14:59 GMT, Thursday, 27 August 2009 15:59 UK
Press commentators across much of the Middle East say little good will come of talks held this week between Western officials and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Two Egyptian papers say Mr Netanyahu was trying to "swindle" the West with his current stance on Israeli settlements, while a Jordanian commentator accused him of "manoeuvring" and trying to delay meaningful peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, Israeli commentators have focused on the potential details of a US-Israeli agreement to halt settlement building, and what they see as a softening in Netanyahu's approach to the issue since he came to power.
HAFITH AL-BARGHUTHI IN PALESTINIAN AL-HAYAT AL-JADIDAH
The outcome of the London meeting between Netanyahu and Mitchell is not important because the Israeli government wants to continue the construction of the settlements under the guise of completing current projects.
EGYPT'S AL-AHRAM
Netanyahu insists on eluding international resolutions and swindling the USA and Western countries which are requesting a freeze on all forms settlement activities. He promised not to build new settlements if the peace process was resumed, yet he insists on expanding existing ones.
MUHAMMAD ABU-AL-HADID IN EGYPT'S AL-JUMHURIYAH
Netanyahu is still the biggest swindler when it comes to peace talks. Like he did before, he is wasting time in manoeuvres and side issues… the game we have come to know by heart will be repeated.
EGYPT'S AL-JUMHURIYAH
Netanyahu's positions against peace are well known. These positions require a strong stance from his European hosts… the international community is fed up with its hostile policies and continuous refusal of peace initiatives.
JORDAN'S AL-DUSTUR
Netanyahu's statements in London yesterday confirm that Israel is continuing with its hostile policies.
MUHAMMAD KA'USH IN JORDAN'S AL-ARAB AL-YAWM:
Netanyahu is manoeuvring, eluding and wants to draw attention to side issues to buy more time and create new facts on the ground on Palestinian land. This will extinguish any hope that a state or even autonomy could be created.
MAYA BENGAL IN ISRAEL'S MA'ARIV
If the Americans accept the Israeli proposal, this will be an achievement for Netanyahu… On the other hand, Netanyahu will become the first prime minister who officially agreed to freeze construction of other buildings in the settlements.
DOUGLAS BLOOMFIELD IN ISRAEL'S JERUSALEM POST
Despite his initially defiant tone on settlements, Netanyahu is now boasting that he hasn't issued a single new building permit since taking office, and tenders for new construction are suspended until 2010.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Israel Violates International Law With EU Complicity
BARCELONA - Things are worsening for Israel from moral and legal perspectives. In fact, one year after the Goldstone Report on its ‘war crimes’ during its war on Gaza and amidst growing suspicionsof its direct responsibility in the assassination of a Palestinian leader in Dubai, an international court has now concluded that Israel is violating international law with Europe’s complicity.
Badriya Khan, Centre for Research on Globalization, 7 March 2010
The European Union (EU) is an accomplice of Israel in its proven violations of international law, as it legitimised Israeli actions in the Palestinian occupied territories and provided support to it, according to the findings of the Russel Tribunal on Palestine (RTP), which met in Barcelona March 1-3.
The Tribunal concluded that Israel has committed and continues to commit violations of international law, while the EU and its member states have breached this law and failed to take measures against Israeli violations and identify remedies.
The RTP, which was set up by late British philosopher, mathematician, historian, pacifist and social critic Bertrand Russell to judge the Vietnam War from the perspective of international law, has also stated that “Israel practices a systematic policy of discrimination with the Palestinian population by closing Gaza's borders and limiting the movement of people across the territory.”
The RTP is an international citizen-based “Tribunal of conscience” created in response to the demands of civil society. It is imbued with the same spirit and espouses the same rigorous rules as those inherited from the Tribunal by Bertrand Russell on Vietnam (1966-1967) and the Russell Tribunal II on Latin America (1974-1976).
Its members include Nobel laureates, a former UN Secretary-General, a former UN Under-Secretary-General, two former heads of state, other persons who held high political office and many representatives of civil society, writers, journalists, poets, actors, film directors, scientists, professors, lawyers and judges.
International public law constitutes the legal frame of reference for the RTP.
In its conclusions, the Russel Tribunal takes it as an established fact that some aspects of Israel’s behavior have already been characterized as violations of international law by a number of international bodies, including the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Grave Breaches, Apartheid
Having taken note of reports and heard witnesses, the RTP finds that “Israel has committed and continues to commit grave breaches of international law against the Palestinian people.”
According to the RTP, Israel violates international law:
By maintaining a form of domination and subjugation over the Palestinians that prevents them from freely determining their political status, Israel violates the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination inasmuch as it is unable to exercise its sovereignty on the territory which belongs to it.
This violates the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples and all UN General Assembly resolutions that have reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination since 1969.
By occupying Palestinian territories since June 1967 and refusing to leave them, Israel violates the Security Council resolutions that demand its withdrawal from those territories.
By pursuing a policy of systematic discrimination against Palestinians in Israeli territory or in the occupied territories, Israel commits acts that may be characterised as apartheid; these acts include:
– the closure of the borders of the Gaza Strip and restrictions on the freedom of movement of its inhabitants;
– the prevention of the return of Palestinian refugees to their home or land of origin;
– the prohibition on the free use by Palestinians of certain natural resources such as the watercourses within their land.
“Given the discriminatory nature of these measures, since they are based, inter alia, on the nationality of the persons to whom they are applied, the RTP finds that they present features comparable to apartheid, even though they do not emanate from an identical political regime to that prevailing in South Africa prior to 1994”.
Criminal Acts
The Tribunal concludes that these measures are characterised as “criminal acts” by the Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid of July 18, 1976, “which is not in fact binding on Israel, though this does not exonerate Israel in that regard”. In particular:
By annexing Jerusalem in July 1980 and maintaining the annexation, Israel violates the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force, as stated by the Security Council.
By constructing a Wall in the West Bank on Palestinian territory that it occupies, Israel denies the Palestinians access to their own land, violates their property rights and seriously restricts the freedom of movement of the Palestinian population, thereby violating article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights to which Israel has been a party since 3 October 1991.
The illegality of the construction of the Wall was confirmed by the ICJ in its Advisory Opinion of July 9, 2004, which was endorsed by the UNGA in its resolution ES-10/15.
By systematically building settlements in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israel breaches the rules of international humanitarian law governing occupation, in particular article 49 of the Fourth General Convention of 12 August 1949, by which Israel has been bound since 6 July 1951. This point was noted by the ICJ.
By pursuing a policy of targeted killings against Palestinians whom it describes as “terrorists” without first attempting to arrest them, Israel violates the right to life of the persons concerned, a right enshrined in article 6 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
By maintaining a blockade on the Gaza Strip in breach of the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949 (art. 33), which prohibits collective punishment.
By inflicting extensive and serious damage, especially on persons and civilian property, and by using prohibited methods of combat during operation “Cast Lead” in Gaza (December 2008-January 2009).
EU Violations
While the EU and its member states are not the direct perpetrators of these acts, “they nevertheless violate international law and the internal legal order of the EU as set down in the EU Treaty either by failing to take the measures that Israel’s conduct requires them to take or by contributing directly or indirectly to such conduct,” underlines the RTP.
It adds that Israel’s violations of international law are frequently violations of “peremptory norms” of international law: “targeted killings that violate the right to life, deprivation of the liberty of Palestinians in conditions that violate the prohibition of torture, violation of the right of peoples to self-determination, living conditions imposed on a people that constitute a type of “apartheid.”
“The EU and its member states are therefore under an obligation to react in application of international law to prevent violations of peremptory norms of international law and to counteract their consequences,” concludes the Tribunal.
“By failing to take appropriate action to that end, the EU and its member states are breaching an elementary obligation of due diligence pertaining to respect for the most fundamental rules of international law.”
The RTP considered that this obligation to react implies, in accordance with the rules of good faith and due diligence, the obligation to ensure that the reaction against violations of peremptory norms of international law complies with the principle of reasonable effectiveness.
“To that end, the EU and its member states must use all available legal channels to ensure that Israel respects international law. It therefore calls for a response that goes beyond mere declarations condemning the breaches of international law committed by Israel.”
Of course, the RTP takes note of these declarations, “but they are no more than a first step when it comes to meeting the international obligations of the EU and its member states; they are not fully performing the duty of reaction imposed by the rules of international law.”
Lastly, the RTP emphasised that the obligation to react against violations of peremptory norms of international law must be subject to a rule of non-discrimination and of unacceptability of double standards.
“The RTP is perfectly well aware that states have not codified a rule of equidistance in respect of the obligation to react, but it holds that such a rule is inferable as a matter of course from the principles of good faith and reasonable interpretation of international law: refusing to accept it will inevitably lead to “a result which is manifestly absurd or unreasonable” and which is ruled out by treaty law”.
EU Discrimination
In these circumstances, “the RTP considered that it is unacceptable and contrary to the aforementioned juridical logic for the EU to suspend its relations, de facto, with Palestine when Hamas was elected in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to maintain them with a state that violates international law on a far greater scale than Hamas.”
Regarding the failure by the EU and its member states “to refrain from contributing to the violations of international law committed by Israel”, the RTP noted that “reports by experts have brought to light passive and active forms of assistance by the EU and its member states for violations of international law by Israel.”
For these acts to qualify as “unlawful assistance or aid to Israel”, two conditions must be met: the state providing assistance must do so with the intention of facilitating the wrongful act attributable to Israel and it must do so knowingly, according to the RTP.
EU Complicity
The RTP explains that the EU and its member states could not have been unaware that some forms of assistance to Israel contributed or would perforce contribute to certain wrongful acts committed by Israel. This is applicable to:
– exports of military equipment to a state that has maintained an illegal occupation for more than forty years;
– imports of produce from settlements located in occupied territories and no real control by the customs authorities of EU member states of the origin of such produce;
– evidence of a report repressed in 2005 and repeated internal reports by EU officials to EU bodies listing violations accurately, only to be ignored by those bodies.
In both cases, this conduct “contributed significantly to the wrongful acts committed by Israel” even if they did not directly cause such acts, and it is reasonable to assume that the EU could not possibly have been unaware of this.
“In these cases, the EU may be held to have been complicit in the wrongful act committed by Israel and hence to incur responsibility,” the Tribunal emphasised.
Moreover, the participation of Israeli settlements in European research programmes, the failure of the EU to complain during the “Cast Lead” operation about the destruction by Israel of infrastructure that the EU had funded in Gaza, and the (proposed) upgrading of bilateral relations between the EU and Israel, it stressed, are characterised by a number of experts as assistance to Israel in its alleged violations of international law.
Even if the acts of the EU and its member states do not contribute directly to Israeli violations of international law, “they provide a form of security for Israel’s policy and encourage it to violate international law because they cast the EU and its member states in the role of approving spectators.”
“The silence of the EU and its member states seems like tacit approval or a sign of acceptance of violations of international law by Israel,” the Russel Tribunal judged.
“As it is inconceivable that the EU and its member states are unaware of the violations of international law being committed by Israel,” the RTP concludes that the acts in question constitute wrongful assistance to Israel within the meaning of aforementioned article 16 of the UN-International Law Commission draft articles on state responsibility. (IDN-InDepthNews/05.03.2010).
Badriya Khan is a veteran political analyst.
Badriya Khan, Centre for Research on Globalization, 7 March 2010
The European Union (EU) is an accomplice of Israel in its proven violations of international law, as it legitimised Israeli actions in the Palestinian occupied territories and provided support to it, according to the findings of the Russel Tribunal on Palestine (RTP), which met in Barcelona March 1-3.
The Tribunal concluded that Israel has committed and continues to commit violations of international law, while the EU and its member states have breached this law and failed to take measures against Israeli violations and identify remedies.
The RTP, which was set up by late British philosopher, mathematician, historian, pacifist and social critic Bertrand Russell to judge the Vietnam War from the perspective of international law, has also stated that “Israel practices a systematic policy of discrimination with the Palestinian population by closing Gaza's borders and limiting the movement of people across the territory.”
The RTP is an international citizen-based “Tribunal of conscience” created in response to the demands of civil society. It is imbued with the same spirit and espouses the same rigorous rules as those inherited from the Tribunal by Bertrand Russell on Vietnam (1966-1967) and the Russell Tribunal II on Latin America (1974-1976).
Its members include Nobel laureates, a former UN Secretary-General, a former UN Under-Secretary-General, two former heads of state, other persons who held high political office and many representatives of civil society, writers, journalists, poets, actors, film directors, scientists, professors, lawyers and judges.
International public law constitutes the legal frame of reference for the RTP.
In its conclusions, the Russel Tribunal takes it as an established fact that some aspects of Israel’s behavior have already been characterized as violations of international law by a number of international bodies, including the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Grave Breaches, Apartheid
Having taken note of reports and heard witnesses, the RTP finds that “Israel has committed and continues to commit grave breaches of international law against the Palestinian people.”
According to the RTP, Israel violates international law:
By maintaining a form of domination and subjugation over the Palestinians that prevents them from freely determining their political status, Israel violates the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination inasmuch as it is unable to exercise its sovereignty on the territory which belongs to it.
This violates the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples and all UN General Assembly resolutions that have reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination since 1969.
By occupying Palestinian territories since June 1967 and refusing to leave them, Israel violates the Security Council resolutions that demand its withdrawal from those territories.
By pursuing a policy of systematic discrimination against Palestinians in Israeli territory or in the occupied territories, Israel commits acts that may be characterised as apartheid; these acts include:
– the closure of the borders of the Gaza Strip and restrictions on the freedom of movement of its inhabitants;
– the prevention of the return of Palestinian refugees to their home or land of origin;
– the prohibition on the free use by Palestinians of certain natural resources such as the watercourses within their land.
“Given the discriminatory nature of these measures, since they are based, inter alia, on the nationality of the persons to whom they are applied, the RTP finds that they present features comparable to apartheid, even though they do not emanate from an identical political regime to that prevailing in South Africa prior to 1994”.
Criminal Acts
The Tribunal concludes that these measures are characterised as “criminal acts” by the Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid of July 18, 1976, “which is not in fact binding on Israel, though this does not exonerate Israel in that regard”. In particular:
By annexing Jerusalem in July 1980 and maintaining the annexation, Israel violates the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force, as stated by the Security Council.
By constructing a Wall in the West Bank on Palestinian territory that it occupies, Israel denies the Palestinians access to their own land, violates their property rights and seriously restricts the freedom of movement of the Palestinian population, thereby violating article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights to which Israel has been a party since 3 October 1991.
The illegality of the construction of the Wall was confirmed by the ICJ in its Advisory Opinion of July 9, 2004, which was endorsed by the UNGA in its resolution ES-10/15.
By systematically building settlements in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israel breaches the rules of international humanitarian law governing occupation, in particular article 49 of the Fourth General Convention of 12 August 1949, by which Israel has been bound since 6 July 1951. This point was noted by the ICJ.
By pursuing a policy of targeted killings against Palestinians whom it describes as “terrorists” without first attempting to arrest them, Israel violates the right to life of the persons concerned, a right enshrined in article 6 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
By maintaining a blockade on the Gaza Strip in breach of the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949 (art. 33), which prohibits collective punishment.
By inflicting extensive and serious damage, especially on persons and civilian property, and by using prohibited methods of combat during operation “Cast Lead” in Gaza (December 2008-January 2009).
EU Violations
While the EU and its member states are not the direct perpetrators of these acts, “they nevertheless violate international law and the internal legal order of the EU as set down in the EU Treaty either by failing to take the measures that Israel’s conduct requires them to take or by contributing directly or indirectly to such conduct,” underlines the RTP.
It adds that Israel’s violations of international law are frequently violations of “peremptory norms” of international law: “targeted killings that violate the right to life, deprivation of the liberty of Palestinians in conditions that violate the prohibition of torture, violation of the right of peoples to self-determination, living conditions imposed on a people that constitute a type of “apartheid.”
“The EU and its member states are therefore under an obligation to react in application of international law to prevent violations of peremptory norms of international law and to counteract their consequences,” concludes the Tribunal.
“By failing to take appropriate action to that end, the EU and its member states are breaching an elementary obligation of due diligence pertaining to respect for the most fundamental rules of international law.”
The RTP considered that this obligation to react implies, in accordance with the rules of good faith and due diligence, the obligation to ensure that the reaction against violations of peremptory norms of international law complies with the principle of reasonable effectiveness.
“To that end, the EU and its member states must use all available legal channels to ensure that Israel respects international law. It therefore calls for a response that goes beyond mere declarations condemning the breaches of international law committed by Israel.”
Of course, the RTP takes note of these declarations, “but they are no more than a first step when it comes to meeting the international obligations of the EU and its member states; they are not fully performing the duty of reaction imposed by the rules of international law.”
Lastly, the RTP emphasised that the obligation to react against violations of peremptory norms of international law must be subject to a rule of non-discrimination and of unacceptability of double standards.
“The RTP is perfectly well aware that states have not codified a rule of equidistance in respect of the obligation to react, but it holds that such a rule is inferable as a matter of course from the principles of good faith and reasonable interpretation of international law: refusing to accept it will inevitably lead to “a result which is manifestly absurd or unreasonable” and which is ruled out by treaty law”.
EU Discrimination
In these circumstances, “the RTP considered that it is unacceptable and contrary to the aforementioned juridical logic for the EU to suspend its relations, de facto, with Palestine when Hamas was elected in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to maintain them with a state that violates international law on a far greater scale than Hamas.”
Regarding the failure by the EU and its member states “to refrain from contributing to the violations of international law committed by Israel”, the RTP noted that “reports by experts have brought to light passive and active forms of assistance by the EU and its member states for violations of international law by Israel.”
For these acts to qualify as “unlawful assistance or aid to Israel”, two conditions must be met: the state providing assistance must do so with the intention of facilitating the wrongful act attributable to Israel and it must do so knowingly, according to the RTP.
EU Complicity
The RTP explains that the EU and its member states could not have been unaware that some forms of assistance to Israel contributed or would perforce contribute to certain wrongful acts committed by Israel. This is applicable to:
– exports of military equipment to a state that has maintained an illegal occupation for more than forty years;
– imports of produce from settlements located in occupied territories and no real control by the customs authorities of EU member states of the origin of such produce;
– evidence of a report repressed in 2005 and repeated internal reports by EU officials to EU bodies listing violations accurately, only to be ignored by those bodies.
In both cases, this conduct “contributed significantly to the wrongful acts committed by Israel” even if they did not directly cause such acts, and it is reasonable to assume that the EU could not possibly have been unaware of this.
“In these cases, the EU may be held to have been complicit in the wrongful act committed by Israel and hence to incur responsibility,” the Tribunal emphasised.
Moreover, the participation of Israeli settlements in European research programmes, the failure of the EU to complain during the “Cast Lead” operation about the destruction by Israel of infrastructure that the EU had funded in Gaza, and the (proposed) upgrading of bilateral relations between the EU and Israel, it stressed, are characterised by a number of experts as assistance to Israel in its alleged violations of international law.
Even if the acts of the EU and its member states do not contribute directly to Israeli violations of international law, “they provide a form of security for Israel’s policy and encourage it to violate international law because they cast the EU and its member states in the role of approving spectators.”
“The silence of the EU and its member states seems like tacit approval or a sign of acceptance of violations of international law by Israel,” the Russel Tribunal judged.
“As it is inconceivable that the EU and its member states are unaware of the violations of international law being committed by Israel,” the RTP concludes that the acts in question constitute wrongful assistance to Israel within the meaning of aforementioned article 16 of the UN-International Law Commission draft articles on state responsibility. (IDN-InDepthNews/05.03.2010).
Badriya Khan is a veteran political analyst.
Dubai charges Israel with vast passport falsification
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:29:24 GMT
The United Arab Emirates police have accused Israel of vast falsification of Western passports that was discovered after a January assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai.
"I ring alarm bells. Israel is falsifying Western passports on a large scale. We discover forged passports on a daily basis," said Dubai police Chief Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim on Tuesday.
"The world must stop an operation of vast falsification of official documents (that) a formal body (Israel's spy agency Mossad) is carrying out," he added.
Dubai police have formerly accused Mossad spy agency of being behind the terrorist killing of Hamas commander Mahmud al-Mabhuh who was drugged and then suffocated in his hotel room in January 19.
The police released photos and information of 27 suspects, who entered Dubai on fake passports, using the identities of 12 individuals from Britain, six from Ireland, four from France, three from Australia, and a German.
The international police agency Interpol named a fourth Australian passport holder in connection with the terror killing of al- Mabhuh on Tuesday, Australian officials said.
The Australian government said it believed Mr Krycer's passport was forged, like other false documents used in the plot.
"There is no information to suggest that Mr Krycer, as with any of the other three Australian passport-holders, was involved in any way, other than as victims of identity fraud," said Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.
Interpol issued arrest notices Monday for 16 suspects wanted over the murder. It had previously issued notices for 11 other suspects in connection with the terror killing.
The United Arab Emirates police have accused Israel of vast falsification of Western passports that was discovered after a January assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai.
"I ring alarm bells. Israel is falsifying Western passports on a large scale. We discover forged passports on a daily basis," said Dubai police Chief Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim on Tuesday.
"The world must stop an operation of vast falsification of official documents (that) a formal body (Israel's spy agency Mossad) is carrying out," he added.
Dubai police have formerly accused Mossad spy agency of being behind the terrorist killing of Hamas commander Mahmud al-Mabhuh who was drugged and then suffocated in his hotel room in January 19.
The police released photos and information of 27 suspects, who entered Dubai on fake passports, using the identities of 12 individuals from Britain, six from Ireland, four from France, three from Australia, and a German.
The international police agency Interpol named a fourth Australian passport holder in connection with the terror killing of al- Mabhuh on Tuesday, Australian officials said.
The Australian government said it believed Mr Krycer's passport was forged, like other false documents used in the plot.
"There is no information to suggest that Mr Krycer, as with any of the other three Australian passport-holders, was involved in any way, other than as victims of identity fraud," said Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.
Interpol issued arrest notices Monday for 16 suspects wanted over the murder. It had previously issued notices for 11 other suspects in connection with the terror killing.
Airport scanners violate rights: UN official
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:14:01 GMT
A senior official in the United Nations has warned that the growing use of full body scanners at airports breaches individual rights.
Martin Scheinin, the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur, said the scanners are more of a political response to terrorist attacks than a carefully designed security measure.
He added that the technology which intrudes excessively into individual privacy is also ineffective in preventing terrorism.
Not only are they "ineffective in detecting a genuine terrorist threat" but they also create "a false feeling of security and allow the real terrorists to adapt their tactics to the technology in use."
Scheinin also told journalists that although the scanners violate human rights generally, there are "particular sensitivities in respect of women, certain religions and certain cultural backgrounds."
The top official, who has been in charge of monitoring the impact of anti-terror measures on individual freedoms for the last five years, suggested that other existing detection technologies which do not harm privacy should be used instead.
Scheinin's comments come just days after the US Transportation Security Administration announced that eleven more airports will begin using the technology soon.
The full-body scanners, otherwise known as the "virtual strip searching," see through clothing to produce images of the whole body.
The plan to use the device at airports was introduced after the failed Christmas Day bombing of a US-bound airliner by a young Nigerian man.
A senior official in the United Nations has warned that the growing use of full body scanners at airports breaches individual rights.
Martin Scheinin, the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur, said the scanners are more of a political response to terrorist attacks than a carefully designed security measure.
He added that the technology which intrudes excessively into individual privacy is also ineffective in preventing terrorism.
Not only are they "ineffective in detecting a genuine terrorist threat" but they also create "a false feeling of security and allow the real terrorists to adapt their tactics to the technology in use."
Scheinin also told journalists that although the scanners violate human rights generally, there are "particular sensitivities in respect of women, certain religions and certain cultural backgrounds."
The top official, who has been in charge of monitoring the impact of anti-terror measures on individual freedoms for the last five years, suggested that other existing detection technologies which do not harm privacy should be used instead.
Scheinin's comments come just days after the US Transportation Security Administration announced that eleven more airports will begin using the technology soon.
The full-body scanners, otherwise known as the "virtual strip searching," see through clothing to produce images of the whole body.
The plan to use the device at airports was introduced after the failed Christmas Day bombing of a US-bound airliner by a young Nigerian man.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Ireland says Israeli siege on Gaza 'medieval'
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:56:54 GMT
Ireland blasts the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip as "medieval," urging the European Union to pressure Tel Aviv into easing the restrictions.
"I genuinely believe that the medieval siege conditions being imposed on the people of Gaza are unacceptable," wrote Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, in an opinion piece published in the International Herald Tribune.
The already-impoverished coastal sliver has endured almost three years of an Israeli-imposed blockade which has deprived it of its most direly-needed requirements.
The siege has pushed some 80 percent of Gaza's nearly 1.5-million population below the poverty line, leaving more than half of them jobless.
Martin, who was to the enclave last week, added that "the tragedy of Gaza is that it is fast in danger of becoming a tolerated humanitarian crisis."
The situation, he said, "is proving extremely difficult to remedy or ameliorate due to the blockade and the wider ramifications of efforts to try and achieve political progress in the Middle East."
The siege lasted during the December 2008-January 2009 Israeli bombardment of Gaza which lasted for three weeks and killed more than 1,400 Palestinians.
"The European Union and the international community simply must do more to increase the pressure for the ending of the blockade and the opening of the border crossings to normal commercial and humanitarian traffic."
Ireland blasts the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip as "medieval," urging the European Union to pressure Tel Aviv into easing the restrictions.
"I genuinely believe that the medieval siege conditions being imposed on the people of Gaza are unacceptable," wrote Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, in an opinion piece published in the International Herald Tribune.
The already-impoverished coastal sliver has endured almost three years of an Israeli-imposed blockade which has deprived it of its most direly-needed requirements.
The siege has pushed some 80 percent of Gaza's nearly 1.5-million population below the poverty line, leaving more than half of them jobless.
Martin, who was to the enclave last week, added that "the tragedy of Gaza is that it is fast in danger of becoming a tolerated humanitarian crisis."
The situation, he said, "is proving extremely difficult to remedy or ameliorate due to the blockade and the wider ramifications of efforts to try and achieve political progress in the Middle East."
The siege lasted during the December 2008-January 2009 Israeli bombardment of Gaza which lasted for three weeks and killed more than 1,400 Palestinians.
"The European Union and the international community simply must do more to increase the pressure for the ending of the blockade and the opening of the border crossings to normal commercial and humanitarian traffic."
Russia slams Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:44:29 GMT
Russia has expressed concern over Israel's repeated violations of the Lebanese airspace and sovereignty in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.
In a statement on Thursday, Deputy Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yakovenko said that Israel's non-abidance by the UN Resolution 1701 is manifested in its continued violation of the Lebanese airspace and the refusal to withdraw from al-Ghajar town.
He added that the Security Council will be looking into a report prepared by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about the implementation of Resolution 1701 and the conflict in the Middle East.
Yakovenko also noted that Israel's settlement activities in Palestine are a serious obstacle to the Mideast peace process.
Israeli fighter jets invade Lebanese airspace almost on a daily basis and break sound barriers over several villages in southern parts of the country. The violations come amid heightened concern in Lebanon over recent Israeli threats and provocations against the country.
The UN considers the Israeli violation of Lebanese airspace to be against Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the Israeli offensive against Lebanon in 2006.
Russia has expressed concern over Israel's repeated violations of the Lebanese airspace and sovereignty in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.
In a statement on Thursday, Deputy Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yakovenko said that Israel's non-abidance by the UN Resolution 1701 is manifested in its continued violation of the Lebanese airspace and the refusal to withdraw from al-Ghajar town.
He added that the Security Council will be looking into a report prepared by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about the implementation of Resolution 1701 and the conflict in the Middle East.
Yakovenko also noted that Israel's settlement activities in Palestine are a serious obstacle to the Mideast peace process.
Israeli fighter jets invade Lebanese airspace almost on a daily basis and break sound barriers over several villages in southern parts of the country. The violations come amid heightened concern in Lebanon over recent Israeli threats and provocations against the country.
The UN considers the Israeli violation of Lebanese airspace to be against Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the Israeli offensive against Lebanon in 2006.
Iran wants IAEA to switch concern to Israel
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:36:50 GMT
Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has urged the top nuclear body to switch its focus from Syria's atomic work to Israel's nuclear arsenal as the main cause for concern.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh read out a statement in the Thursday meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on the implementation of the Safeguards Agreements in Syria.
In the statement, Soltanieh said that Iran was "deeply concerned" about the IAEA's verification measures which, he said have shifted focus from Israel's nuclear work as the main source of problem to "secondary technical" issues.
"The core problem is, in fact, the Zionist regime of Israel's offensive against Syria which is a blatant violation of the UN Charter and the international law including the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency," Fars News Agency quoted Soltanieh as saying on Thursday.
In September 2007, Israeli warplanes destroyed Syria's al-Kibar military site blaming the country for harboring a nuclear reactor there, a claim rejected by Syria.
Soltanieh then accused Israel and its allies of having engaged the IAEA in a made-up scenario by raising "false claims" against Syria.
"Meanwhile, those member states who cry foul over Syria ['s nuclear work] have turned a blind eye to the Israeli regime's nuclear arsenal, which poses a serious threat to both regional and global peace and security," he said.
An IAEA report by Director General Yukiya Amano said in February that uranium particles found at the Syrian complex suggest the possibility of covert nuclear activity at the site.
In response to the report, Syria said that unlike Israel, it was "committed to the non-proliferation agreement," reiterating that its nuclear work is totally peaceful.
Israel, the world's sixth largest nuclear weapons power, maintains a policy known as "nuclear ambiguity" and continues to remain outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has urged the top nuclear body to switch its focus from Syria's atomic work to Israel's nuclear arsenal as the main cause for concern.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh read out a statement in the Thursday meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on the implementation of the Safeguards Agreements in Syria.
In the statement, Soltanieh said that Iran was "deeply concerned" about the IAEA's verification measures which, he said have shifted focus from Israel's nuclear work as the main source of problem to "secondary technical" issues.
"The core problem is, in fact, the Zionist regime of Israel's offensive against Syria which is a blatant violation of the UN Charter and the international law including the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency," Fars News Agency quoted Soltanieh as saying on Thursday.
In September 2007, Israeli warplanes destroyed Syria's al-Kibar military site blaming the country for harboring a nuclear reactor there, a claim rejected by Syria.
Soltanieh then accused Israel and its allies of having engaged the IAEA in a made-up scenario by raising "false claims" against Syria.
"Meanwhile, those member states who cry foul over Syria ['s nuclear work] have turned a blind eye to the Israeli regime's nuclear arsenal, which poses a serious threat to both regional and global peace and security," he said.
An IAEA report by Director General Yukiya Amano said in February that uranium particles found at the Syrian complex suggest the possibility of covert nuclear activity at the site.
In response to the report, Syria said that unlike Israel, it was "committed to the non-proliferation agreement," reiterating that its nuclear work is totally peaceful.
Israel, the world's sixth largest nuclear weapons power, maintains a policy known as "nuclear ambiguity" and continues to remain outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Abbas: Israel igniting religious war in ME
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:47:58 GMT
Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the Israeli crackdown on Palestinian demonstrators describing it as an act 'aimed at damaging the chances to resume the peace process.'
On Friday, Israeli troops surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the early morning hours raided the compound of the holy site in the occupied East Jerusalem (Al-Quds) and cordoned off the premises to push out the Palestinian worshippers who had gathered for the weekly Friday prayers.
The move triggered protests that quickly turned violent after Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at demonstrators, leaving 60 Palestinians injured.
"Today's events were aimed at damaging the chances of resuming the peace process and Israel is crossing all the red lines — after the Arab League's monitoring committee recommended that the negotiations between the sides be resumed," said a statement by Abbas' office in Ramallah.
The Western-backed Fatah leader also called on Washington to "stop the adventure which may ignite a religious war in the region" and urged the international community to "take responsibility and stop the Israeli recklessness, which may have serious implications on the entire region and on peace and security in the entire world."
On Wednesday, the Arab League foreign ministers meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo expressed their support for a US proposal regarding indirect Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
Members of the Arab League said they would review the results of the negotiations after four months, and insisted that direct talks could not begin until Israel completely halted all settlement constructions beyond the 1967 borders, including those in East Al-Quds.
Despite it being a Palestinian issue, Abbas had said he would adhere to any decision made by the Arab League ministerial committee.
Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the Israeli crackdown on Palestinian demonstrators describing it as an act 'aimed at damaging the chances to resume the peace process.'
On Friday, Israeli troops surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the early morning hours raided the compound of the holy site in the occupied East Jerusalem (Al-Quds) and cordoned off the premises to push out the Palestinian worshippers who had gathered for the weekly Friday prayers.
The move triggered protests that quickly turned violent after Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at demonstrators, leaving 60 Palestinians injured.
"Today's events were aimed at damaging the chances of resuming the peace process and Israel is crossing all the red lines — after the Arab League's monitoring committee recommended that the negotiations between the sides be resumed," said a statement by Abbas' office in Ramallah.
The Western-backed Fatah leader also called on Washington to "stop the adventure which may ignite a religious war in the region" and urged the international community to "take responsibility and stop the Israeli recklessness, which may have serious implications on the entire region and on peace and security in the entire world."
On Wednesday, the Arab League foreign ministers meeting in the Egyptian capital of Cairo expressed their support for a US proposal regarding indirect Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
Members of the Arab League said they would review the results of the negotiations after four months, and insisted that direct talks could not begin until Israel completely halted all settlement constructions beyond the 1967 borders, including those in East Al-Quds.
Despite it being a Palestinian issue, Abbas had said he would adhere to any decision made by the Arab League ministerial committee.
US shed 36,000 jobs in February
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:05:28 GMT
The US Job market has seen 36,000 jobs lost in February, a sign indicative of apparently no recovery despite efforts made to gradually bring the ailing economy back on track.
However, the figure released on Friday by US Labor Department fell well short of the 67,000 estimated earlier for the month.
Analysts have warned that the low claims count might be due to severe weather conditions in northeastern states.
The unemployment rate currently stands at close to 10-percent with almost 15 million Americans collecting benefits.
"Even though it's better than expected, it's more than we should tolerate," US President Barack Obama said following the report, according to AFP.
"Far too many Americans remain out of work, far too many families are still struggling in these difficult economic times," he said.
Obama promised to do more to promote job creation.
"That's why I'm not going to rest and my administration is not going to rest in our efforts to help people who are looking to find a job to help business owners who want to expand, feel comfortable, hiring again," he said.
On Thursday, House of Representatives passed a USD 15 billion measure to help reduce unemployment, after a similar move by the Senate.
The US Job market has seen 36,000 jobs lost in February, a sign indicative of apparently no recovery despite efforts made to gradually bring the ailing economy back on track.
However, the figure released on Friday by US Labor Department fell well short of the 67,000 estimated earlier for the month.
Analysts have warned that the low claims count might be due to severe weather conditions in northeastern states.
The unemployment rate currently stands at close to 10-percent with almost 15 million Americans collecting benefits.
"Even though it's better than expected, it's more than we should tolerate," US President Barack Obama said following the report, according to AFP.
"Far too many Americans remain out of work, far too many families are still struggling in these difficult economic times," he said.
Obama promised to do more to promote job creation.
"That's why I'm not going to rest and my administration is not going to rest in our efforts to help people who are looking to find a job to help business owners who want to expand, feel comfortable, hiring again," he said.
On Thursday, House of Representatives passed a USD 15 billion measure to help reduce unemployment, after a similar move by the Senate.
Israeli forces raid Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:18:38 GMT
Israeli forces have stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied East Jerusalem Al-Quds and cordoned off its premises where dozens of Palestinian protesters had gathered.
Eyewitnesses said that Israeli policemen had encircled the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the early morning hours and clashes erupted in the holy complex after the Israeli forces raided the area to push out the Palestinians.
The protesters responded to the attack by throwing stones. Several people were injured and dozens more detained in the unrest.
Muslims consider the frequent Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as part of a Judaization campaign that targets the holy city of Jerusalem Al-Quds and a provocation of Muslim feelings.
Israel occupied Al-Quds during a 1967 aggression and later annexed it. The status of the city is among the thorniest issues of the so-called peace process with the Palestinians, underscoring the reality that any Palestinian state should include the city as its capital.
Israeli forces have stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied East Jerusalem Al-Quds and cordoned off its premises where dozens of Palestinian protesters had gathered.
Eyewitnesses said that Israeli policemen had encircled the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the early morning hours and clashes erupted in the holy complex after the Israeli forces raided the area to push out the Palestinians.
The protesters responded to the attack by throwing stones. Several people were injured and dozens more detained in the unrest.
Muslims consider the frequent Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as part of a Judaization campaign that targets the holy city of Jerusalem Al-Quds and a provocation of Muslim feelings.
Israel occupied Al-Quds during a 1967 aggression and later annexed it. The status of the city is among the thorniest issues of the so-called peace process with the Palestinians, underscoring the reality that any Palestinian state should include the city as its capital.
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