bobbyw24
Banned
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2007
- Messages
- 14,097
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting Monday on Israel's deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip, with the Palestinians and Arab nations demanding condemnation and an independent investigation.
The Palestinians and Arabs, backed by a number of council members including Turkey, also called for Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza, immediately release the ships and humanitarian activists, and allow them to deliver their goods.
Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco said in his briefing to the U.N.'s most powerful body that the early morning bloodshed on Monday would have been avoided "if repeated calls on Israel to end the counterproductive and unacceptable blockade of Gaza had been heeded,"
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whose country had been a longtime Muslim ally of Israel, called the raid "banditry and piracy" on the high seas and "murder conducted by a state." He urged the council to adopt a presidential statement circulated by Turkey. Many of the activists aboard the ships were apparently Turks.
The original draft text, obtained by the Associated Press, would have the council condemn the attack by Israeli forces "in the strongest terms" as a violation of international law, express deep regret at the loss of life and call for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to undertake "an independent international investigation ... to determine how this bloodshed took place and to ensure that those responsible be held accountable" and consider the issue of compensation.
The draft also calls on Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza and immediately release the ships and civilians it is holding.
Ban condemned the violence.
continue
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/01/un-security-council-israel-blockade_n_595610.html
The Palestinians and Arabs, backed by a number of council members including Turkey, also called for Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza, immediately release the ships and humanitarian activists, and allow them to deliver their goods.
Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco said in his briefing to the U.N.'s most powerful body that the early morning bloodshed on Monday would have been avoided "if repeated calls on Israel to end the counterproductive and unacceptable blockade of Gaza had been heeded,"
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whose country had been a longtime Muslim ally of Israel, called the raid "banditry and piracy" on the high seas and "murder conducted by a state." He urged the council to adopt a presidential statement circulated by Turkey. Many of the activists aboard the ships were apparently Turks.
The original draft text, obtained by the Associated Press, would have the council condemn the attack by Israeli forces "in the strongest terms" as a violation of international law, express deep regret at the loss of life and call for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to undertake "an independent international investigation ... to determine how this bloodshed took place and to ensure that those responsible be held accountable" and consider the issue of compensation.
The draft also calls on Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza and immediately release the ships and civilians it is holding.
Ban condemned the violence.
continue
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/01/un-security-council-israel-blockade_n_595610.html
