Former US Ambassador Edward Peck Says Flotilla Activists Were Defending Themselves

June 2nd, 2010
Rawstory.com:
Flotilla witness says activists were defending themselves in fighting Israeli soldiers
A former US ambassador who was on the flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces at it attempted to bring humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip says "the people on the ship were defending" themselves when they attempted to fight off Israeli soldiers.

Edward Peck told the hosts of CNN's American Morning on Wednesday, "The purpose was humanitarian. We posed no threat to anybody...

Continued:
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0602/flotilla-witness-activists-defending/

Also see:
Israel's security cannot come at any price
Ben Saul
2 June 2010
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2915343.htm

EXCERPT:
"First, absent any intention by the flotilla to attack Israel, or any suspicion of piracy, it was unlawful for Israel to forcibly board foreign merchant vessels in international waters.

Secondly, such action amounted to an unlawful interference in the enforcement jurisdiction of the "flag-States" (countries of registration) of those vessels, such as Turkey.

Thirdly, it violated the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation on the high seas, codified in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982.

Fourthly, under international human rights law, the apprehension and detention of those on board the vessels likely amounts to arbitrary, unlawful detention, contrary to article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, since there is lawful basis for detention.

Fifthly, if Israeli forces killed people, they may not only have infringed the human right to life, but they may also have committed serious international crimes. Under article 3 of the Rome Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation of 1988, it is an international crime for any person to seize or exercise control over a ship by force, and also a crime to injure or kill any person in the process.

Ironically, that treaty was adopted after Palestinian terrorists hijacked the Italian cruise ship, the Achille Lauro, in 1985, in which a Jewish American was killed.

In such cases, any claim of self-defence by Israeli forces is irrelevant. The treaty necessarily adopts a strict approach. One cannot attack a ship and then claim self-defence if the people on board resist the unlawful use of violence.

Legally speaking, government military forces rappelling onto a ship to illegally capture it are treated no differently than other criminals. The right of self-defence in such situations rests with the passengers on board: a person is legally entitled to resist one's own unlawful capture, abduction and detention."

Associate Professor Ben Saul is Co-Director of the Sydney Centre for International Law at The University of Sydney, a barrister, and a leading international authority on terrorism in international law. Dr Saul teaches the law of armed conflict and has been involved in such cases in The Hague, the Israeli Supreme Court, and in the Balibo coronial inquest.

Fair Use Statement
This video may contain copyrighted material, the use of which may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making this material available in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. I believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material contained in this video is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Flotilla
• IDF
• Israel
• Massacre
• Gaza
• Cynthia
• CNN
• Rawstory
• Mark
• Kelley
• War
• Peace
• Palestine
• USA
• Obama
• US
• Ambassador
• Edward
• Peck
• Crime
• Mavi
• Marmara

[starlight1946]

First of all they were in International Waters. These were humanitarian delivery people on the ships only coming to Gaza to drop off the building material and humanitarian everyday items that Israel denied the people of Gaza. Israeli military boarded the ships as pirates and the crew were defending themselves from piracy. Zionist Israelis have no guilt they attacks anyone because they have to dominate. They did what pirates do, attack, capture, steal and kill.

[MrZonetailedHawk]

Israelis cowards soldiers shoot the Peace Activities in their heads and killed 9 turks......of course those pirates are well trained snipers.

death to this terrorist regime so called Israel

[LogicTalk1]

A ship in the international water did't attack noone, onthe other hand Israeli soldiers came to the ship with weapons to say shalom? they were attacking the people on the ship & they killed 16 people, drove that ship to israel stool credit cards, personal belongs & many many things. SHAM ON YOU ISRAEL.

[bilfo71]

The most disturbing thing about CNN is how it takes the word of the Israel government at face value, without first verifying it's contents with the people in the video.

[Rehald729]

@CumSniping4Allah There were knives tho, and clubs.

[YNOT100026]

Why does America pay this country (israel) billions to achieve this kind of terror. America calls it a peace process. america are co-terrorists as they support this government. America are partners in crime with Israel. Yes we are told these are Gods chosen people. You will know them by their deeds. Why would God choose these bloody terrorists who shit on the 10 commandments daily?

[StevenM818]

@CumSniping4Allah

Thanks for the update. Israel sure screwed the pooch on this one!

UN: Israel flotilla attack was brutal and unlawful

tinyurlDOTcom/2vrj294

[HLFracture]

@ThePhilippineAngel

Because Israel is the state that is preventing necessary aid from entering, in the past Israel simply confiscated all aid from similar ships. This was not the first Gaza Flotilla, in the past other flotillas either managed to get to Gaza and distribute the aid or their ships were hijacked midsea without any deaths or violence and Israel simply confiscated the aid.

The stated intention of the blockade is to "put Palestinians on a diet". They're not letting the aid thru.

[ohsfhacker]

Yuli Edelstein and the CNN anchorwoman come off like fools. Metal pipes on ship?!? Stop the presses!!!

[ThePhilippineAngel]

@starlight1946 hey, if this is humanitarian aid and make it sure the recipients could recieved the cargo, they should let israel check first. why it was hard for them to follow israel rule when they knew israel was in a tight position to avoid casulaties? the fact was, it was not humanitarian aid.,they just used the name and the plan was to let israe attack it and surely it looks like this.. HUMANITARIAN AID ATTACK BY ISRAEL. to make the world hate israel... dumber

[ThePhilippineAngel]

@bfahmed lol.. zionist my ass. how come...ok,,so you think you know the truth man we the other side of the issue werent? lol.. you make me laugh. when your people around the world killing citizens. migrating. and ruling every country they have touch.. look,,whose the oppressor now? get rid of hamas before blaming anybody else. and dont think you are smart coz you are not.. .......

[bfahmed]

zionist basher you don't know the truth. do your research first before commenting like a fool. you have no idea what is really happening there. you are no phillipine angel. you are part of zionist group.