by Alex Kane – The Indypendent
Richard Goldstone
The United Nations’ Goldstone report called on both sides to conduct independent investigations in accordance with international standards over the war crimes allegations. A U.N. resolution that was adopted in November implored Israel and Hamas to undertake these investigations within three months—and that time frame is up now.
Both the Israeli and Palestinian reports were given to the United Nations in late January, and they both denied wrongdoing. Much of the Israeli report focuses on the capacity of the military to investigate itself.
Below are excerpts from some of the human rights organizations’ statements concerning Israel’s and the Palestinians’ investigations.
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by novinite.com
The Chair of the Bulgarian parliamentary commission on European affairs, Svetlin Tanchev, has announced that take-up of EU funding by Bulgaria ihalfway through the period was extremely low, at 1,3% of all available money.
The European Union has allocated 15 billion euros in post-accession funds to new member Bulgaria for 2007-2013.
At a meeting of the commission held on Sunday in the Bulgarian town of Pravets, Tanchev has presented its annual report for 2009, covering 21 operational programs funded by the European Union.
According to that document, there was a significant discrepancy between the agreed EUR 1,4 B of EU funding, and the actual disbursements, which amounted to EUR 72 M.
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by novinite.com
The US Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, met Saturday in Ankara with the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan.
The two discussed issues related to Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Israel and Iraq.
During the hour-and-a-half talks, the US promised to continue their support for Turkey’s fight against terrorist based in the mountain region of Northern Iraq.
Gates also agreed to send ASAP 3 American “Predator” airplanes to be used by the Turkish army to neutralize the Kurd separatists. The US will secure the supply of the military aircraft to compensate for the delayed delivery of the “Heron” airplanes from Israel.
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by Amnesty International – UK
Amnesty International is being accused in a media article today of putting the human rights of some people above those of others. This is not, and has never been, true. Implicit in the accusation, is the view that we should choose those whose rights we promote. We reject this view utterly.
Amnesty International campaigns for all internationally recognised human rights for all people – it is not about their views, their political opinions, their actions – it’s about upholding the universality of human rights: these are the inalienable rights of all human beings. As part and parcel of promoting human rights, we also have a long history of demanding that those who perpetrate human rights abuses be brought to justice – whoever they may be. We make this call because victims deserve to see justice done, to know that the harm done to them has been exposed and to seek reparations.
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By Thomas Harding - Telegraph
At Camp Bastion, British soldiers are preparing for a large-scale assault against Taliban which commanders hope will prove decisive for the war in Helmand.
The distant crump of explosions accompanied by the near constant clatter of helicopters echoes around Camp Bastion as troops make their preparations before launching the defining assault against the Taliban.
Preparations for the major attack on the insurgent strongholds in central Helmand that some have referred to as the “last roll of the dice” have been continuing for days with men and materiel building up.
Armoured columns have already left the base to take up position before the operation starts.
They form part of the 4,000 strong British force that will soon launch Operation Moshtarak the biggest assault ever mounted against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
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by Conor Humphries and Steve Gutterman; Editing by Alison Williams – Reuters
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia Friday said it was concerned by Romania’s decision to host interceptor missiles as part of a U.S. plan to protect Europe and demanded clarification.
Romania said Thursday its top defense body had approved the deployment, which Washington says is aimed at defending against current and emerging ballistic missile threats from Iran.
“We certainly have concerns in this regard. There is a demand for clarification,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.
The Romanian deployment is part of a revamped U.S. missile defense approach taken by President Barack Obama after he scrapped a plan for a radar site and interceptor rockets in the Czech Republic and Poland.
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