties. And it denies protected status to civilians who choose to become combatants.

The flotilla advertised itself as a humanitarian mission, but it is clear that at least some passengers set out to "break the blockade" as their primary goal. That is a military aim, not a civilian one. Indeed, when Israel made clear it would allow the flotilla to deliver humanitarian cargo at the nearby Israeli port of Ashdod, the organizers refused. They continued onward, with hundreds of civilians aboard, to provoke a military confrontation.

[Melchior]

It is maddening to know that our intelligence agencies have a “book” on Erdogan, the Turkish sponsor, and will do nothing to educate the American public on just how dangerous a person he is. Erdogan has been supporting Islamist movements, and has worked hand in hand with Iran for twnety years. And for those Americans who remember the good old days at air bases in Turkey == forget it. The Turkey of today is a dangerous polity, and if that is not apparent to our masters in Washington, it is perfectly understood by the European Community.
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