Obama Administration Calls for War Crimes Investigation in Gaza War

[keep_it_real]

But Remains Undecided on Any Prosecution of U.S. War Crimes Under the Bush Administration.

In a striking departure from the Bush Administration, Ambassador Susan E. Rice, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, called for an investigation into possible war crimes committed by Israel in the recent Gaza fighting. While correctly noting such violations by Hamas, Rice noted that there are now credible accounts that need to be investigated. The question is now whether the Administration will apply the same standard to the investigation and prosecution of war crimes that are now clearly identified in the Bush Administration involving an official torture program.

http://jonathanturley.org/2009/01/30/obama-administration-calls-for-war-crimes-investigation-in-gaza-war-but-remains-undecided-on-any-prosecution-of-us-war-crimes-under-the-bush-administration/

[msongs]

1. but not for war crimes of the bush administration. nice nt

[EFerrari]

4. Holder isn't on the job yet. Patience. n/t

[Thrill]

12. It makes no sense to say you're going to do that until Holder is confirmed

Look at the holdup thats going on now. If they said they were going to do that, it would take for ever to get Holder and his Deputy's confirmed.

[ShortnFiery]

2. OMG! I think Lanny Davis will go completely mad when he learns of this development.

[Hieronymus]

28. Good, I hope I get to see Lanny freak out.

[AtomicKitten]

3. An excellent move by Ms. Rice and quite a departure from U.S. policy.

I am still hopeful that BushCo will be prosecuted for war crimes, and I am grateful that Prof. Turley is making it his business to remind us why that is important.

on edit ----> K&R

[karynnj]

6. I agree - I like this Dr Rice!

Her confirmation hearing was outstanding. http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090115p.html
(click on the word "Nominations" Even the republicans liked her.

[AtomicKitten]

10. It it comforting to see the U.S. gravitating toward brilliance.

After decades of intelligence ridiculed and branded as elitism, I feel we are on track to make some smart moves as a nation for a change as opposed to kamikaze style governance.

:hi:

[karynnj]

15. I agree

I hope that Obama uses Dr Rice to engage many countries that have not trusted us in the past - often for good reasons. (South and Central America come to mind - I don't think that she ever was one who supported the Conntras or School for America. )

[shintao]

5. Whoooooo!

"Permanent UN representative??" That is bigger news than Gaza, and a closer to home. She needs to be removed, and whoever, whatever law put her ass there needs to be revoked.!


And maybe we should clean up our own war crime problems before worrying about a foreign country.

And maybe Israel will use US war crimes as a defense.

So Mr. Obama is being a hypocrite at this stage in the game.

And maybe Republicans in Congress should have a fire under their feet to let Holder pass or be brought up as accomplices to war crimes. Hmmm?

[pot luck]

7. This gives me some hope that Bush and his lackeys will be next. nt

[wroberts189]

8. If he is doing this ..bushie is next.

[Why Syzygy]

9. OMG

:wow:

Latch the gate against the RW fundies who are sure to start swarming.

[dgibby]

13. I'll bring the TROLLhouse cookies if you bring the pizza!

[cottonseed]

11. This is a pretty big move.

No need to shit on the Bush administration issues just yet. I wish the guy's administration's moves could be judged on there own merits without the extra comments, "But Remains Undecided on Any Prosecution of U.S. War Crimes Under the Bush Administration".

[Why Syzygy]

16. I caught that too.

It's really kind of insulting to readers, flying trial balloons from an unrelated story.
The article isn't about Bush era war crimes.

[CanonRay]

14. Maybe we should look in the mirror...

before we look at anyone else. IMHO

[zulchzulu]

17. Obama is playing good cop/bad cop with Bush crimes... this is a good development

Obama has stated there is more to do than investigate Bushco. The Justice department is doing that. They'll deliver the goods later.

This move to investigate war crimes is good if anything because if there aren't any war crimes committed by Israel, they should welcome the investigation. :hi:

[4lbs]

18. Precisely. Here's what I see happening.

Holder gets confirmed by the Senate and is officially the new head of the DoJ.

The Obama Administration makes a declarative statement that they don't feel they, the Administration, have enough jurisdiction to investigate Bush war crimes. However, they said that the President doesn't, and shouldn't, control the actions of the DoJ. Thus, Eric Holder then decides to investigate BushCo and appoint a special prosecutor. The Obama Administration will say that they won't stand in the way, because constitutionally, the President should not dictate what the US Attorney General does or doesn't do.

[WinkyDink]

19. We need a mirror first.

[BlooInBloo]

20. Psst.... Mr. President.... Are you looking *backwards* for *war crimes*?

EXCELLENT IDEA!

[Bullet1987]

21. I won't believe it until I see it from an actual news source (CNN, MSNBC, HUFFINGTON POST, POLITICO)

A blog entry means nothing. This will surely displease the AIPAC crowd.

[slipslidingaway]

22. We expect Israel to investigate???

http://www.state.gov/p/io/rls/rm/2009/115579.htm

"...The United States is deeply concerned Mr. President about the loss of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent weeks and the tragic suffering of Palestinian civilians, who require urgent humanitarian and reconstruction assistance. Violations of international humanitarian law have been perpetrated by Hamas through its rocket attacks against Israeli civilians in southern Israel and the use of civilian facilities to provide protection for its terrorist attacks. There have also been numerous allegations made against Israel some of which are deliberately designed to inflame. We expect Israel will meet its international obligations to investigate and we also call upon all members of the international community to refrain from politicizing these important issues..."

[MasonJar]

23. That will really look good at the UN and to the world at large..NOT! It does

not even look good to me, so how could it to less partisan personages?

[ProSense]

24. Why wouldn't it look good to the UN and the world?

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said there would also be a U.N. investigation of the deadly attacks on United Nations sites in the Gaza Strip.

link

People have a tendency to want alleged crimes investigated.

[MasonJar]

25. Just to clarify my former post. I am saying that if the USA will not

prosecute or at least actively investigate its own war crimes, it is hardly on substantial footing to call for the investigation of those of other countries. We cannot lead at all if we do NOT lead by example. Few will (and probably should not) care what we think.

[ProSense]

27. Agree, the U.S. must avoid being viewed as hypocrites. n/t

[CTLawGuy]

26. I now expect the "Obama is an anti-semite!" crowd to show up.

NT

[Hieronymus]

29. You can count on it.

[genna]

30. I don't think prosecutors should open their mouths until they have a case to present in open court

During the Clinton administration too many cases became political footballs. Waco, Elian Gonzales, and a few other choice cases were discussed in the public before the cases were brought before an impartial judge/jury. Let wrong doers have access to our Bill of Rights even when they didn't respect them.

If Justice Department is going to move forward on criminal conduct in the Bush administration, they should only discuss it when they have an indictment. I think what happened with Blagojevich is a sham and a disgrace in so far as the federal prosecutor decided to characterize the evidence for the public.


If anyone in the Bush admin. goes down, it should be according to the law and not some public witch hunt.

[Cali_Democrat]

31. somebody pinch me!!!

:D

[slipslidingaway]

32. Susan E. Rice - In her own words this is what she said...

http://www.state.gov/p/io/rls/rm/2009/115579.htm

We expect Israel.... to investigate

"The United States is deeply concerned Mr. President about the loss of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent weeks and the tragic suffering of Palestinian civilians, who require urgent humanitarian and reconstruction assistance. Violations of international humanitarian law have been perpetrated by Hamas through its rocket attacks against Israeli civilians in southern Israel and the use of civilian facilities to provide protection for its terrorist attacks. There have also been numerous allegations made against Israel some of which are deliberately designed to inflame. We expect Israel will meet its international obligations to investigate and we also call upon all members of the international community to refrain from politicizing these important issues."

[ProgressIn2008]

33. Misleading, if not outright falsehood - Rice called for **Israel** to investigate itself

Turley's piece is misleading. The relevant quote from Rice cited there:

The United States is deeply concerned Mr. President about the loss of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent weeks and the tragic suffering of Palestinian civilians, who require urgent humanitarian and reconstruction assistance. Violations of international humanitarian law have been perpetrated by Hamas through its rocket attacks against Israeli civilians in southern Israel and the use of civilian facilities to provide protection for its terrorist attacks. There have also been numerous allegations made against Israel some of which are deliberately designed to inflame. We expect Israel will meet its international obligations to investigate and we also call upon all members of the international community to refrain from politicizing these important issues.

The WP piece linked to has the headline: Israel must investigate charges of crimes in Gaza: U.S.

To say that this is the Obama administration calling for a war crimes investigation into the Gaza war is simply false.

Sorry, I know this won't please some, but I'm becoming very very aware of the need to read the fine print lately. This is not a call for any kind of independent war crimes tribunal in accordance with international law. This is precisely why the admin must be pressured by people who do care about human rights -- that's our job.

[slipslidingaway]

34. My thoughts as well n/t