Turkey Tries IDF Commanders in Absentia
Symbolic trial in Istanbul.
by Stephen Lendman
On May 31, 2010, Israeli commandos lawlessly interdicted Freedom Flotilla vessels in international waters. They were bringing humanitarian aid to besieged Gazans.
They attacked and murdered nine Turkish nationals aboard the Mavi Marmara mother ship. Dozens of others were wounded. Everyone on board was arrested, imprisoned in Israel for days, harshly treated, and summarily deported.
What happened was a well planned premeditated attack. Unarmed, nonviolent humanitarian activists were targeted. Cold-blooded murder followed.
In September 2010, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) issued damning findings. They described "a series of violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, were committed by the Israeli forces during the interception of the flotilla and during the detention of passengers in Israel prior to deportation."Israel's interdiction was lawless "since there was no legal basis for the Israeli forces to conduct an assault and interception in international waters."
In doing so, Israel was "obligated" to respect international law and its own "international human rights obligations."
Israeli force "was unnecessary, disproportionate, excessive, inappropriate and resulted in the wholly avoidable killing and maiming of a large number of civilian passengers."
Israel made "a deliberate attempt....to suppress or destroy evidence." It fabricated its own version of events. They included fake videos and other falsified materials.
Despite indisputable crimes against humanity and high-seas piracy, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed his own pro-Israeli commission. He spurned justice in the process.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer chaired it. Notorious human rights violator Alvaro Uribe was vice chairman. Formerly he was Colombia's president. He ranks among the region's worst scoundrels. He should be in prison, not impaneled to judge others.
His resume includes horrendous human rights abuses, murder, corruption and scandal, along with close ties to drug lords and paramilitary death squads. He also supports the worst of US and Israeli crimes.
He, Palmer, and two other Ban appointees absolved Israel of cold-blooded murder.
