I have just spoken to the FCO press spokesman. The line on the legality of the Israeli attack is “We are not getting into that, especially when the details are unclear.” They are waiting for “clarification from our Embassy in Tel Aviv”.
That is a terrible reaction from the coailition government to its first test on human rights. The detail can make no difference to the fact that the Israelis attacked foreign flagged vessels in international waters. That is a priori illegal. Where the hell are FCO legal advisers? Is this government ignoring them just like New Labour?
UPDATE
Demonstration outside Downing St at 2pm. Doubtless it will be small, but I feel obliged to be there.
its a bank holiday in the uk, do the civil service work these days? (what are they for anyway?)
interesting that the usual Israeli spokspeople are given free reign on tv defending the indefensible and the fairly useless “holiday” presenters not asking any difficult questions of them, so what is the bbc for anyway?
If international law no longer counts for anything and the treaties can be discounted as and when required then with Turkey having a somewhat larger population than Israel it could if it wanted duly invade and remove it from the map once and for all.
The Israeli military just made Somali pirates look like saints by comparison.
“Cunt.”
Oh my goodness ! Colour me surprised at your ‘temperance’, and level headedness.
Did they teach you all that ‘nuanced’ verbiage in Ambassador School ? You must have been a wonderful success on the International stage.
All fanatics are the same. It matters not what they are fanatic about. It’s the ‘true belief’ that is important.
Sort of sad really.
Americans in Britain:
REMEMBER THE USS LIBERTY
REMEMBER THE USS LIBERTY
REMEMBER THE USS LIBERTY
REMEMBER THE USS LIBERTY
REMEMBER THE USS LIBERTY
REMEMBER THE USS LIBERTY
REMEMBER THE USS LIBERTY
REMEMBER THE USS LIBERTY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6ng5bgenmw
A comment on the Guardian CIF site from
geoffreyalderman 31 May 2010, 1:13PM
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2010/may/31/israel-troops-gaza-ships?showallcomments=true#end-of-comments
“London Declaration of 1909 “Concerning The Laws Of Naval War.” This stipulated that neutrals and belligerents were to be informed if a blockade [full or partial] was to be enforced. I think we can take it that this stipulation has been complied with in this case. The London Declaration also distinguished … between different types of contraband – absolute, conditional and “free-list.” Over time since the signing of this Declaration these distinctions have all but broken down, and nowadays customary international law regards pretty much all goods being transported in a neutral vessel to a belligerent as potential contraband. In my view Israel was within its rights in demanding that the vessels in the flotilla stop and subject themselves to search. If this search could, in the judgement of the Israelis, be carried out more easily in an Israeli port within reasonable distance, so be it. ”
I expect this is or will be soon the
Israeli justification for the attack.
It may well be. I’m missing the part where it says they can shoot civilians dead during (and before) boarding of their ships, when all those civilians have as ‘weapons’ are their fists and some bits of wood (as the Turkish tv videos show) rather than the guns the Israeli military claim they had.
Glad you’ll be at the demonstration Craig – wish i could be, but i’m too far away unfortunately.
Well said Duncan – Bravo!
mike cobley
It is not an insult, it is a statement of fact comming from their own mouths.
They make no secret of their loyalty to Israel, so why do you pretend they do?
GAaaaaah! – I should know better than to allow myself to provoked by arsalan’s troll-like behaviour but…
When you say ‘they’, who do you mean? Some party members of the Liberal Democrats, or all of them because they’re guilty by association? Come on, lets see some intellecual heft, here.
I mean them,
http://www.ldfi.org.uk/
and this them includes most of the top brass of the Libs.
So much so, that you can say “them” includes the whole party other then the odd few who have heard to hold their tongues and others who have been marginalised or expelled when they let go of their tongues.
Look mike, Israel this time Israel has killed people who matter. Not brown Palestinians, whose lives are worthless than those of cockroaches and rats. they have attacked a ship that carries white Christians on international waters.
It also carried whites from the UK who may well have been the casualties.
And what have we heard from the coalition government or the Libs who form a part of it?
They take their orders from Israel, not the electorate.
OK Arsalan… I took the bait and went to the LDFI website…. show me the membership list of ‘most of the top brass’… I saw Alan Beith and a few non entities … and a picture of a uncomfortable looking Nick Clegg stood near an LDFI stall at a conference… hardly overwhelming evidence. Where do we find the membership list ?
Mark Golding, your addled conspiracy-nut head had to bring up the USS Liberty, didn’t it?
This is a serious issue. Save your conspiracy theory bullshit.
So, the guys who rushed into a war against Iraq because of the conspiracies of a taxi driver are now “clarifying” laws that existed before they were all born.
BBC is now repeating an Israeli official or a hooligan who repeats that the civilians wanted to be attacked. Where did I hear that one before?
the reason for the poor uk govt response is that the israeli lobby has undue influence on UK as much as US politics….They can killl whom they choose when they choose and the UK will look to THE LOBBY for how to respond,..
the reason for the poor uk govt response is that the israeli lobby has undue influence on UK as much as US politics….They can killl whom they choose when they choose and the UK will look to THE LOBBY for how to respond,..
the reason for the poor uk govt response is that the israeli lobby has undue influence on UK as much as US politics….They can killl whom they choose when they choose and the UK will look to THE LOBBY for how to respond,.
My neighbour broke into my house last night, he raped my wife and took all my goods away. I’m going to wait until the police investigation is over before I decide how I feel about it.
The police told me that my neighbour has chosen to ignore the law regarding burglary, rape and theft and therefore can not do anything. So I guess everything is ok.
@Larry from St. Louis said:
“Mark Golding, your addled conspiracy-nut head had to bring up the USS Liberty, didn’t it?
This is a serious issue. Save your conspiracy theory bullshit.”
USS Liberty is not ‘conspiracy theory bullshit’, it is a matter of historical record. Why do you have a problem with that?
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=uss+liberty&x=0&y=0
‘One of the surviving crew of the USS Liberty, decorated Navy veteran Joe Meadors, was with the “Freedom Flotilla” when it was attacked.’
http://www.uss-liberty.com/2010/06/01/getting-away-with-murder/
Who said lightening doesn’t strike twice?
1. Not all writers are rich, but Craig is rich.
2. I am accessing the internet for free, when I have the chance.
3. The difference between national law and international law is this: national law can be enforced by government, international law cannot; international law can be disgarded at any time by a sovereign country declining to accept it; in democracies, national law has some moral legitimacy, but international law doesn’t.
4. I am not an Israeli apologist, but I have come to expect nothing but abuse from rich, privileged wankers whenever I offer an opinion that differs from the current PC view.
5. Craig, you are mega-rich in any sensible view of the world. Please send me an e-copy of your “Murder in Samarkand”. You know it’s the right thing to do.
This argument over ‘optional’ partaking of international law is a red herring.
Any country that is a member of the UN has to enforce the UN charter by law, and when there is a conflict with domestic laws, superceding those laws.
Israel is a member of the UN therefore it is obligated under the UN charter of human rights, UN resolutions and much much more.
Those promoting Israeli exceptionalism in this matter are deluded or lying through their teeth.
Israel is the number one criminal state on this planet, more so than North Korea or Iran. South Africa was better behaved than those evil buggers.
‘South Africa was better behaved than those evil buggers’
Obviously I meant Apartheid South Africa, another Zionist basket case of a country.
Barking Mad, that is an incredibly sane point.
If your LibDems are like our LibDems over here they’re a bunch of spineless bootlickers and equivocators.