Ammad Hafeez
Minister (2k+ posts)
Loosers, Insha Allah They can't stop any boat..
'FLOTILLA' ISRAEL attacks aid ship headed for Palestine - [Update: Israel rejects UN multinational i
- Thread starter digitalzygot
- Start date
Loosers, Insha Allah They can't stop any boat..
biomat
Minister (2k+ posts)
Freedom flotilla ship MV Rachel Corrie continues to head for Gaza
Freedom flotilla ship MV Rachel Corrie continues to head for Gaza
Six UK and Irish citizens on ship that Israel says cannot dock
Turkey warns it will reduce ties with Israel to a minimum
Hamas leader says humanitarian aid alone not enough
MV Rachel Corrie, which was named after a 23-year-old American killed in Gaza in 2003, is still bound for Gaza. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA A ship carrying aid to Gaza is still heading for the blockaded territory, despite Israel insisting it will not be allowed to dock.
The MV Rachel Corrie, which was part of the original Freedom Flotilla intercepted by the Israeli military, leaving nine activists dead, is due to arrive in Gaza at 8am on Saturday, organisers said today.
Turkey today warned that it would reduce its ties with Israel to a minimum, and the Hamas leader said at Friday prayers in Gaza City that humanitarian aid alone would not be enough to aid the Palestinian cause.
The MV Rachel Corrie fell behind the original fleet after suffering mechanical problems, but has been sailing towards the Israeli coast since yesterday. There were earlier reports that the ship had turned back, but a spokesman confirmed this morning that it was still bound for Gaza.
Martin O'Quigley, from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which is working with the Free Gaza Movement, said he spoke to two people on board this morning.
"They're 150 miles from Gaza, and they should be approaching the exclusion zone at 8am tomorrow," O'Quiqley said. "They're about 80 miles from the previous interception point."
O'Quigley said he had spoken to Miread Maguire, the Nobel peace prize laureate, and Jenny Graham, from the Free Gaza Movement, two of 11 passengers on the ship.
The Corrie is attempting to defy the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who said yesterday that the ship would not be allowed to reach the blockaded area.
"We shall not allow the ships to reach Gaza. Not now and not later on," the Israeli news website ynet reported him as saying. "We intend to direct the Rachel Corrie ship to the Ashdod port and transfer its civilian goods to Gaza following a security check."
In addition to six British and Irish citizens on the ship there are five Malaysians, including an MP and three journalists, organisers said. Ram Karthigasu, a spokesman for the Malaysian travellers, said he had spoken to them today and confirmed the Rachel Corrie was 150 miles from Gaza.
The ship is carrying school supplies, printing paper, children's shoes, wheelchairs, sports equipment and fire extinguishers, organisers said. Israel bars cement and other building materials from entering Gaza, saying they are often used for building tunnels to smuggle in weapons and explosives.
The Corrie is attempting to reach Gaza four days after the Freedom Flotilla was intercepted, leaving eight Turkish nationals and one US citizen dead.
Speaking at Friday prayers in Gaza City, the de facto Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, told crowds of worshippers that Israel's blockade of Gaza was in its final stages.
"Now not only Gazans speak of the blockade, but also the [UN] security council and the international community. Everyone is demanding the siege be lifted."
As a result of its assault on the aid flotilla, Israel was facing worldwide condemnation, he said. But humanitarian aid was not enough, Haniyeh added. "We have had warm words about the pain of Gaza but now we want these words to turn into action. Today we are in a new era of victory."
He paid tribute to those killed and injured in Monday's operation, saying: "It is not only the Palestinian people who are martyred by the Israeli enemy."
Turkey's deputy prime minister said today the country would reduce its relations with Israel "to a minimum", as services took place in Istanbul to remember the dead. Bulent Arinc told the NTV broadcaster that Turkey had made many military and economic agreements with Israel, and these were now up for discussion.
"We are serious about this subject," he said. "We may plan to reduce our relations with Israel to a minimum, but to assume everything involving another country is stopped in an instant, to say we have crossed you out of our address book, is not the custom of our state."
Barack Obama called for the flotilla incident to be used to advance peace efforts, describing the deaths as a "tragic situation".
"I think what's important right now is that we break out of the current impasse, use this tragedy as an opportunity," he said in an interview with Larry King yesterday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/04/gaza-flotilla-mv-rachel-corrie
Freedom flotilla ship MV Rachel Corrie continues to head for Gaza
Six UK and Irish citizens on ship that Israel says cannot dock
Turkey warns it will reduce ties with Israel to a minimum
Hamas leader says humanitarian aid alone not enough
- Adam Gabbatt, and Harriet Sherwood in Gaza City
- guardian.co.uk, Friday 4 June 2010 12.59 BST
The MV Rachel Corrie, which was part of the original Freedom Flotilla intercepted by the Israeli military, leaving nine activists dead, is due to arrive in Gaza at 8am on Saturday, organisers said today.
Turkey today warned that it would reduce its ties with Israel to a minimum, and the Hamas leader said at Friday prayers in Gaza City that humanitarian aid alone would not be enough to aid the Palestinian cause.
The MV Rachel Corrie fell behind the original fleet after suffering mechanical problems, but has been sailing towards the Israeli coast since yesterday. There were earlier reports that the ship had turned back, but a spokesman confirmed this morning that it was still bound for Gaza.
Martin O'Quigley, from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which is working with the Free Gaza Movement, said he spoke to two people on board this morning.
"They're 150 miles from Gaza, and they should be approaching the exclusion zone at 8am tomorrow," O'Quiqley said. "They're about 80 miles from the previous interception point."
O'Quigley said he had spoken to Miread Maguire, the Nobel peace prize laureate, and Jenny Graham, from the Free Gaza Movement, two of 11 passengers on the ship.
The Corrie is attempting to defy the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who said yesterday that the ship would not be allowed to reach the blockaded area.
"We shall not allow the ships to reach Gaza. Not now and not later on," the Israeli news website ynet reported him as saying. "We intend to direct the Rachel Corrie ship to the Ashdod port and transfer its civilian goods to Gaza following a security check."
In addition to six British and Irish citizens on the ship there are five Malaysians, including an MP and three journalists, organisers said. Ram Karthigasu, a spokesman for the Malaysian travellers, said he had spoken to them today and confirmed the Rachel Corrie was 150 miles from Gaza.
The ship is carrying school supplies, printing paper, children's shoes, wheelchairs, sports equipment and fire extinguishers, organisers said. Israel bars cement and other building materials from entering Gaza, saying they are often used for building tunnels to smuggle in weapons and explosives.
The Corrie is attempting to reach Gaza four days after the Freedom Flotilla was intercepted, leaving eight Turkish nationals and one US citizen dead.
Speaking at Friday prayers in Gaza City, the de facto Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, told crowds of worshippers that Israel's blockade of Gaza was in its final stages.
"Now not only Gazans speak of the blockade, but also the [UN] security council and the international community. Everyone is demanding the siege be lifted."
As a result of its assault on the aid flotilla, Israel was facing worldwide condemnation, he said. But humanitarian aid was not enough, Haniyeh added. "We have had warm words about the pain of Gaza but now we want these words to turn into action. Today we are in a new era of victory."
He paid tribute to those killed and injured in Monday's operation, saying: "It is not only the Palestinian people who are martyred by the Israeli enemy."
Turkey's deputy prime minister said today the country would reduce its relations with Israel "to a minimum", as services took place in Istanbul to remember the dead. Bulent Arinc told the NTV broadcaster that Turkey had made many military and economic agreements with Israel, and these were now up for discussion.
"We are serious about this subject," he said. "We may plan to reduce our relations with Israel to a minimum, but to assume everything involving another country is stopped in an instant, to say we have crossed you out of our address book, is not the custom of our state."
Barack Obama called for the flotilla incident to be used to advance peace efforts, describing the deaths as a "tragic situation".
"I think what's important right now is that we break out of the current impasse, use this tragedy as an opportunity," he said in an interview with Larry King yesterday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/04/gaza-flotilla-mv-rachel-corrie
biomat
Minister (2k+ posts)
Gaza flotilla activists were shot in head at close range
Nine Turkish men on board Mavi Marmara were shot a total of 30 times, autopsy results reveal
Crowds at the funeral of one of the Turkish victims of the Gaza flotilla raid, at the Beyazit mosque in Istanbul. Photograph: Vadim Ghirda/AP Israel was tonight under pressure to allow an independent inquiry into its assault on the Gaza aid flotilla after autopsy results on the bodies of those killed, obtained by the Guardian, revealed they were peppered with 9mm bullets, many fired at close range.
Nine Turkish men on board the Mavi Marmara were shot a total of 30 times and five were killed by gunshot wounds to the head, according to the vice-chairman of the Turkish council of forensic medicine, which carried out the autopsies for the Turkish ministry of justice today.
The results revealed that a 60-year-old man, Ibrahim Bilgen, was shot four times in the temple, chest, hip and back. A 19-year-old, named as Fulkan Dogan, who also has US citizenship, was shot five times from less that 45cm, in the face, in the back of the head, twice in the leg and once in the back. Two other men were shot four times, and five of the victims were shot either in the back of the head or in the back, said Yalcin Buyuk, vice-chairman of the council of forensic medicine.
The findings emerged as more survivors gave their accounts of the raids. Ismail Patel, the chairman of Leicester-based pro-Palestinian group Friends of al-Aqsa, who returned to Britain today, told how he witnessed some of the fatal shootings and claimed that Israel had operated a "shoot to kill policy".
He calculated that during the bloodiest part of the assault, Israeli commandos shot one person every minute. One man was fatally shot in the back of the head just two feet in front him and another was shot once between the eyes. He added that as well as the fatally wounded, 48 others were suffering from gunshot wounds and six activists remained missing, suggesting the death toll may increase.
The new information about the manner and intensity of the killings undermines Israel's insistence that its soldiers opened fire only in self defence and in response to attacks by the activists.
"Given the very disturbing evidence which contradicts the line from the Israeli media and suggests that Israelis have been very selective in the way they have addressed this, there is now an overwhelming need for an international inquiry," said Andrew Slaughter MP, a member of the all party group on Britain and Palestine.
Israel said tonight the number of bullets found in the bodies did not alter the fact that the soldiers were acting in self defence. "The only situation when a soldier shot was when it was a clearly a life-threatening situation," said a spokesman for the Israeli embassy in London. "Pulling the trigger quickly can result in a few bullets being in the same body, but does not change the fact they were in a life-threatening situation."
Protesters from across the country will tomorrow march from Downing Street to the Israeli embassy to call for Israel to be held to account for its actions.
Earlier this week, William Hague, the foreign secretary, said the government would call for an inquiry under international auspices if Israel refuses to establish an independent inquiry, including an international presence.
The autopsy results were released as the last of the Turkish victims was buried.
Dr Haluk Ince, the chairman of the council of forensic medicine in Istanbul, said that in only one case was there a single bullet wound, to the forehead from a distant shot, while every other victim suffered multiple wounds. "All [the bullets] were intact. This is important in a forensic context. When a bullet strikes another place it comes into the body deformed. If it directly comes into the body, the bullet is all intact."
He added that all but one of the bullets retrieved from the bodies came from 9mm rounds. Of the other round, he said: "It was the first time we have seen this kind of material used in firearms. It was just a container including many types of pellets usually used in shotguns. It penetrated the head region in the temple and we found it intact in the brain."
An unnamed Israeli commando, who purportedly led the raid on the Mavi Marmara, today told Israeli news website Ynet News that he shot at a protester who approached him with a knife. "I was in front of a number of people with knives and clubs," he said. "I cocked my weapon when I saw that one was coming towards me with a knife drawn and I fired once. Then another 20 people came at me from all directions and threw me down to the deck below …
"We knew they were peace activists. Though they wanted to break the Gaza blockade, we thought we'd encounter passive resistance, perhaps verbal resistance – we didn't expect this. Everyone wanted to kill us. We encountered terrorists who wanted to kill us and we did everything we could to prevent unnecessary injury."
Tonight the Rachel Corrie, an Irish vessel crewed by supporters of the Free Gaza movement, remained on course for Gaza. Yossi Gal, director general at the Israeli foreign ministry, said Israel had "no desire for a confrontation" but asked for the ship to dock at Ashdod, not Gaza.
"If the ship decides to sail the port of Ashdod, then we will ensure its safe arrival and will not board it," he said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/04/gaza-flotilla-activists-autopsy-results
Nine Turkish men on board Mavi Marmara were shot a total of 30 times, autopsy results reveal
- Robert Booth
- guardian.co.uk, Friday 4 June 2010 22.00 BST
Nine Turkish men on board the Mavi Marmara were shot a total of 30 times and five were killed by gunshot wounds to the head, according to the vice-chairman of the Turkish council of forensic medicine, which carried out the autopsies for the Turkish ministry of justice today.
The results revealed that a 60-year-old man, Ibrahim Bilgen, was shot four times in the temple, chest, hip and back. A 19-year-old, named as Fulkan Dogan, who also has US citizenship, was shot five times from less that 45cm, in the face, in the back of the head, twice in the leg and once in the back. Two other men were shot four times, and five of the victims were shot either in the back of the head or in the back, said Yalcin Buyuk, vice-chairman of the council of forensic medicine.
The findings emerged as more survivors gave their accounts of the raids. Ismail Patel, the chairman of Leicester-based pro-Palestinian group Friends of al-Aqsa, who returned to Britain today, told how he witnessed some of the fatal shootings and claimed that Israel had operated a "shoot to kill policy".
He calculated that during the bloodiest part of the assault, Israeli commandos shot one person every minute. One man was fatally shot in the back of the head just two feet in front him and another was shot once between the eyes. He added that as well as the fatally wounded, 48 others were suffering from gunshot wounds and six activists remained missing, suggesting the death toll may increase.
The new information about the manner and intensity of the killings undermines Israel's insistence that its soldiers opened fire only in self defence and in response to attacks by the activists.
"Given the very disturbing evidence which contradicts the line from the Israeli media and suggests that Israelis have been very selective in the way they have addressed this, there is now an overwhelming need for an international inquiry," said Andrew Slaughter MP, a member of the all party group on Britain and Palestine.
Israel said tonight the number of bullets found in the bodies did not alter the fact that the soldiers were acting in self defence. "The only situation when a soldier shot was when it was a clearly a life-threatening situation," said a spokesman for the Israeli embassy in London. "Pulling the trigger quickly can result in a few bullets being in the same body, but does not change the fact they were in a life-threatening situation."
Protesters from across the country will tomorrow march from Downing Street to the Israeli embassy to call for Israel to be held to account for its actions.
Earlier this week, William Hague, the foreign secretary, said the government would call for an inquiry under international auspices if Israel refuses to establish an independent inquiry, including an international presence.
The autopsy results were released as the last of the Turkish victims was buried.
Dr Haluk Ince, the chairman of the council of forensic medicine in Istanbul, said that in only one case was there a single bullet wound, to the forehead from a distant shot, while every other victim suffered multiple wounds. "All [the bullets] were intact. This is important in a forensic context. When a bullet strikes another place it comes into the body deformed. If it directly comes into the body, the bullet is all intact."
He added that all but one of the bullets retrieved from the bodies came from 9mm rounds. Of the other round, he said: "It was the first time we have seen this kind of material used in firearms. It was just a container including many types of pellets usually used in shotguns. It penetrated the head region in the temple and we found it intact in the brain."
An unnamed Israeli commando, who purportedly led the raid on the Mavi Marmara, today told Israeli news website Ynet News that he shot at a protester who approached him with a knife. "I was in front of a number of people with knives and clubs," he said. "I cocked my weapon when I saw that one was coming towards me with a knife drawn and I fired once. Then another 20 people came at me from all directions and threw me down to the deck below …
"We knew they were peace activists. Though they wanted to break the Gaza blockade, we thought we'd encounter passive resistance, perhaps verbal resistance – we didn't expect this. Everyone wanted to kill us. We encountered terrorists who wanted to kill us and we did everything we could to prevent unnecessary injury."
Tonight the Rachel Corrie, an Irish vessel crewed by supporters of the Free Gaza movement, remained on course for Gaza. Yossi Gal, director general at the Israeli foreign ministry, said Israel had "no desire for a confrontation" but asked for the ship to dock at Ashdod, not Gaza.
"If the ship decides to sail the port of Ashdod, then we will ensure its safe arrival and will not board it," he said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/04/gaza-flotilla-activists-autopsy-results
biomat
Minister (2k+ posts)
[video]http://audio.theguardian.tv/audio/kip/standalone/world/1275651572576/3899/Mankell.mp3[/video]
Henning Mankell: 'That kind of stupidity I will never understand'
Swedish author and creator of Wallander gives a dramatic account of his experience as part of the Gaza aid flotilla attacked by Israel
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/audio/2010/jun/04/gaza-middleeast
Henning Mankell: 'That kind of stupidity I will never understand'
Swedish author and creator of Wallander gives a dramatic account of his experience as part of the Gaza aid flotilla attacked by Israel
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/audio/2010/jun/04/gaza-middleeast
gazoomartian
Prime Minister (20k+ posts)
biomat
Minister (2k+ posts)
http://www.freegaza.org/en/home/press-releases/1204-rachel-corrie-on-her-way
Written by Free Gaza Team | 04 June 2010
[Cyprus, June 4, 2010] The Rachel Corrie is 150 miles away from Gaza in international waters and on her way. They will arrive on Saturday morning. The 1200 ton cargo ship is the last ship from the Freedom Flotilla and is loaded with construction materials, 20 tons of paper and many other supplies that Israel refuses to allow into the imprisoned people of Gaza.Some of the High-Profile people on board:
Mairead Maguire from Belfast, Ireland, a Nobel Peace Laureate (l976) and Co-founder of Peace People, Northern Ireland. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for peace and a nonviolent solution to the Ethnic/political conflict in Northern Ireland. Mairead went on the maiden Voyage of Dignity in October 2008, the second successful voyage for the Free Gaza Movement. She was also on Board ‘Spirit’ when Israel hijacked the Boat in International Waters, taking all 2l humanitarian passengers to Israel, where they were arrested, detained for a week in an Israeli prison and then deported.
Denis Halliday, from Ireland, a UN Assistant Secretary-General from 1994-98. Appointed by SG Boutros Ghali, he served as ASG UN Human Resources Management in New York and in mid 1997 to end 1998 as Head, Humanitarian Programme in Iraq to support the Iraqi people struggling under the genocidal impact of UN Sanctions. Since resigning from the UN in 1998, Halliday has delivered numerous parliamentary briefings, provided extensive media inputs and has given public/university lectures on Iraq, human rights, and the UN, in particular its reform.
Matthias Chang Wen Chieh is a Malaysian of Chinese descent. He is a Barrister of 32 years standing and once served as the Political Secretary to the Fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. He is the author of three bestsellers, “Future Fast Forward”, “Brainwashed for War, Programmed to Kill”, and “The Shadow Money-Lenders and the Global Financial Tsunami”, published in the US and in Malaysia.
Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria,Perak, Malaysia, MP Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria is a Member of the Malaysian Parliament.
In addition, there is a three-member camera crew on board from Malaysia TV3 and journalis Shamsul Akmar bin Musa Kamal.
The passengers on board the ship have stated, “Communication is difficult and sometimes impossible and there are many rumors out there started by Israeli authorities, but there is no way we are going to Ashdod. We are, for sure, on our way to Gaza.”
Contact: Greta Berlin, 00 357 99 18 72 75
Mary Hughes 00 357 6 38 38 09
biomat
Minister (2k+ posts)
Salam
about 30 minutes ago Ninety miles from Gaza. Rachel Corrie should be there by 10:00 am.
http://twitter.com/freegazaorg/statuses/15441987924
about 30 minutes ago Ninety miles from Gaza. Rachel Corrie should be there by 10:00 am.
http://twitter.com/freegazaorg/statuses/15441987924
sarmad
Senator (1k+ posts)
Yes to Judaism, NO to zionism.
Some of the most active palestinian activists are JEWS and/or american.
1. RACHEL CORRIE- Killed in gaza by an IDF bulldozer, whilst trying to prevent the demolition of homes.
2. Dr. Norman finkelstein- Relatives killed in holocaust. This guy is amazing.
How about this lady: Gives up israeli citizenship as a protest!
There are many like her in israel.
Some of the most active palestinian activists are JEWS and/or american.
1. RACHEL CORRIE- Killed in gaza by an IDF bulldozer, whilst trying to prevent the demolition of homes.
2. Dr. Norman finkelstein- Relatives killed in holocaust. This guy is amazing.
How about this lady: Gives up israeli citizenship as a protest!
There are many like her in israel.
probably you guys need to watch this "Religulous"
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3791007322683758535#
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3791007322683758535#
biomat
Minister (2k+ posts)
Rachel Corrie Equipment jammed
Written by Free Gaza team | 05 June 2010
Posted in Press releases
Press Release - Wed 5th June, 3.30am
The IPSC has been contacted by the MV Rachel Corrie in the past few minutes. Jenny Graham reported that they had been followed by Israeli ships for about 2 hours, and that in the last few minutes 2 ships were approaching from the port side. Ms Graham said that equipment on board had been jammed by the Israeli navy, and that they expected their satellite phone (number below) to be jammed soon as well. The line was bad, and we were unable to determine the exact location of the Rachel Corrie relative to their destination.
On hearing of the news, Freda Hughes of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) said: "We all hope that those on board the Rachel Corrie will remain safe and that there will be no repeat of Monday's terrible attack on the Freedom Flotilla. Our hearts are with you."
The Rachel Corrie is flying their Irish, Malaysian and Filipino flags at half mark as a mark of respect for their murdered comrades from the Mavi Marmama which was hijacked on Monday by Israeli commandos in an attack that left at least 9 people dead.
Speaking about Minister Micheal Martin's statement earlier in which he said that those on board the Rachel Corrie had rejected a so-called deal that would involve them docking in the ISraeli port of Ashdod, Jenny Graham said: "We will have no part in a deal that involves us legitimising the siege of Gaza. We intend to continue on our mission to deliver our cargo of aid and supplies to the people of Gaza. This has always been our intention."
Written by Free Gaza team | 05 June 2010
Posted in Press releases
Press Release - Wed 5th June, 3.30am
The IPSC has been contacted by the MV Rachel Corrie in the past few minutes. Jenny Graham reported that they had been followed by Israeli ships for about 2 hours, and that in the last few minutes 2 ships were approaching from the port side. Ms Graham said that equipment on board had been jammed by the Israeli navy, and that they expected their satellite phone (number below) to be jammed soon as well. The line was bad, and we were unable to determine the exact location of the Rachel Corrie relative to their destination.
On hearing of the news, Freda Hughes of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) said: "We all hope that those on board the Rachel Corrie will remain safe and that there will be no repeat of Monday's terrible attack on the Freedom Flotilla. Our hearts are with you."
The Rachel Corrie is flying their Irish, Malaysian and Filipino flags at half mark as a mark of respect for their murdered comrades from the Mavi Marmama which was hijacked on Monday by Israeli commandos in an attack that left at least 9 people dead.
Speaking about Minister Micheal Martin's statement earlier in which he said that those on board the Rachel Corrie had rejected a so-called deal that would involve them docking in the ISraeli port of Ashdod, Jenny Graham said: "We will have no part in a deal that involves us legitimising the siege of Gaza. We intend to continue on our mission to deliver our cargo of aid and supplies to the people of Gaza. This has always been our intention."
masadi1980
MPA (400+ posts)
White House adrift on Gaza aid ship, BP oil spill.
CNN) -- This week's deadly Israeli attack on an activist flotilla in the Mediterranean seems to have left the White House adrift. World leaders were quick to condemn the Israeli sea assault Monday that took the lives of nine people on an aid flotilla to Gaza. U.S. President Barack Obama wasn't one of them.
Instead, Obama made private phone calls to the leaders of Turkey, where the journey was organized, and Israel. Administration officials publicly urged the Jewish state to release the activists it had seized and conduct an investigation into exactly what happened.
But Obama said nothing publicly until an interview with CNN's Larry King late in the week.
"It was a tragic situation. You've got loss of life that was unnecessary. So we are calling for an effective investigation of everything that happened."
Accounts of the incident varied significantly and some details were slow to emerge. It wasn't clear, for example, when the president learned that an American-Turkish dual citizen was among the dead or if that development would affect his even-handed approach.
Some Republicans didn't wait to choose sides.
"No one likes to see the loss of life," said Republican Congressman Mike Pence.
"But Israel has a right of self defense. And the reality is that Gaza is essentially an isolated, smaller version of a terrorist state. It launched lethal attacks against Israeli civilians in the form of thousands of rockets, and this blockade has saved lives."
The Israeli attack had one thing in common with the BP oil disaster that began more than a month earlier off the southern U.S. coast: they've forced the Obama administration to navigate its way through a mishap of someone else's making.
Many Americans have complained that the president seemed too passive in the days after the oil leak started, leaving BP to address the emergency. Some people outside the U.S. complained that the administration was too passive after Israel's attack too.
"I have to be frank: I am not very happy," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters. "We expect a clear condemnation."
The United States wants to encourage oil companies to supply it with ample, inexpensive energy and, at the same time, it wants to safeguard the environment. The United States wants to be Israel's protector and, at the same time, it wants to calm tensions and improve its standing in the Muslim world.
It can be difficult to head in such different directions. After the two mishaps at sea, the White House has appeared to its critics and even some of its friends, to be just treading water.
CNN) -- This week's deadly Israeli attack on an activist flotilla in the Mediterranean seems to have left the White House adrift. World leaders were quick to condemn the Israeli sea assault Monday that took the lives of nine people on an aid flotilla to Gaza. U.S. President Barack Obama wasn't one of them.
Instead, Obama made private phone calls to the leaders of Turkey, where the journey was organized, and Israel. Administration officials publicly urged the Jewish state to release the activists it had seized and conduct an investigation into exactly what happened.
But Obama said nothing publicly until an interview with CNN's Larry King late in the week.
"It was a tragic situation. You've got loss of life that was unnecessary. So we are calling for an effective investigation of everything that happened."
Accounts of the incident varied significantly and some details were slow to emerge. It wasn't clear, for example, when the president learned that an American-Turkish dual citizen was among the dead or if that development would affect his even-handed approach.
Some Republicans didn't wait to choose sides.
"No one likes to see the loss of life," said Republican Congressman Mike Pence.
"But Israel has a right of self defense. And the reality is that Gaza is essentially an isolated, smaller version of a terrorist state. It launched lethal attacks against Israeli civilians in the form of thousands of rockets, and this blockade has saved lives."
The Israeli attack had one thing in common with the BP oil disaster that began more than a month earlier off the southern U.S. coast: they've forced the Obama administration to navigate its way through a mishap of someone else's making.
Many Americans have complained that the president seemed too passive in the days after the oil leak started, leaving BP to address the emergency. Some people outside the U.S. complained that the administration was too passive after Israel's attack too.
"I have to be frank: I am not very happy," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters. "We expect a clear condemnation."
The United States wants to encourage oil companies to supply it with ample, inexpensive energy and, at the same time, it wants to safeguard the environment. The United States wants to be Israel's protector and, at the same time, it wants to calm tensions and improve its standing in the Muslim world.
It can be difficult to head in such different directions. After the two mishaps at sea, the White House has appeared to its critics and even some of its friends, to be just treading water.
Geek
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Israeli woman renounces israeli citizenship
Some of the most active palestinian activists are JEWS and/or american.
1. RACHEL CORRIE- Killed in gaza by an IDF bulldozer, whilst trying to prevent the demolition of homes.
2. Dr. Norman finkelstein- Relatives killed in holocaust. This guy is amazing.
How about this lady: Gives up israeli citizenship as a protest!
There are many like her in israel.
1. RACHEL CORRIE- Killed in gaza by an IDF bulldozer, whilst trying to prevent the demolition of homes.
2. Dr. Norman finkelstein- Relatives killed in holocaust. This guy is amazing.
How about this lady: Gives up israeli citizenship as a protest!
There are many like her in israel.
