The Irish Times reports that the Irish aid ship the MV Rachel Corrie is still steaming toward Gaza– and that Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Brian Cowen has warned Israel that “If any harm comes to any of our citizens, it will have the most serious consequences.”
HT: Paul Woodward for that.
The Irish do, of course, have a long memory of having been colonized by a bullying neighbor– who was also ready on occasion to use mass starvation as a mechanism of colonial control.
The Irish Times report tells us that the Rachel Corrie has five Irish nationals and five Malaysians aboard it. It had become separated from the other boats in the flotilla due to “logistical” problem. (Or perhaps to earlier Israeli sabotage?)
Five other Irish nationals were on other boats in the flotilla– the ones Israel has attacked and impounded. Among them is the amazing Caoimhe Butterly, a dedicated International Solidarity Movement organizer whom we had the honor of meeting when we were in Damascus last November.
The ISM is now listing Caoimhe (pronounced, roughly, “Queever”) as one of three key female ISM leaders who have not been heard of since yesterday’s murder-raid, and about whom they have great concern. I’m praying for their wellbeing– and for the wellbeing of all those injured in the attack or held incommunicado since it occurred.
The Israeli government had zero authority under international law to launch its assault on the boats in international waters, and zero legitimate authority to kidnap all those riding as passengers or crew members on them. These captive should all be freed immediately. Israel should also be required to provide a full accounting of what happened to all those who were killed or injured, and to cooperate with the international enquiry that needs to be launched into this grave breach of international law.
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Now if only Obama could actually show some guts and tell Netanyahu in no uncertain terms to “lay off” and that any further incident with the Rachael Corrie will lead to condemnation and cut off of all aid to Israel. But, I guess that that will happen when pigs fly.
Israel should also be required to provide a full accounting of what happened to all those who were killed or injured, and to cooperate with the international enquiry that needs to be launched into this grave breach of international law.
I heard yesterday that the EU is officially asking for an enquiry; same for all the EU government foreign ministers; Bernard Kouchner (a former humanitarian workers) was especially vocal; he also called for a lift of the Israelian blocus against Gaza.
But I was deeply deceived by those reactions. What !?? Gazan people are starving, they are kept unable to rebuilt their houses, they are threatened in their health because of the lack of medecine, but all the EU government are requesting is an enquiry ??!!!
It is not enough. Why is Kouchner – who used to be well known for his humanitarian coups – not asking for a spectacular action where the French government and the EU break that blocus and deliver aid, using escort ships if needed.
Same for the US : if they imagined the aerial bridge to break the blocus of Berlin, why can’t they do the same for Gaza ?
It was not long ago that Kouchner et al were proposing to use force to impose ‘humanitarian relief’ on Myanmar.