US calls ICC decision to investigate Gaza "tragic irony"

The Times says that the investigation could take months or years. Writes Donald Johnson:

"I don't know if the Palestinians can trust the court. I don't know enough about the sorts of pressures that could be put on them and if they decide not to prosecute or worse, only prosecute Palestinians it would be a total disaster. The only good part about this is that Israel is worried, but it could backfire. We almost always know beyond a reasonable doubt when countries are guilty of war crimes -- it's not like the trial of an individual when one knows a murder has occurred but the guilt of a particular individual has to be established. Here, of course, the claim is that the murders were self defense or accidental, but that question only comes up in this case because Western countries have this elaborate charade in place where they can bomb when and where they want and pretend that civilian deaths were accidental and the fault of the 'terrorist' enemy. The State Department hack who raised the thousands of rockets issue and sided with Israel was what you'd expect, and it shows once again that the US government is hypocritical as always when it comes to terrorism."