CONGRESS' LATEST DISGRACE - Religionists vs. UN Gaza report
Re-reported, edited by Carolyn Bennett
Ros-Lehtinen, Berman, Burton, Ackerman - time to rein in this team of four - now, or November 2010
The Goldstone report concluded that, "while the Israeli Government sought to portray its operations as a response to rocket attacks in the exercise of its right to self-defense, the Israeli plan had been directed, at least in part, at the people of Gaza as a whole." The report pointed to the "treatment of many civilians (detained or killed while trying to surrender) as one manifestation that effective rules of engagement, standard operating procedures, instructions to the troops on the ground" had created "an environment in which regard for civilian lives and basic human dignity had been replaced with a disregard for basic international humanitarian law."
The report found that "the destruction of food supply installations, water sanitation systems, concrete factories and residential houses had been the result of a deliberate and systematic policy by the Israeli armed forces and not because those objects had presented a military threat." In its finding that "Palestinian armed groups [had] caused terror within Israel's civilian population through the launching of thousands of rockets and mortars into Israel since April 2001," the report concluded, "that both sides may thus have committed serious war crimes and possible crimes against humanity."
The United Nations fact-finding mission into the Gaza conflict - the conflict occurring December 27, 2008-January 18, 2009, and which has been covered mostly by the U.S. alternative media - had been mandated by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council based in Geneva. University of the London School of Economics and Political Science Professor of International Law Christine Chinkin; Advocate of the Pakistan Supreme Court and former Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders Hina Jilani; and Institute for International Criminal Investigations Board Member Colonel (retired) Desmond Travers served with Goldstone on the investigating team. Their 575-page report had been released in early September.
As September was ending, Justice Richard Goldstone, who had led the United Nations fact-finding mission into the Gaza conflict, was urging "an end to impunity" in human rights violations in Gaza.
After release of the report, Goldstone urged the Human Rights Council to implement several measures. Because neither the Government of Israel nor the responsible Palestinian authorities had carried out credible investigations into alleged violations uncovered in the investigation, Goldstone recommended referring the mission's report to the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council should require Israel and the authorities in Gaza to make follow up investigations into the mission's findings and report to the Security Council within six months. At the same time, the Security Council should set up a body of independent experts to report on Israeli/Palestinian investigations and prosecutions. If independent proceedings fail to occur in the six-month period, the Security Council should then refer the situation in Gaza to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court - the independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
It is this report issuing from the United Nations fact-finding mission into the Gaza conflict that religionists in the U.S. Congress are threatening to quash, nullify. The instrument of their nefarious mendacity is House Resolution 867.
The Resolution calls on U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the 'Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict' in multilateral fora." Sponsors of this pro-Israel/anti-Palestinian bit of "righteousness" are:
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-18th District)
Former Certified Florida School Teacher; Founder/Chief Administrator, Eastern Academy
Birthplace Havana, Cuba, home Miami, religious affiliation Christian/Protestant/Episcopalian
United States House Representatives tenure: first elected: August 29, 1989; last elected: November 4, 2008; next election: 2010
Representative Howard L. Berman (D-CA, 28th District)
Former Attorney, Labor Relations, Vista volunteer
Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA; home Panorama City; religious affiliation Jewish
United States House Representatives tenure: first elected: November 2, 1982; last elected: November 4, 2008; next election: 2010
Representative Dan L. Burton (R-IN, 5th District)
Former Businessman/Insurance/Real Estate Firm Owner (1968-present), Army reservist
Birthplace and home Indianapolis; religious affiliation Christian/Protestant
United States House Representatives tenure: first elected: ... 1982; last elected: November 4, 2008; next election: 2010
Representative Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY, 5th District)
Former Queens Newspaper Publisher, NYC public school teacher
Birthplace Brooklyn, home Queens, religious affiliation Jewish, International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians president
United States House Representatives tenure: first elected: March 1, 1983; last elected: November 4, 2008; next election: 2010
The independent global campaigning organization Avaaz.org points out that Congress should vote down Resolution 867 because it is seriously flawed. Resolution 867 undermines the process of international justice from the United States to world contexts of the Middle East, Darfur, Bosnia, Burma and Rwanda. Israel and the Palestinians must hold credible and independent investigations related to the United Nations fact-finding mission into the Gaza conflict's evidence of war crimes in Gaza.
"Evidence of war crimes such as those found by the United Nations cannot be ignored. Truth and justice are essential to lay the foundations for a lasting peace, and to deter violence in future."
Sources:
"Endorsing Gaza war report, UN Human Rights Council condemns Israel," http://www.un.org/mobile/news_fullstory.asp?NewsID=32578&Cr=palestine&Cr1=
"Head of UN rights probe into Gaza conflict urges accountability for war crimes," September, 29, 2009, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32339&Cr=palestin&Cr1=#
"Israelis, Palestinians continue to commit serious rights violations – UN," October 15, 2009, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32568&Cr=palestin&Cr1=
"Members of Congress are outrageously pushing a resolution to wreck the UN fact-finding mission which found evidence of war crimes on both sides during the Gaza war earlier this year," http://www.avaaz.org/en/hres_867
111th CONGRESS, 1st Session, "H. RES. 867 Calling on the President and the Secretary of State to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the 'Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict' in multilateral fora ,"
Congress Member Data collected from Project Vote Smart: http://www.votesmart.org/official_five_categories.php?dist=bio.php
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Dr. Carolyn LaDelle Bennett -author, independent journalist (585-442-8507), blogging at todaysmissingnews: http://todaysmissingnews.blogspot.com
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