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Last update - 18:52 17/09/2009
UN must hold Obama to same standard as Israel
By Ari Shavit, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel news 

Some two weeks ago American airplanes fired on two oil tankers in northern Afghanistan. It was a German officer who'd asked the U.S. air force to attack the tankers in the middle of the night, in a populated area. The attack was successful - the two tankers were hit, went up in flames and were destroyed. But the overwhelming American-German air attack killed some 70 people. Some of those brought to hospitals were severely injured - with mutilated faces, burned hands and charred bodies.

It is not clear to this day if most of those who burned to death were Taliban warriors, as NATO first claimed, or innocent civilians who wanted to bring home a bit of oil. One way or another, it's clear that the United States and Germany are responsible for an extremely brutal attack. Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway also bear responsibility for the massacre as NATO members.

If the international community is committed to international law and universal ethics - which do not discriminate between one sort of killing and another - then it should investigate this villainous assault. If the United States, Germany and NATO refuse to cooperate with investigators, the UN should consider transferring the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. It is possible that at the end of the process it would be necessary to put U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway on trial for their role in committing a severe war crime that did not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
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Obama would probably be the principal defendant in this case. He was the one who believed in the war in Afghanistan and intensified it. As U.S. commander-in-chief, he bears direct responsibility not only for the deaths of those who were burned with the tankers, but the death of many hundreds of innocent Afghan civilians.

If there are is such a thing as an international community, international law and universal ethics, they must seriously consider putting Obama on trial for his responsibility for severe war crimes.

Absurd? Yes, it's absurd. No sane person in the world believes that the United States, Russia or China could be subjected to purist international law. The United States has killed thousands of innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the last few months encouraged Pakistan to make an extremely brutal military move in its Swat Valley. The United States was not required to account for it because everyone understands that this is the price of the terrible War on Terror. Russia committed blood-curdling war crimes in Chechnya, while China deprives its citizens of basic rights and is conducting a wicked occupation in Tibet. They are not asked to pay for this because everyone understands that you don't mess with superpowers.

But not only superpowers are immune. Saudi Arabia practices an open, declared policy of discrimination against women and the international community does not see. Sri Lanka is crushing the Tamil national movement, causing a ghastly humanitarian disaster, and the international community does not hear. Turkey is brutally oppressing the Kurdish minority, and the international community does not speak.

Only in matters involving Israel, do international law and justice suddenly discover that they have teeth. Only when Israel is involved is the judgment administered out of context. Only Israel is required to uphold a moral standard no superpower or Middle Eastern state is required to uphold.

Over the course of the military offensive in Gaza, Israel used excessive firepower and this must not recur. Severe incidents took place during the operation which must be investigated. But the inquiry must be carried out by us, and among ourselves. As long as Judge Richard Goldstone doesn't probe the United States, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka or Turkey, just as he probed Israel, he is not a moral figure. A law is a law only when it applies to everyone and does not discriminate, as Goldstone did.

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      1.   Bush should also be responsible for crimes against humanity 05:21  |  BIG 17/09/09
      2.   This report can be freezed if Israel freezes settlements 05:30  |  Natalia Kempinsky 17/09/09
      3.   Isn`t that what Goldstein recommended? 05:31  |  Dean 17/09/09
      4.   100 % Correct 05:31  |  pt 17/09/09
      5.   Correction: Goldstone, not Goldstein 05:33  |  Dean 17/09/09
      6.   Yes, a law is not a law unless it applies to everyone 05:33  |  SAM 17/09/09
      7.   US vs. Israel 05:45  |  jorge 17/09/09
      8.   There is a difference between civilians getting hit in war zone 08:08  |  David 17/09/09
      9.   Really? They do it so we can too? 08:54  |  Ben 17/09/09
      10.   SO MAKE THE COMPLAINT ALREADY !!! 08:54  |  Arik Silverman 17/09/09
      11.   sam in durham 12:02  |  scallywag 17/09/09
      12.   The blame game 13:46  |  maoriboy 17/09/09
      13.   double standards 13:53  |  Dov Ber 17/09/09
      14.   Are we Jews partly resposnible for this? 15:11  |  BDF 17/09/09
      15.   #10 and the rest of you irrational bloggers 16:15  |  John 17/09/09
      16.   america concerned?? 16:33  |  bri 17/09/09
      17.   big 16:46  |  Yaron 17/09/09
      18.   No double standard 17:08  |  Dave Duncan 17/09/09
      19.   to #15 John 17:12  |  Juge 17/09/09
      20.   We get the point but WHY? 17:18  |  Galil 17/09/09
      21.   War crimes 17:28  |  Leeguy 17/09/09
      22.   No Change 17:31  |  Erin Tas 17/09/09
      23.   Let me know when they plan on dragging the leaders of Iran, Syria 17:41  |  Jacob Blues 17/09/09
      24.   unmust hold Obamato same standard as Israel 17:49  |  Morris 17/09/09
      25.   Agreed - Bush also. 18:00  |  White Russian 17/09/09
      26.   How about applying these standards to the UN? 18:18  |  Gee 17/09/09
      27.   Sounds eminently fair 18:20  |  A TRUE American 17/09/09
      28.   Take a leaf out of the Sudan/Darfur ICC file 18:38  |  Fair 17/09/09
      29.   UN must hold Obama to same standard as... 18:41  |  David Nigel Braham 17/09/09
      30.   war crimes 18:42  |  Steve 17/09/09
      31.   The true war criminals are the Muslims who use innocents 22:48  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 17/09/09
      32.   UN must hold Obama to same standard 22:55  |  arth32@hotmail.com 17/09/09
      33.   AMEN!!! 04:07  |  Mike 18/09/09
      34.   WILL UNHRC & Goldstone investigate S.A. support for Mugabe?? 05:12  |  PETER SM 18/09/09
      35.   Only in Israel international law find they have teeth? 05:55  |  jim the mechanic 18/09/09
      36.   BRING IT ON! 08:03  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/09/09
      37.   UN MUST HOLD OBAMA TO SAME STANDARDun 21:55  |  John Weiss 18/09/09
      38.   Gaza and Lebanon thru W. Bank Prism 22:57  |  E. Shoemaker 19/09/09
      39.   UN must hold Obama 15:39  |  Charlie 20/09/09
      40.   judge not lest you be 15:44  |  Samuel 06/10/09
      41.   and others 16:03  |  Samuel 06/10/09
      42.   stick to fixing cars 16:09  |  Samuel 06/10/09
      43.   no 4 16:43  |  Samuel 06/10/09
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