Humanitarian Issues

[ninathedog]

For sale: Gaza zoo where the zebras
were not all they seemed

Israeli blockade leaves animals starving and owners with no choice but to sell up

By Katherine Butler in Gaza City
Monday, 8 February 2010
REUTERS


The two painted mules in Marah Land zoo in Gaza, one of which has now died


An emaciated lion, a hyperactive camel, and the only "zebra" in Palestine – this unusual assortment of animals could soon be yours. Mahra Land, a ramshackle zoo in Gaza, is now on the market.

The zoo made headlines last year when its owners engineered, not with genetics, but black paint, a pair of "zebras" out of two donkeys. TV reports showed delighted local children patting, slapping and even riding the docile if exotic looking creatures. The donkeys replaced two real zebras that starved to death during Israel's three-week war on the Gaza Strip last year.

But six months after acquiring global stardom, one "zebra" has died, and the owners, no longer able to meet the costs of feeding their menagerie under Israel's illegal economic siege of Gaza, are being forced to sell up.

In their darkened office – electricity cuts are a daily occurrence because Gaza's power plant keeps running out of fuel – Mohammed Berghout and his brother Ahmed, the two young businessmen behind Mahra Land, are still bemused at how they transformed two white mules into respectable copies of beasts that may have roamed the African savannah.

"Ahmed had the idea to paint donkeys" Mohammed says. First they tried ordinary black paint but that didn't work so well, then they mixed human hair dye in a plastic bowl and using masking tape to get the striped effect, applied it to their white coats.

The results were pretty convincing but even more so when it came to helping shed light on the desperation of Gazans under siege and the limited options for its children, many of whom have never been allowed to travel even as far as Israel or the West Bank, and whose entertainment is limited to the beach in summer, an outing to one of four dilapidated zoos or a walk around a British First World War cemetery.

Last year's Israeli air bombardment and ground invasion killed 1,300 Palestinian civilians and reduced much of the territory to rubble. For three weeks bombing and shelling made it too dangerous for Mohammed or Ahmed to reach the zoo to feed their charges. When they eventually did, they found the place intact but many of the animals had starved to death.

Smuggling in replacements via underground tunnels on the Egyptian border would have run to tens of thousands of pounds. But the Berghouts are typical of Gazan resilience and resourcefulness.

The sign at the entrance on the outskirts of Gaza City still beckons "Well Com" in English, but a raw east wind whips across the Strip and there isn't a visitor in sight. The bumper cars have broken down and are gathering dust and Thomas the Tank Engine in the miniature train ride has shunted to a halt opposite an outdoor cafe whose white plastic chairs are deserted.

The animals seem to have stopped bothering, too. Curled up in the corner of his narrow cell, eyes shut, the lion certainly looks defeated. His female companion died of hunger during the war. In another pen there's a household dog, like an overgrown Cairn terrier, barking in an urgent high pitch perhaps because his neighbours include a family of domestic cats.

A few doors down, a fox trots around his cell in agitated circles, his skinny vixen wife and their young offspring look on with glazed expressions from the corner. There's a lone monkey, a gazelle, owls, storks, and some suspiciously inactive fish.

The surviving dye-job zebra looks scrawny on her fragile legs, her head cast down and the black stripes on her back faded to a dirty grey. "We thought it would be more successful, we thought people would love to come here," says Mohammed. "But it is too expensive to feed the animals". Admission costs only 3 shekels (around 60p). But inflation is high in Gaza and feeding a lion alone costs up to £15 a day. In an economic siege that is taking its toll on both the morale and the pockets of Gazans, exotic animals, or even just souped-up donkeys, were always going to be a difficult business model.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/for-sale-gaza-zoo-where-the-zebras-were-not-all-they-seemed-1892271.html

.......................

Remembering Operation Rainbow....and another zoo in Gaza

Photos may be viewed via the link but you must scroll down to view them.
rafahtoday.org/news/04/may04.htm

Please be aware that the content of this site is quite horrifying.
Please be aware that scrolling past the zoo report will be very upsetting.

Written by Mohammed Omer, May 2004
RafahToday.org


4 p.m. Rafah Time: Israeli soldiers forced Rafah children to remain in their homes, fearing dangerous animals. you see, Rafah people tried hardly to be like other people in all over the world, living a peaceful life, but the Israeli Army killed their hopes and their bulldozers demolsihed the first zoo we had in Rafah. It was one of the few sources of pleasure for the residents of poverty stricken Rafah. Although the town lies just two kilometers off the seacoast, access to the coast is blocked by a cluster of Jewish settlements.

photo: A child holding one of the dead pea c ocks following
the demolishing Al Brazil Zoo in Rafah

photo: Dead animals everywhere...

The jaguars obviously live off a diet of raw meat, and they were among scores of animals that escaped from the zoo in Rafah's AL Brazil area after three bulldozers smashed their way into the grounds as part of an operation to find tunnels allegedly used by Palestinian militants to smuggle in weapons from Egypt.

Fathi Juma, the owner of AL Brazil Zoo said: "what more can I say?!! I lost everything that I have and I was trying to make some changes and let the children escape from their nightmares by visiting my zoo, but it seems that the Israelis don't even want animals to live."

He added: "Most of the colorful birds were killed during the attacks, while other dangerous animals escaped into the camp, which brought fear and horror into the hearts of everyone including the children." He continued:"I'm afraid because I have no idea where these dangerous animals are, and I'm sure will kill someone."

Mr. Jumma said that he lost around $US300.000 in that zoo. He had been planning to go to South Africa and bring more animals for the zoo, but after that incursion he will not be able to build a new one.

Twelve year old Mohammed began chasing a lame ostrich, trying to bring it back to the damaged zoo, and was talking sadly about what had happened: "I'm very sad, because I used to spend most of my time here, but now, I will not be able to see these animals again. But If we are criminals as they said, are these animals also criminals?!"

Ahmed Hussien, a 42 year old taxi driver said: "The zoo was the only entertainment place for the children. I used to drive people in my taxi to visit this zoo a lot, but it's a shame what th e Israelis are doing, killing animals and destroying the whole zoo."

I looked around at Rafah to see the damage that happened here. The demolished areas are all civilian houses, some parts of schools, trees, the zoo and a sports club in Al Brazil where the children used to play sports. This, for sure, shows the Israeli intention: making the life of the people in Rafah more miserable and killing any chance of escaping from the daily aggressive life in Rafah.

And still the attack is continuing up until this moment in Al Brazil Camp and other areas..

2 p.m. Rafah Time: The Israelis are saying in the media that they withdrew from Rafah, but that is not true. They only withdrew from Tal Al Sultan area but they are still demolishing houses in Al Brazil Camp and the families are under a siege. They left Tal Al Sultan and many houses were demolished.. people killed.

[ninathedog]

Gaza's fishermen look to farms, not the sea

By Jon Donnison
BBC News, Gaza


Gaza used to have 6,000 fishermen operating from its ports


It is six in the morning at the main port in Gaza City and the sun's not yet up. From the town itself the call to prayer rings out over the water. A pink sky slowly creeps out over the minarets and tower blocks.

It's early but for the fishermen of Gaza City it's all hands on deck. The first boats are just coming in.

Weather-worn workers unload crates of shrimps, crabs and sardines on to waiting donkeys and carts. The trouble is, the catch is not what it used to be.

There's virtually nothing weighing more than a kilo and lots of the fish are much smaller than that.



Fishermen like Hamid Saleh cannot fish
more than three miles from shore

"Since the Israelis stopped us fishing more than three miles out, fishing has been very hard," says Hamid Saleh, whose family has fished here for four generations. "Fishing now is very weak. But what else can I do? It's all I know. There's nothing else to do here."

Narrow stretch

In 2000 Israel introduced restrictions on the areas Palestinians could fish in.

Up until then the fishermen of Gaza used to go out into deeper waters up to 20 miles (32km) from the shore. For the past 10 years they've been able to fish only a narrow stretch of water up to three miles (4.8km) out or risk being fired on by the Israeli navy boats that patrol the coast.

Israel says the restrictions are necessary to stop weapons being smuggled into Gaza. Thousands of rockets have been fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza into Israel over the past decade.

For the fishermen of Gaza though, the restrictions have meant the limited area they can fish in is virtually fished out.



Omar Shaban, Director PAL-Think:
"Good fish from the sea is now
too expensive because of the restrictions
applied by Israel"

"There used to be 6,000 fishermen in Gaza catching 3,000 tonnes of fish a year. Much of it was exported to Israel. Now there are just a couple of hundred fishermen left," says local economist Omar Shaban, director of the Gaza-based Palestinian think tank PAL-Think.

Mr Shaban says the fishing industry has been hit hard by the Israeli economic blockade that started in 2007 because Palestinians can no longer export fish out of Gaza. It has also made it hard to import fish to make up for the lack of stocks in the sea.

Israel says the blockade is necessary to put pressure on the Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza.

Partial solution

Far fewer fish are now imported from Israel and many fish are having to be smuggled in through the tunnels from Egypt.

For many Gazans, with their long history of fishing, the idea of bringing fish to Gaza is a little akin to taking tea to China. Now though, there could be at least a partial solution - fish farms.

Gazans have tried farming fish before, but many farms were destroyed during last year's major offensive by Israel. Through necessity they are beginning to thrive again.

"There are no fish in the sea," says Suhail Khail, who has a small fish farm just south of Gaza City. "I asked myself how can we solve this problem and the only answer was fish farms."


Suhail Khail's fish farm produces 500kg a month

Mr Khail is standing next to two huge tanks which each contain 10,000 fish. He pulls out a net and plunges it into the water scooping out three or four small orange fish. "These are red tilapia," he beams. "They need a couple more months and then they will be ready to sell."

Each month Mr Khail says he produces and sells around 500kg of farmed fish.

Changing tastes?

"I expect the fish farming sector to grow," says economist Omar Shaban. "Good fish from the sea is now too expensive because of the restrictions applied by Israel. Fish from the sea has become a luxury food and farmed fish is much cheaper," he says.

"We need to support and invest in the fish farming sector but if the Israeli blockade continues it will be difficult because fish farming relies on lots of technology in order to succeed and it is hard for the farmers to get the equipment they need because of that blockade."

The question is will the fish connoisseurs of Gaza be able to turn their tastes to farmed fish?

"Psychologically as a fisherman I cannot bring myself to eat farmed fish," says Munir Abu Hassira, who owns one of the most popular fish restaurants in Gaza City. "I like the unique taste of the ocean and seafish is better for you."

Omar Shaban is not so sure, though. "I prefer fish from the sea, but I can't really tell the difference. It all depends on how your wife cooks it," he laughs.

But Mr Shaban says the Israeli blockade limiting the amount of fish that can be imported, coupled with the restrictions on where Gazans can fish, mean that in the future "there may be no choice other than farmed fish".



news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8492896.stm

............

REUTERS: With their fishermen at risk of being shot at by the Israeli navy, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are finding new ways to supply the blockaded territory with a staple that is in short supply.


A Palestinian holds up a fish at a fish farm in Khan Younis in
the southern Gaza Strip February 22, 2010.
news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//100224/ids_photos_wl/r1019755698.jpg/


Palestinians catch fish at a fish farm in Khan Younis in
the southern Gaza Strip February 22, 2010.
news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//100224/ids_photos_wl/r3528072783.jpg/

Above two pictures taken February 22, 2010.
REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

[ninathedog]

Arab-Sponsored Draft Resolution on Goldstone Report
Denies Victims' Rights and Fosters a Situation of Impunity

Thursday, 25 February 2010 14:00
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Ref: 11/2010

On 26 February 2010, the General Assembly of the United Nations will debate the implementation of the Report of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the Goldstone Report). An Arab-sponsored draft resolution requests that all parties be given a further five months to conduct investigations.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly criticizes the time-limit contained in this resolution. As it stands this resolution grants impunity to those accused of committing serious violations of international law. In endorsing such a resolution the United Nations would effectively turn its back on international law, and the victims of last years offensive on the Gaza Strip.

PCHR stresses that investigations conducted to-date by both Israel and the Palestinian authorities have been ineffective, and have failed to comply with international law. As noted in Genuinely Unwilling: Israel's Investigations into Violations of International Law including Crimes Committed during the Offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009, Israel's investigative and judicial system is fundamentally biased against Palestinians. Investigations conducted by Israel fail to comply with international standards, while the judicial system fails to adhere to international standards relating to the effective administration of justice.

Effective investigations and prosecutions are thus an impossibility within the current Israeli system. Israel has repeatedly shown that it is unwilling to conduct genuine investigations, and efforts have been made to ensure that those accused of serious violations of international law are not held to account. Israel is internationally accountable for this failure to conduct genuine investigations.

Given this reality, a further five months cannot lead to effective investigations. The adoption of the draft resolution will merely prolong a situation of impunity, and deny victims legitimate and fundamental human rights, including the right to an effective judicial remedy and the equal protection of the law.

The obligation to investigate serious violations of international law is a component of customary international law, and one of the core elements of States' duty to guarantee human rights. In order to be effective such investigations must meet two core requirements, they must be conducted promptly and impartially. As noted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in Del Caracazo, investigations which persist for a long period of time, without those responsible for gross violations of human rights being identified or punished, constitute "a situation of serious impunity and […] a breach of the State's duty." As eloquently noted by Justice Goldstone, justice delayed is justice denied.

The most significant aspect of the Goldstone Report lays in its recommendations, which set out explicit and detailed accountability mechanisms. The (Goldstone) Report specified an initial six month time-frame; after this period, if investigations were not forthcoming, the Fact Finding Mission recommended that recourse be had to international justice, including the International Criminal Court. Extending this time limit by a further period of five months equates to killing the very heart of the Report.

Given Israel's unwillingness to conduct genuine investigations, and the Palestinian authorities' inability, it is essential that recourse be had to mechanisms of international justice. Rather than prolonging the prevalent situation of impunity, the General Assembly should request that the Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, refer the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory to the International Criminal Court.

Concurrently, all States must fulfill their obligation to investigate and prosecute those accused of serious violations of international law before their own courts, in accordance with the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Impunity cannot be allowed to prevail. Those accused of serious violations of international law, which include grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and crimes against humanity, must be held to account. Victims' rights must be upheld

www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6195:arab-sponsored-draft-resolution-on-goldstone-report-denies-victims-rights-and-fosters-a-situation-of-impunity-&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194





pchrgaza.org

[ninathedog]

PCHR Release Genuinely Unwilling: Israel’s Investigations into Violations of
International Law including Crimes Committed during the Offensive on the
Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009

Thursday, 11 February 2010
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Ref: 15/2010

Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009, resulted in the killing of over 1,400 Palestinians, the overwhelming majority of whom (82%) were civilians. At least 5,300 Palestinians were also injured, and public and private property throughout the Gaza Strip was extensively targeted and destroyed. Investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and numerous other organisations, including the UN Board of Inquiry, the Independent Fact Finding Mission mandated by the League of Arab States, and the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the Goldstone Mission), concluded that Israel committed numerous violations of international law, many of which give rise to individual criminal responsibility.

Israel is obliged, under both Treaty-based and Customary International Law, to conduct effective investigations into these allegations, and to prosecute those responsible. To date, Israel has proven itself unwilling to do so. PCHR emphasize that Israel is under a legal obligation to investigate all suspected violations of international law, including – but not limited to – those contained in the Goldstone Report.

On 5 November 2009, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) voted to endorse the Goldstone Report. The adopted Resolution called upon the Government of Israel and the Palestinians to:

“... take all appropriate steps, within a period of three months, to undertake investigations that are independent, credible and in conformity with international standards into the serious violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law reported by the Fact-Finding Mission, towards ensuring accountability and justice”.

In anticipation of the forthcoming UN General Assembly debate on the implementation of this Resolution, “Genuinely Unwilling” analyses Israel’s legal and judicial system in light of Israel’s obligations under international law. Despite Israel’s claims to the contrary, "Genuinely Unwilling" concludes that Israel is unwilling to and that the Israeli system is incapable of conducting independent, credible investigations in conformity with international standards. Israel’s failure to conduct such investigations is in violation of its international legal obligations, and UN General Assembly Resolution A/Res/64/10.

While Genuinely Unwilling necessarily analyses international obligations with respect to the administration of justice, and Israel’s compliance with these obligations, PCHR notes that throughout the history of the occupation, Israel has consistently proven itself unwilling to conduct genuine investigations and prosecutions into cases of alleged violations of international law. This illegal pattern has been repeated with respect to allegations arising out of Israel’s conduct of hostilities during the offensive on the Gaza Strip. Virtually all aspects of Israel’s offensive were sanctioned, approved, and decided upon by the highest echelons of Israel’s civilian and military leadership. Any investigation must necessarily evaluate this policy, and those responsible for its formulation and implementation. Where appropriate, responsible individuals – regardless of their rank or political standing – must be held to account. As demonstrated in this report, the Israeli legal system prevents such genuine investigations.

PCHR Director Raji Sourani stated: "The Goldstone report represented an important milestone for the rule of law. It formulated the responsibility of the international community in a clear manner and specified the timeframe and implementation mechanisms needed for justice and accountability regarding the war on the Gaza Strip. This gives the international community a choice between the rule of law and the rule of the jungle. As citizens of the world, we very much hope that the relevant organs will follow the path outlined by Justice Goldstone and effectively enforce the rule of law. Peace cannot come at the expense of justice. In fact, experience has shown that lasting peace can only be achieved through total respect for the rule of law."

If victims’ rights are to be ensured, and the rule of law enforced, recourse to mechanisms of international justice – including a Security Council referral to the International Criminal Court in accordance with Chapter VII of the UN Charter, or the exercise of universal jurisdiction – is thus the essential next step.

Without enforcement of the law, Israel is free to violate international law with impunity and remain a threat to world peace; it is Palestinian civilians who suffer the horrific consequences.

Download the report, "Genuinely Unwilling..." here.
www.pchrgaza.org/files/2010/israeli-inve.- english.pdf

PCHR's submission to the 13th session of the Human Rights Council -- www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6171:pchrs-submission-to-the-13th-session-of-the-human-rights-council&catid=51:pchr-interventions&Itemid=196)



PCHR's submission to the 13th session of the Human Rights Council

Wednesday, 17 February 2010
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Special Consultative Status

Agenda Item 7: Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories

Genuinely Unwilling: Israel and the Palestinian Authorities Fail to Conduct Genuine Investigations into Widespread Violations of International Law Committed in the Context of Israel’s Offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009

1. The 12th Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council voted overwhelming to endorse the findings and recommendations of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the Mission). While stressing, “the urgent need to ensure accountability for all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law”, the Council called on all concerned parties, including UN bodies, to ensure the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Mission’s Report.

2. These recommendations centred upon the realization that the “prolonged situation of impunity has created a justice crisis in the OPT that warrants action.”[1] The Mission thus recommended that Israel, “launch appropriate investigations that are independent and in conformity with international standards”[2] into allegations arising from the offensive on the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian Authorities were subject to a similar demand. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) emphasize that the obligation to investigate forms a core component of States’ obligations under both Treaty-based and customary international law.[3] This obligation extends to all violations of international human rights and humanitarian law; it is not restricted to those incidents detailed in the Mission’s Report.

3. PCHR have monitored the status of investigations conducted by both Israel, and the Palestinian Authorities; as a representative of the victims, PCHR also participated in the limited investigations conducted by Israeli authorities. These investigations have not been conducted in accordance with the demands of international law, and are characterized by a desire to shield alleged the accused from justice. As confirmed by the Permanent Court of International Justice and numerous human rights bodies,[4] a State becomes internationally accountable as a result of “insufficient diligence” in conducting criminal prosecutions.[5]

I. Recommendations

4. The best interests of the victims and the primacy of international law demand that Israel, including responsible individuals, be held to account for consistent violations of international law – including grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and crimes against humanity – and for the failure to investigate such violations.

5. Consequent to all Parties genuine unwillingness or inability to conduct effective investigations, it is imperative that recourse be had to mechanisms of international justice. The Human Rights Council must demand that the UN Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, refer the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory [oPt] to the International Criminal Court. Each individual State of the international community must also concurrently exercise their obligation to carry out investigations and prosecutions before their own national courts, in accordance with the legal principle of universal jurisdiction. The Council must demand that the rule of law is enforced.

II. The State of Israel

6. Israel has systematically failed to conduct genuine investigations. Many of the violations of international law perpetrated during the course of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip – such as the targeting of civilian police forces, and the implementation of the Dahiya Doctrine – were the result of policies adopted by the highest echelons of the civilian and military leadership; raising key concerns regarding the willingness of the authorities to investigate and indict themselves. These concerns are reinforced by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s public statement on 12 October 2009, vowing that Israeli soldiers and leaders will not stand trial for war crimes committed during the Israeli offensive.[6] It is presented that, in this respect, Israel is in violation of its legal obligations, and effectively denies Palestinian victims effective legal remedy. This finding was confirmed by the Dutch Court of Appeals in the Al-Shami v. Ayalon case on 26 October 2009.[7]

7. Israel opened 36 criminal investigations, of which 7 have been closed due to an alleged ‘lack of evidence’. Only one case, for the theft of a credit card, has resulted in a successful prosecution. No investigations have been opened into the overwhelming majority of the allegations; PCHR submitted 450 criminal complaints requesting that criminal investigations be opened, positive replies have only been received in relation to 15 cases. A further 1,028 compensations complaints were filed; only 7 responses have been received.[8]

II.I. Flaws Inherent in the Israeli Legal and Investigative Systems

8. Two key problems have been identified with respect to the Israeli legal and investigative system: the reliance on operational probes as a first investigative step, and the Israeli courts’ treatment of Palestinian victims. These will necessarily be addressed only briefly herein.[9]

9. Israeli investigations take two principal forms, constituting either operational probes (‘command investigations’) or criminal investigations. In the vast majority of cases operational probes constitute the initial investigative phase;[10] the Military Advocate General’s (MAG) decision to open a criminal investigation is made on the basis of this probe.

10. An operational probe is conducted by military personnel who form part of the chain of command under investigation, raising serious problems relating to conflict of interest. During these probes, no external witnesses are interviewed; a fundamental flaw given that this precludes a cross-examination of facts, and presumes that those suspected of crimes will not act in their own self-interest. Additionally, these probes are intended only to uncover ‘lessons learned’ from a military perspective.

11. With evident implications for the ‘good faith’ requirement which forms an essential component of internationally-compliant investigations, operational probes form the basis of the MAG’s decision to open a criminal investigation. Further, the Military Justice Law and the General Security Services Law stipulate that all materials related to an operational probe shall not be used as evidence in court, and are confidential;[11] The Israeli Supreme Court itself noted” “There is, therefore, a substantial difference between an operational probe and a criminal investigation, both at the level of purpose and at the operational level.”[12]

12. In addition to significantly delaying any subsequent investigation – with evident repercussions with respect to, inter alia, the collection of evidence, and degradation of the crime scene – these probes constitute an integral but flawed component of Israel’s legal system.

13. Reliance on such methods of investigation guarantees that investigations cannot be impartial or independent.[13] As noted by the European Court of Human Rights, “For an investigation into alleged unlawful killing by State agents to be effective, it may generally be regarded as necessary for the persons responsible for and carrying out the investigation to be independent from those implicated in the events”.[14]

14. Israeli investigations suffer from the lack of separation of powers between the military and the military legal system (preventing independent non-biased investigation), while the hierarchical structure of the military has evident implication with respect to any claim of impartiality. When combined with ineffective civilian oversight, serious flaws in the civilian judicial system, and significant – in some cases virtually indefinite – delays these factors combine to promote a climate of pervasive impunity.

15. The Israeli Supreme Court awards an extensive ‘margin of appreciation’ to the decisions of the Attorney General and the MAG:

I was unable to find even one case in which this court intervened in a decision of the Attorney General not to issue an indictment on the basis of a lack of sufficient evidence.[15]

This margin of appreciation extends to the decision, made on the basis of flawed operational probes, to open a criminal investigation; the civilian judicial system is left with an extremely – often non-existent – margin to which to review such decisions, effectively leaving the decision to open a criminal investigation in the hands of those implicated in the commission of the alleged crime.

16. The Supreme Court has further classified residents of the oPt as “enemy aliens”,[16] who are “presumed to endanger national security and public security.” [17] The claim – presented and accepted at the highest levels of the Israeli political and legal system –has clear and evident repercussions with respect to the pursuit of justice. The straightforward presumption that all Palestinians pose a direct threat to Israel comes into direct conflict with the presumption of innocence,[18] and the willingness to investigate even prima facie cases. In perpetuating this doctrine the Israeli courts cannot be considered impartial. Under such circumstances Palestinian victims cannot expect to receive a fair trial or an effective judicial remedy.

17. As confirmed by Israel’s investigations to date, the State is unwilling to conduct genuine investigations, particular with respect to senior civil and military figures, those ‘most responsible’. Such investigations are straightforwardly impossible in the current legal and military system.

II. The Palestinian Authorities

18. Neither the government in the Gaza Strip, nor the government in the West Bank, have conducted any genuine efforts, with respect to investigating violations of international law perpetrated in the context of the offensive on the Gaza Strip.

[1] Report of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, U.N. Doc A/HRC/12/48, September 2009, §1755.

[2] Report of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, U.N. Doc A/HRC/12/48, September 2009, §1766.

[3] Inter alia, Article 146 Fourth Geneva Convention; Article 2 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; Rule 158, ICRC, Study on Customary International Humanitarian Law, 2005.

[4] Such as the Human Rights Committee, who note in General Comment 31, that “A failure by a State Party to investigate allegations of violations could in and of itself give rise to a separate breach of the Covenant [ICCPR].”

[5] Recueil de sentences arbitrales, United Nations, Vol. II, pp. 645 and 646.

[6] See Joseph Federman, ”Netanyahu: No war crimes trials for Israelis”, The Washington Times, 12 October 2009, available at: www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/12/netanyahu-no-war-crimes-trials-israelis/ (accessed 14 October 2009); see also “Netanyahu vows never to let Israelis be tried for war crimes”, Haaretz, 12 October 2009, available at: www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1120498.html (accessed 14 October 2009).

[7] See further, PCHR, Justice Denied: Dutch Court Denies Appeal Petition in Ayalon Torture Case, 30 October 2009, www.pchrgaza.org/files/PressR/English/2009/111-2009.html and the ruling of the Spanish Audencia Nacional, unofficial English translation available at: www.pchrgaza.org/files/PressR/English/2008/04-05-2009-2.html

[8] PCHR note that, as representatives of the victims, it is necessary to participate in such investigations; this has been a longstanding policy of PCHR. However, as detailed in this, and other reports, PCHR do not believe that these investigations adhere to the requirements of international law. See further, The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Genuinely Unwilling: Israel’s Investigations into Violations of International Law including Crimes Committed during the Offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009, February 2010.

[9] For further detail, see, The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Genuinely Unwilling: Israel’s Investigations into Violations of International Law including Crimes Committed during the Offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009, February 2010.

[10] See, State of Israel, “Gaza Operation Investigations: An Update”, January 2010.

[11] Article 539A of the Military Justice Law – 1955 states that, “Anything that is said during the course of a military probe, in a protocol of a probe, or any other materials prepared during a probe, as well as its summaries, findings and conclusions, shall not be accepted as evidence in court, except for in a trial for providing false information or concealing an important piece of information in a probe.” Article 17(a) of the General Security Services Law – 2002 states that, “Anything that is said during an internal probe or in a report prepared following an internal probe, including protocols, findings, conclusions or recommendations […] shall not be accepted as evidence in court, except for in a disciplinary procedure or a criminal trial for providing false information or knowingly concealing an important piece of information in a probe.”

[12] HCJ 2366/05, Al-Nebari v. The Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army (decision delivered on 29 June 2008), para. 6-10 of Justice Arbel’s ruling. Emphasis added.

[13] Report of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, §1628.

[14] Isayeva v. Russia, European Court of Human Rights, App. No. 57950/00, 24 February 2005, §211.

[15] HCJ 5699/07, Jane Doe (A) v. The Attorney General (decision delivered on 26 February 2008), para. 10 of Deputy Chief Justice Rivlin’s ruling. Emphasis added.

[16] HCJ 7052/03, Adalah v. The Interior Minister (decision delivered in 14 May 2006), para. 12

[17] Ibid., para. 78 (emphasis added).

[18] Article 14(2), ICCPR.

[ninathedog]

UN gives Gaza investigations 5 extra months

By EDITH M. LEDERER
The Associated Press
Friday, February 26, 2010; 1:33 PM

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly voted Friday to give Israel and the Palestinians an additional five months to conduct independent investigations of alleged war crimes during last year's conflict in Gaza and warned of possible "further action" by U.N. bodies, including the Security Council, if they don't.

The Palestinian-drafted resolution was adopted by a vote of 98-7 with 31 abstentions. Fifty-six countries did not vote, probably because of difficulties getting to U.N. headquarters as heavy snow fell in New York City.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. observer, called the vote a "victory to the victims of the Palestinian people and victory to international humanitarian law."

In November, the 192-member world body gave Israel and the Palestinians three months to undertake "independent, credible investigations" into the findings of a U.N.-appointed expert panel chaired by South African Judge Richard Goldstone.
ad_icon

It concluded that both sides committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the Gaza war, in which 13 Israelis and almost 1,400 Palestinians were killed, including many civilians. The conflict began in December 2008 and ended three weeks later in January.

The assembly asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to report back on implementation of the resolution in three months. But in his highly anticipated report in early February, Ban said he could not determine whether the Israelis or Palestinians had conducted credible investigations.

That set the stage for Friday's follow-up resolution, which was consponsored by more than 20 mainly Islamic countries.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gabriela Shalev reiterated the government's opposition to the Goldstone report and said "Israel is conducting and will continue to conduct, investigations that are independent, credible in in conformity with international standards" into its actions in Gaza.

But the Palestinians and many Arab and non-Arab speakers who took the floor after the vote insisted that the Israeli investigations are not independent.

The Palestinians acknowledged that they only created a commission to carry out an investigation in late January.

Mansour pledged that in the next five months the Palestinians will conduct in "the most efficient manner an independent and credible investigation into the allegations ... (and) submit to the secretary-general a substantial response."

But Shalev questioned whether the Palestinian Authority, which was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in June 2007, can conduct an investigation there - or whether Hamas "will investigate its use of human shields ... and its cynical use of schools, hospitals, and mosques as weapons of terror."

Mansour welcomed the decline in the number of countries opposing the resolution from 18 in November to just seven.

He noted that the European Union, which was deeply divided in November with some countries voting for the resolution, some against and some abstaining, was more supportive in Friday's vote. No EU country voted "no" and more EU members supported the resolution including Britain, France and Spain, he said.

Some EU members had objected to the draft text calling on Switzerland to reconvene a meeting of the parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention "within five months" to enforce the convention, which spells out the obligations of an occupying power. The reference to five months was replaced in the final version with the words "as soon as possible," the same language as the November resolution.

U.S. deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff, who voted against the resolution, reiterated that the U.S. considers the Goldstone report "deeply flawed" and "unbalanced." He said the U.S. "strongly supports" accountability for any human rights violations in Gaza but wants any allegations resolved "by credible domestic investigations and their follow-up."

Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but they do reflect the views of the broader U.N. membership.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/26/AR2010022602819.html

[ninathedog]

For more, please see:
the-goldenthread.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=edo&thread=50&page=31#9187


Raw Video 8.8-magnitude earthquake hits Chile -- news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/18361155



An image generated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center shows the projected tsunami travel times following a 8.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked Chile early February 27, 2010. A massive magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck south-central Chile early on Saturday, triggering a tsunami and rattling buildings in the capital Santiago. REUTERS/NOAA/Handout (DISASTER ENVIRONMENT IMAGES OF THE DAY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

Asia braces for tsunami after Chile quake


By Eric Talmadge, Associated Press Writer – 21 mins ago

TOKYO – Wide swaths of the south Pacific, Asia and Australia braced for a tsunami after a devastating earthquake hit the coast of Chile on Saturday.

Officials in Japan and Australia warned a tsunami from the earthquake was likely to hit Asian shorelines within 24 hours. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a tsunami caution for areas across the region.

"Sea-level readings confirm that a tsunami has been generated which could cause widespread damage," the center said in a bulletin after the magnitude-8.8 quake. "Authorities should take appropriate action to respond to this threat."

The center noted that the first waves after a quake are not necessarily the largest and said tsunami wave heights are difficult to predict because they can vary significantly along a coast due to the local topography.

Earthquakes across the Pacific have had deadly effects on Asia in the past.

A tsunami after a magnitude-9.5 quake that struck Chile in 1960, the largest earthquake ever recorded, killed about 140 people in Japan, 61 in Hawaii and 32 in the Philippines. That tsunami was about 3.3 to 13 feet (one to four meters) in height, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

The tsunami from Saturday's quake was likely to be much smaller because the quake itself was not as strong.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK quoted earthquake experts as saying the tsunami would likely be tens of centimeters (inches) high and reach Japan in about 22 hours. A tsunami of 28 centimeters (11 inches) was recorded after a magnitude-8.4 earthquake near Chile in 2001.

The Meteorological Agency said it was still investigating the likelihood of a tsunami from the magnitude-8.8 quake and did not issue a formal coastal warning.

Australia, meanwhile, was put on a tsunami watch.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for a "potential tsunami threat" to New South Wales state, Queensland state, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. Any potential wave would not hit Australia until Sunday morning local time, it said.

The Bureau of Meteorology said a tsunami had already been observed off the coast of Chile that may threaten Australia.

The earthquake struck early Saturday in central Chile, shaking the capital for a minute and a half.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for a swath of territories across the Asia-Pacific, also including New Zealand, Samoa, American Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_quake_tsunami

[ninathedog]

The Lede
The New York Times Blog

Latest Updates on Earthquake in Chile

thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/latest-updates-on-earthquake-in-chile/

By ROBERT MACKEY
February 27, 2010, 9:33 am



A map showing the location of Saturday’s 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile from the Web site of the U.S. Geological Survey.USGS A map showing the location of Saturday’s 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile from the Web site of the U.S. Geological Survey.

As my colleague Alexei Barrionuevo reports, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Chile on Saturday morning, setting off a tsunami warning across much of the Pacific. The Lede is tracking reports of the damage. Readers are encouraged to share first-hand accounts of the catastrophe with us, or point to any eyewitness video, photographs or text accounts they see on the Web.

........

11:11 a.m. |Live Video Coverage

Here is a live stream of video from TVN in Chile on the earthquake:

Here is MSNBC’s live coverage, which, at the moment, appears to be devoted to a stream of coverage from Hawaii:

(I can't embed these, please go to the New York Times blog to view them -- thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/latest-updates-on-earthquake-in-chile/ )

10:59 a.m. |Eyewitness Accounts

The BBC has published video from Chilean TV in which earthquake survivors described the terror caused by the huge earthquake.

10:50 a.m. |Early Video From Chile

Television stations in Chile are broadcasting footage of the aftermath of the earthquake, which struck in the early morning, hours before first light — although it is hard to get onto the Web sites of many of the country’s major channel. This report from the BBC includes video of a fire in the city of Concepcion caused by the earthquake.

This footage, obtained by The Associated Press, was shot in Santiago this morning, more than 200 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake:


www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPSiMd9O-ls

This video report from ITN News in Britain shows some earlier images from the pre-dawn hours in Chile:


www.youtube.com/watch?v=3miKWIa85mU

9:48 a.m. |Hawaii on Alert

About one hour ago, Reuters reported that a bulletin from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said: “Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property.” The warning also noted: “All shores are at risk no matter which direction they face.”

The news agency reported:

Geophysicist Victor Sardina said the Hawaii-based center was urging all countries included the warning to take the threat very seriously. “Everybody is under a warning because the wave, we know, is on its way. Everybody is at risk now,” he said in a telephone interview. [...]

The center estimates the first tsunami, which is a series of several waves in succession, will hit Hawaii at 11:19 a.m. Hawaii time (4:19 p.m. EST). Sardina said the Hawaiian islands could expect waves of six feet (two meters) in some places. Other estimates have been higher but he could not confirm those were likely.

Sardina said the center was looking at Hilo Bay on Hawaii Island as a worst-case scenario right now.

The center’s latest alert also said that certain areas were unlikely to be affected, noting:

THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS…EXCEPT ALASKA…BRITISH COLUMBIA… WASHINGTON…OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.

9:38 a.m. |The Tsunami Warning

The latest alert from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, issued on Saturday morning, says “a widespread tsunami warning is in effect.”

The bulletin says:

SEA LEVEL READINGS CONFIRM THAT A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED WHICH COULD CAUSE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE. AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS THREAT. THIS CENTER WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR SEA LEVEL DATA TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT AND SEVERITY OF THE THREAT.

The bulletin makes clear that the warning is in effect across much of the Pacific:

A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR:

CHILE / PERU / ECUADOR / COLOMBIA / ANTARCTICA / PANAMA / COSTA RICA / NICARAGUA / PITCAIRN / HONDURAS / EL SALVADOR / GUATEMALA / FR. POLYNESIA / MEXICO / COOK ISLANDS / KIRIBATI / KERMADEC IS / NIUE / NEW ZEALAND / TONGA / AMERICAN SAMOA / SAMOA / JARVIS IS. / WALLIS-FUTUNA / TOKELAU / FIJI / AUSTRALIA / HAWAII / PALMYRA IS. / TUVALU / VANUATU / HOWLAND-BAKER / NEW CALEDONIA / JOHNSTON IS. / SOLOMON IS. / NAURU / MARSHALL IS. / MIDWAY IS. / KOSRAE / PAPUA NEW GUINEA / POHNPEI / WAKE IS. / CHUUK / RUSSIA / MARCUS IS. / INDONESIA / N. MARIANAS / GUAM / YAP / BELAU / JAPAN / PHILIPPINES / CHINESE TAIPEI

9:27 a.m. |Historical Perspective

A report on the 8.8 magnitude earthquake on the Web site of the U.S. Geological Survey says that it took place at 3:34:14 a.m. local time 21.7 miles beneath the earth’s surface, about 70 miles northeast of Concepcion, Chile’s second-largest city, home to more than 200,000 people, and about 200 miles southwest of the country’s capital, Santiago. The U.S.G.S. puts the earthquake, which was nearly 1,000 times as strong as the one that hit Haiti last month, in historical perspective:

Coastal Chile has a history of very large earthquakes. Since 1973, there have been 13 events of magnitude 7.0 or greater. The February 27 shock originated about 230 km north of the source region of the magnitude 9.5 earthquake of May, 1960 – the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the world. This magnitude 9.5 earthquake killed 1655 people in southern Chile and unleashed a tsunami that crossed the Pacific, killing 61 people in Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines. Approximately 870 km to the north of the February 27 earthquake is the source region of the magnitude 8.5 earthquake of November, 1922. This great quake significantly impacted central Chile, killing several hundred people and causing severe property damage. The 1922 quake generated a 9-meter local tsunami that inundated the Chile coast near the town of Coquimbo; the tsunami also crossed the Pacific, washing away boats in Hilo harbor, Hawaii. The magnitude 8.8 earthquake of February 27, 2010 ruptured the portion of the South American subduction zone separating these two massive historical earthquakes.

A large vigorous aftershock sequence can be expected from this earthquake.

thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/latest-updates-on-earthquake-in-chile/

[ninathedog]

Tsunami hits French Polynesia;
Pacific on watch

Associated Press
2 hrs 1 min ago

PAPEETE, French Polynesia – Tsunami waves up to 6 feet (2 meters) high have struck parts of French Polynesia, but no damage was immediately reported.

Residents were being warned early Sunday morning that tsunamis can consist of several waves and they should remain vigilant.

Tonga and the Cook Islands were evacuating coastal areas as the waves were expected to hit later in the morning.

On Tahiti, traffic was banned on roads less than 500 meters from sea. Residents on islands of low elevation were told to get to high ground.

Monique Richeton, mayor of Rikitea, said the first wave struck Gambier early Sunday at less than one meter and no damage was reported.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

EWA BEACH, Hawaii (AP) — A tsunami threatened the Pacific Rim on Saturday, with an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Chile sending potentially deadly waves across the ocean at the speed of a jetliner.

Sirens blared in Hawaii to alert residents to the impending waves, with authorities asking people living near the water to evacuate. On several South Pacific islands hit by a tsunami last fall, police began evacuations of the coast.

The first waves in Hawaii are expected to hit shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday (4 p.m. EST; 2100 GMT) and measure roughly 8 feet (2.5 meters) at Hilo. Most Pacific Rim nations however did not order evacuations, but advised people in low-lying areas to be on the lookout.

Unlike other tsunamis in recent years, emergency officials along the Pacific have hours to prepare and possibly evacuate residents.

"We've got a lot of things going for us," said Charles McCreery, the director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which issues warnings to almost every country around the Pacific Rim and to most of the Pacific island states. "We have a reasonable lead time.

"We should be able to alert everyone in harm's way to move out of the evacuation zones," he said.

In Hawaii, boats and people near the coast were being evacuated. Hilo International Airport, located along the coast, was closed. In Honolulu, residents lined up at supermarkets to stock up on water, canned food and batteries. Cars lined up 15 long at several gas stations.

"These are dangerous, dangerous events," said John Cummings, spokesman for the Honolulu Emergency Management Department.

In Tonga, where nine people died in a Sept. 29 tsunami, police and defense forces began evacuating people from low-lying coastal areas as they warned residents that tsunami waves about three feet (one meter) high could wash ashore within three hours.

"I can hear the church bells ringing to alert the people," National Disaster Office deputy director Mali'u Takai said. "We will move up to 50,000 people to the interior and away from the coasts."

Waves 6 feet (1.8 meter) above normal hit near Concepcion, Chile shortly after the quake.

A tsunami warning — the highest alert level — was also in effect for Guam, American Samoa, Samoa and dozens of other Pacific islands. An advisory — the lowest level — has been extended to include Oregon, Washington state, parts of Alaska, and coastal British Colombia.

The White House is keeping close watch on the Chilean quake, which has raised the possibility of a tsunami striking Hawaii. Presidential press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. stands ready to help the Chilean people "in this hour of need."

American Samoa Lt. Gov. Aitofele Sunia activated emergency services and called on residents of shoreline villages to move to higher ground. Police in Samoa issued a nationwide alert to begin coastal evacuations. The tsunami is expected to reach the islands Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, disaster management officials in Fiji said they have been warned to expect waves of as high as 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) to hit the northern and eastern islands of the archipelago and the nearby Tonga islands.

A lower-grade tsunami advisory was in effect for the coast of California and an Alaskan coastal area from Kodiak to Attu islands. Tsunami Center officials said they did not expect the advisory would be upgraded to a warning.

Waves were likely to hit Asian, Australian and New Zealand shores within 24 hours of Saturday's quake. A tsunami wave can travel at up to 600 mph, said Jenifer Rhoades, tsunami program manager at the National Weather Service in Washington, DC.

The sirens in Hawaii will also be sounded again three hours prior to the estimated arrival time.

McCreery said he didn't know how big the waves will be, but expected them to be the largest to hit Hawaii since 1964.

"If you're in an evacuation zone, police or civil defense volunteers would instruct you to evacuate, or instructions will come out over the radio and TV," said Shelly Ichishita, spokeswoman for the state's civil defense.

If coastal areas are evacuated, visitors in Waikiki would be moved to higher floors in their hotels, rather than moved out of the tourist district, which could cause gridlock.

Some Pacific nations in the warning area were heavily damaged by a tsunami last year.

On Sept. 29, a tsunami spawned by a magnitude-8.3 earthquake killed 34 people in American Samoa, 183 in Samoa and nine in Tonga. Scientists later said that wave was 46 feet (14 meters) high.

Past South American earthquakes have had deadly effects across the Pacific.

A tsunami after a magnitude-9.5 quake that struck Chile in 1960, the largest earthquake ever recorded, killed about 140 people in Japan, 61 in Hawaii and 32 in the Philippines.

That tsunami was about 3.3 to 13 feet (one to four meters) in height, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK quoted earthquake experts as saying the tsunami would likely be tens of centimeters (inches) high and reach Japan in about 22 hours.

A tsunami of 28 centimeters (11 inches) was recorded after a magnitude-8.4 earthquake near Chile in 2001.

The Meteorological Agency said it was still investigating the likelihood of a tsunami in Japan and did not issue a formal coastal warning.

Australia, meanwhile, was put on a tsunami watch.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning Saturday night for a "potential tsunami threat" to New South Wales state, Queensland state, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

Any potential wave would not hit Australia until Sunday morning local time, it said.

The Philippine Institute of Vulcanology and Seismology issued a low-level alert saying people should await further notice of a possible tsunami. It did not recommend evacuations.

Seismologist Fumihiko Imamura, of Japan's Tohoku University, told NHK that residents near ocean shores should not underestimate the power of a tsunami even though they may be generated by quakes on the other side of the ocean.

"There is the possibility that it could reach Japan without losing its strength," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Mark Niesse in Honolulu, Kristen Gelineau in Sydney, Chris Havlik in Phoenix, Ray Lilley in Auckland, New Zealand, and Eric Talmadge in Tokyo contributed to this report.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100227/ap_on_re_us/quake_tsunami_9

[ninathedog]

Tsunami warning lifted;
Waves reach Japan, Russia

By Eric Talmadge, Associated Press Writer – 57 mins ago
AP

TOKYO – The tsunami from Chile's devastating earthquake hit Japan's main islands and the shores of Russia on Sunday, but the smaller-than-expected waves prompted the lifting of a Pacific-wide alert. Hawaii and other Pacific islands were also spared.

Hundreds of thousands of people fled shorelines for higher ground after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii warned 53 nations and territories that a tsunami had been generated by Saturday's magnitude-8.8 quake earthquake. After the center lifted its warning, some countries kept their own watches in place as a precaution.

In Japan, the biggest wave hit the northern island of Hokkaido. There were no immediate reports of damage from the four-foot (1.2-meter) wave, though some piers were briefly flooded.

As it crossed the Pacific, the tsunami dealt populated areas — including the U.S. state of Hawaii — only a glancing blow.

The tsunami raised fears Pacific nations could suffer from disastrous waves like those that killed 230,000 people around the Indian Ocean in December 2004, which happened with little-to-no warning and much confusion about the impending waves.

Officials said the opposite occurred after the Chile quake: They overstated their predictions of the size of the waves and the threat.

"We expected the waves to be bigger in Hawaii, maybe about 50 percent bigger than they actually were," said Gerard Fryer, a geophysicist for the warning center. "We'll be looking at that."

Japan, fearing the tsunami could gain force as it moved closer, put all of its eastern coastline on tsunami alert and ordered hundreds of thousands of residents in low-lying areas to seek higher ground as waves raced across the Pacific at hundreds of miles (kilometers) per hour.

Japan is particularly sensitive to the tsunami threat.

In July 1993 a tsunami triggered by a major earthquake off Japan's northern coast killed more than 200 people on the small island of Okushiri. A stronger quake near Chile in 1960 created a tsunami that killed about 140 people in Japan.

Towns along northern coasts issued evacuation orders to 400,000 residents, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said. NHK switched to emergency mode, broadcasting a map with the areas in most danger and repeatedly urging caution.

As the wave crossed the ocean, Japan's Meteorological Agency said waves of up to 10 feet (three meters) could hit the northern prefectures of Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi, but the first waves were much smaller.

People packed their families into cars, but there were no reports of panic or traffic jams. Fishermen secured their boats, and police patrolled beaches, using sirens and loudspeakers to warn people to leave the area.

In Kesennuma, northern Japan, seawater flooded streets near the coast for about four hours before receding but caused little impact to people.

But the tsunami passed gently by most locations.

By the time the tsunami hit Hawaii — a full 16 hours after the quake — officials had already spent the morning blasting emergency sirens, blaring warnings from airplanes and ordering residents to higher ground.

Picturesque beaches were desolate, million-dollar homes were evacuated, shops in Waikiki were closed and residents filled supermarkets and gas stations to stock up on supplies. But after the morning scare, the islands were back to paradise by the afternoon.

Waves hit California, but barely registered amid stormy weather. A surfing contest outside San Diego went on as planned.

In Tonga, where up to 50,000 people fled inland hours ahead of the tsunami, the National Disaster Office had reports of a wave up to 6.5 feet (two meters) high hitting a small northern island, deputy director Mali'u Takai said. There were no initial indications of damage.

Nine people died in Tonga last September when the Samoa tsunami slammed the small northern island of Niuatoputapu, wiping out half of the main settlement.

In Samoa, where 183 people died in the tsunami five months ago, thousands remained Sunday morning in the hills above the coasts on the main island of Upolu, but police said there were no reports of waves or sea surges hitting the South Pacific nation.

At least 20,000 people abandoned their homes in southeastern Philippine villages and took shelter in government buildings or fled to nearby mountains overnight. Provincial officials scrambled to alert villagers and prepare contingency plans, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council.

Philippine navy and coast guard vessels, along with police, were ordered to stand by for possible evacuation but the alert was lifted late Sunday afternoon.

Indonesia, which suffered the brunt of the 2004 disaster, had been included in the tsunami warning Saturday, but the country's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said Sunday there was no tsunami risk for the archipelago as it was too far from the quake's epicenter.

On New Zealand's Chatham Islands earlier Sunday, officials reported a wave measured at 6.6 feet (two meters).

Several hundred people in the North Island coastal cities of Gisborne and Napier were evacuated from their homes and from camp grounds, while residents in low-lying areas on South Island's Banks Peninsula were alerted to be ready to evacuate.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology canceled its tsunami warning Sunday evening.

"The main tsunami waves have now passed all Australian locations," the bureau said.

No damage was reported in Australia from small waves that were recorded in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Norfolk Island, about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) northeast of Sydney.

New Zealand's Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management downgraded its tsunami warning to an advisory status, which it planned to keep in place overnight.

___

Associated Press writers Mark Niesse and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Mari Yamaguchi and Malcolm Foster in Tokyo, Ray Lilley in Wellington, New Zealand, Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, Debby Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, and Kristen Gelineau in Sydney contributed to this report.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/quake_tsunami

[ninathedog]

Rescuers struggle to save lives after Chile quake

By Michael Warren, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 4 mins ago
AP

CONCEPCION, Chile – Rescuers edged their way toward quake victims trapped in a toppled apartment block early Sunday even as looters stole food and robbed banks after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Chile.

Authorities put the death toll from Saturday's magnitude-8.8 quake at 214, but believed the number would grow. They said 1.5 million Chileans were affected and 500,000 homes severely damaged by the mammoth temblor.

A tsunami caused by the quake that swept across the Pacific killed several people on a Chilean island but caused little damage in other countries, after precautionary evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people. The tsunami warning was lifted a day after the earthquake.

President Michelle Bachelet, who leaves office March 11, declared a "state of catastrophe" in central Chile. "It was a catastrophe of devastating consequences," she said.

Police said more than 100 people died in Concepcion, the largest city near the epicenter with more than 200,000 people. The university was among the buildings that caught fire around the city as gas and power lines snapped. Many streets were littered with rubble from edifices and inmates escaped from a nearby prison.

Police used water cannon and tear gas to scatter people who forced open the doors of the Lider supermarket in Concepcion, hauling away everything from diapers to dehydrated milk to a kitchen stove.

Across the Bio Bio River in San Pedro, others cleared out a shopping mall. A video store was set ablaze, two automatic teller machines were broken open, a bank was robbed and a supermarket emptied, its floor littered with mashed plums, scattered dog food and smashed liquor bottles.

The largest building damaged in Concepion was a newly opened 11-story apartment that toppled backward, trapping an estimated 60 people inside apartments where the floors suddenly became vertical and the contents of every room slammed down onto rear walls.

"It fell at the moment the earthquake began," said 4th Lt. Juan Schulmeyer of Concepcion's 7th Firefighter Company, pointing to where the foundation collapsed. A full 24 hours later, only 16 people had been pulled out alive, and six bodies had been recovered.

Rescuers heard a woman call out at 11 p.m. Saturday from what seemed like the 6th floor, but hours later they were making slow progress in reaching her. Rescuers were working with two power saws and an electric hammer on a generator, but their supply of gas was running out and it was taking them a frustrating hour and a half to cut each hole through the concrete.

"It's very difficult working in the dark with aftershocks, and inside it's complicated. The apartments are totally destroyed. You have to work with great caution," said Paulo Klein, who was leading a group of rescue specialists from Puerto Montt. They flew in on an air force plane with just the equipment they could carry. Heavy equipment was coming later along with 12 other rescuers.

The quake tore apart houses, bridges and highways, and Chileans near the epicenter were thrown from their beds by the force of the mega-quake, which was felt as far away as Sao Paulo in Brazil — 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) to the east.

The full extent of damage remained unclear. Ninety aftershocks of magnitude 5 or greater shuddered across the disaster prone Andean nation within 24 hours of the initial quake. One was nearly as powerful as Haiti's devastating Jan. 12 earthquake.

In the village of Reumen, a tractor trailer slammed into a dangling pedestrian overpass and 40 tons of concrete and steel crunched the truck, covering Chile's main highway with smashed grapes, tomatoes and cucumbers — one of several overpasses toppled along the highway.

Truck driver Jaime Musso, 53, thought his truck was being buffeted by strong winds and by the time he saw the overpass hanging down over Highway 5 there was no chance of stopping, so he aimed for the spot where he thought he would cause the least damage and brought down the overpass onto his truck. He said he survived "by millimeters."

As night fell Saturday, about a dozen men and children sat around a bonfire in the remains of their homes in Curico, a town 122 miles (196 kilometers) south of the capital, Santiago.

"We were sleeping when we felt the quake, very strongly. I got up and went out the door. When I looked back my bed was covered in rubble," said survivor Claudio Palma.

In the capital Santiago, 200 miles (325 kilometers) to the northeast of the epicenter, the national Fine Arts Museum was badly damaged and an apartment building's two-story parking lot pancaked, smashing about 50 cars.

Santiago's airport was closed and its subway shut down. Chile's main seaport, in Valparaiso, was ordered closed while damage was assessed. Two oil refineries shut down. The state-run Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, halted work at two of its mines, but said it expected them to resume operations quickly.

The jolt set off a tsunami that swamped San Juan Bautista village on Robinson Crusoe Island off Chile, killing at least five people and leaving 11 missing, said Guillermo de la Masa, head of the government emergency bureau for the Valparaiso region.

On the mainland, several huge waves inundated part of the major port city of Talcahuano, near hard-hit Concepcion. A large boat was swept more than a block inland.

The surge of water raced across the Pacific, setting off alarm sirens in Hawaii, Polynesia and Tonga, but the tsunami waves proved small and did little damage as they reached as far as Japan.

Robert Williams, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey, said the Chilean quake was hundreds of times more powerful than Haiti's magnitude-7 quake, though it was deeper and cost far fewer lives.

The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of Chile on May 22, 1960. The magnitude-9.5 quake killed 1,655 people and made 2 million homeless. Saturday's quake matched a 1906 temblor off the Ecuadorean coast as the seventh-strongest ever recorded in the world.

___

Associated Press writers Roberto Candia in Talca, Chile, Eva Vergara in Curico, Chile, and Eduardo Gallardo in Santiago, Chile, contributed to this report.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_earthquake

[ninathedog]

Chile quake death toll hits 708 as rescue ramps up

By Michael Warren And Eva Vergara, Associated Press Writers – 59 mins ago
Associated Press

CONCEPCION, Chile – Heroism and banditry mingled on Chile's shattered streets Sunday as rescuers braved aftershocks digging for survivors and the government sent soldiers and ordered a nighttime curfew to quell looting. The death toll climbed to 708 in one of the biggest earthquakes in centuries.

In the hard-hit city of Concepcion, firefighters pulling survivors from a toppled apartment block were forced to pause because of tear gas fired to stop looters, who were wheeling off everything from microwave ovens to canned milk at a damaged supermarket across the street.

Efforts to determine the full scope of destruction were undermined by an endless string of terrifying aftershocks that continued to turn buildings into rubble. Officials said 500,000 houses were destroyed or badly damaged, and President Michele Bachelet said "a growing number" of people were listed as missing.

"We are facing a catastrophe of such unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort" to recover, Bachelet said after meeting for six hours with ministers and generals in La Moneda Palace, itself chipped and cracked.

She signed a decree giving the military control over security in the province of Concepcion, where looters were pillaging supermarkets, gas stations, pharmacies and banks. Men and women hurried away with plastic containers of chicken, beef and sausages.

Virtually every market and supermarket had been looted — and no food or drinking water could be found. Many people in Concepcion expressed anger at the authorities for not stopping the looting or bringing in supplies. Electricity and water services were out of service.

"We are overwhelmed," a police officer told The Associated Press.

Bachelet said a curfew was being imposed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and only security forces and other emergency personnel would be allowed on the streets. Police vehicles drove around announcing the curfew over loudspeakers.

As nightfall neared, hundreds of people put up tents and huddled around wood fires in parks and the grassy medians of avenues, too fearful to return to their homes amid continuing strong aftershocks.

Bachelet, who leaves office on March 11, said the country would accept some of the offers of aid that have poured in from around the world.

She said Chile needs field hospitals and temporary bridges, water purification plants and damage assessment experts — as well as rescuers to help relieve workers who have been laboring frantically since the magnitude-8.8 quake struck before dawn Saturday.

To strip away any need for looting, Bachelet announced that essentials on the shelves of major supermarkets would be given away for free, under the supervision of authorities. Soldiers and police will also distribute food and water, she said.

Although houses, bridges and highways were damaged in Santiago, the national capital, a few flights managed to land at the airport and subway service resumed.

More chaotic was the region to the south, where the shaking was the strongest and where the quake generated waves that lashed coastal settlements, leaving behind sticks, scraps of metal and masonry houses ripped in two.

In the village of Lloca, a beachside carnival was caught in the tsunami. A carousel was twisted on its side and a ferris wheel rose above the muddy wreckage.

In Concepcion, the largest city in the disaster zone, a new, 15-story apartment building toppled onto its side. Many of those who lived on the side that wound up facing the sky could clamber out; those on the other were trapped. An estimated 60 people remained trapped in the 70-unit apartment building.

Police officer Jorge Guerra took names of the missing from a stream of tearful relatives and friends. He urged them to be optimistic because about two dozen people had been rescued.

"There are people alive. There are several people who are going to be rescued," he said — though the next people pulled from the wreckage were dead.

Concepcion's main hospital was operating, though patients in an older half of the building were moved into hallways as a precaution.

Rescuers worked carefully for fear of aftershocks. Ninety jolts of magnitude 5 or greater shuddered across the region in the first 24 hours after the quake, including one nearly as large as the earthquake that devastated Haiti on Jan. 12.

Firefighters in Concepcion were about to lower a rescuer deep into the rubble when the scent of tear gas fired at looters across the street forced them to interrupt their efforts.

"It's sad, but because of the situation you have to confront the robberies and at the same time continue the search," Guerra said.

The sound of chain saws, power drills and sledgehammers breaking through concrete competed with the whoosh of a water cannon fired at looters and the shouts of crowds that found new ways into a four-story supermarket each time police retreated.

One woman ran off with a shopping cart piled high with slabs of unwrapped meat and cheese. A shirtless man carried a mattress on his head. Some of the looters pitched rocks at police armored vehicles outside the Lider market, which is majority-owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Across the Bio Bio River in the city of San Pedro, looters cleared out a shopping mall. A video store was set ablaze, two automatic teller machines were broken open, a bank was robbed and a supermarket emptied, its floor littered with mashed plums, scattered dog food and smashed liquor bottles.

"It was a mob. They looted everything," said police Sgt. Rene Gutierrez, 46, who had his men guarding the now-empty mall. "Now we're only here to protect the building — what's left of the building."

He said police had been slow to reach the looted mall because one bridge over the river was collapsed and the other so damaged they had to move cautiously.

Ingenious looters even used long tubes of bamboo and plastic to siphon gasoline from underground tanks at a closed gasoline station. Others rummaged through the station's restaurant.

Thieves attacked a flour mill in Concepcion — some toting away bags on their shoulders, others using bicycles or cars. One man packed a school bus with sacks of flour.

Many defended the scavenging — of food if not television sets — as a necessity because officials had not brought food or water. Even Concepcion's mayor, Jacqueline van Rysselberghe, complained that no food aid was reaching the city. She said the federal government should send troops to help halt the looting.

In Talca, where old adobe buildings in the town center were flattened, many spent the night outside, huddled beneath blankets on lawn chairs, sleeping on a mattress hauled from a damaged home or sheltering in camping tents.

State television showed scenes of devastation in coastal towns and more still on Robinson Crusoe Island, where it said the tsunami drove almost 2 miles (3 kilometers) into the town of San Juan Bautista. Officials said at least five people were killed there and more were missing.

The surge of water raced across the Pacific, setting off alarm sirens and evacuations from Hawaii to Japan, but it did little damage.

___

Associated Press Writer Eduardo Gallardo in Santiago contributed to this report.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_earthquake

[ninathedog]

This falls under humanitarian issues on a very local and personal level:


In this photo made on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, Sharon Edge stands on the porch of the row house where she and her late boyfriend, Curtis Mitchell, lived in Pittsburgh's Hazelwood neighborhood. They first called 911 for help in the early morning hours of Feb. 6 during a snowstorm. Mitchell was in pain and needed an ambulance. Nearly 30 hours later, and after more than a dozen calls involving the couple and 911 operators or ambulance crews, Mitchell, 50, died at his home in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

You may come to your own conclusions on this. My verbatim initial reaction was "yeah because it's Pittsburgh and he's black" -- rightly or wrongly, those were my thoughts. Sorry, Pittsburgh.

Pa. (U.S. state of Pennsylvania) man dies during storm when 911 calls unheeded

By Dan Nephin, Associated Press Writer – Sun Feb 28, 1:19 pm ET

PITTSBURGH – With her boyfriend in severe abdominal pain, Sharon Edge called 911 for an ambulance in the early morning hours of Feb. 6. Heavy snow was falling — so heavy it would all but bring the city to a standstill — and Curtis Mitchell needed to go to a hospital.

"Help is on the way," the operator said.

It never arrived.

Nearly 30 hours later — and 10 calls from the couple to 911, four 911 calls to them and at least a dozen calls between 911 and paramedics — Curtis Mitchell died at his home. His electricity knocked out, his heat long off, the 50-year-old former steelworker waited, huddled beneath blankets on his sofa.

"I'm very angry, because I feel they didn't do their job like they supposed to," said Edge, 51. "My man would still be living if they'da did they job like they was supposed to ... They took somebody that I love away."

Mitchell, on disability for depression, had a history of pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, Edge said, and had spent nine days in a hospital in late January. He had been home about a week when he was overcome with pain. Autopsy results are pending, awaiting toxicology test results, authorities said.

Now Pittsburgh officials have ordered an investigation and reforms of the city's emergency services system as Mitchell's case highlighted key shortcomings:

• Details of Mitchell's calls weren't passed on from one 911 operator to another as shifts changed, so each call was treated as a new incident.

• Twice, ambulances were as close as a quarter-mile from Mitchell's home but drivers said deep snow prevented the vehicles from crossing a small bridge over railroad tracks to reach him. Mitchell was told each time he'd have to walk through the snow to the ambulances; in neither case did paramedics walk to get him.

• Once, an ambulance made it across the bridge and was at the opposite end of the block on the narrow street where the couple lived — a little more than a football field's length. Again, paramedics didn't try to walk.

"We failed this person," said Michael Huss, the city's public safety director.

To be sure, Mitchell's ordeal unfolded as the storm dumped nearly two feet of snow on Pittsburgh; the 911 system was swamped with more than twice as many calls as usual and overall emergency response was hampered.

Regardless of how deep the snow was, Huss said it was unacceptable that paramedics didn't walk to help Mitchell. If they had, Huss believes Mitchell may have survived.

"... You get out of that damn truck and you walk to the residence," Huss said. "That's what needed to happen. We could have carried him out."

The six paramedics on the three ambulances could be disciplined, Huss said. He declined to say what that might be.

Paramedics or firefighters will now be required to go to a caller's door.

"Everyone needs to get a response," Huss said Thursday.

That Mitchell died waiting to get to the hospital is a cruel coincidence.

Edge and Mitchell met eight years ago in an emergency room. Both were getting their medications under control for their mental illnesses, she said. He was being treated for depression; she has bipolar disorder.

"We've been stuck together ever since, like glue," Edge said.

Several years ago, they moved into a small red brick rowhouse in Hazelwood, the riverside neighborhood that was home to Pittsburgh's last working steel mill, which shut down a dozen years ago.

Sitting on the tan and blue fabric sofa where Mitchell died, Edge described him.

He enjoyed watching TV, particularly westerns. They hoped to get married by a justice of the peace in April, then celebrate with a little party.

"He did for his friends," she said. "He looked out for other people when they needed stuff. He was there to help."

They didn't have a car. During the storm, a neighbor offered to drive them to a hospital but he couldn't get his car shoveled out.

Edge is a little sketchy on details of Mitchell's worsening condition and death. Then again, she didn't think she'd need to relive them. She thought they first called 911 on the night of Feb. 5, but records indicate the first call was made about 2 a.m. on Feb 6. Sometime Friday night, the storm knocked out their power and the couple sought warmth under blankets as the house got colder.

Edge said Mitchell had begun to feel stomach pains during the week, but he tried to deal with it. By Friday morning, he woke up in pain. Still, he tried to manage with medication, she said.

A review of the 911 calls by the Associated Press shows no anger in Mitchell's or Edge's voices. There was no screaming. Conversations with operators were cordial and the couple seemed to understand the difficulties the snow posed.

Still, Mitchell and Edge let them know he was in pain.

"My stomach man, it's real messed up. It's killing me," he tells a 911 operator about 11:15 a.m. on Feb. 6.

About 8 p.m. that night — in the eighth call to 911 — Edge tells an operator: "My boyfriend called for an ambulance. He's in a lot of pain and we've been waiting for a couple hours now."

At one point, Mitchell can be heard exclaiming "Oh man, what?" when Edge relayed to him that they would have to walk to the ambulance because of the snow. It was not clear when that conversation took place.

In all, three ambulances were dispatched at separate times. In each case, Mitchell was told he'd have to walk to them — and he canceled the calls.

As the hours went by, Mitchell's pain intensified and he began to have shortness of breath. Because he complained of abdominal pain, which is generally not considered life-threatening, he was initially ranked as a medium priority. About 11:20 a.m. Saturday, his priority level was upgraded, but not as an emergency.

Mitchell tried to sleep. He took his prescriptions — oxycodone for pain and sleeping pills for his insomnia. Edge gave him the medication and closely followed the dosage, she said.

"All that time, he was dying and I didn't even know it," Edge said.

Shortly before 8 a.m. on Feb. 7, Edge made her last 911 call.

"I think my husband's dead. Oh God, oh God," she sobbed.

The 911 operator told Edge to calm down and asked for the address and phone number.

"I've been trying to get an ambulance here for three days. He's been having stomach pains," Edge said.

The operator talked Edge through a check to see if Mitchell was breathing. Try to get him onto the floor on his back, the operator said.

But Mitchell's body was cold. Edge couldn't wake him.

"Oh God, he can't leave me ... Curtis? Curtis?" Edge said, struggling to move him.

The operator assured Edge that paramedics were on the way.

"He's dead," Edge said.

"No, no, no. You're going to stay with me," the operator said, continuing the checks on Mitchell.

Finally, someone came to the door.

"Who is it?" asked Edge. "Is it the medics?"

"Yes."

"All right," said the operator. "You did a good job. I'm going to hang up now. Let them in. Good bye."

The snow had long since stopped falling. It took firefighters two minutes from being dispatched to reach the couple's home.

They checked for a pulse, but it was too late.

"They said he was gone," Edge said.

It would be five more hours before workers from the medical examiner's office came for Mitchell's body.

A police officer waited with her. Edge sat on the sofa with the body.

"I kissed and hugged him," she said of Mitchell. "But it was all I could do."

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100228/ap_on_re_us/us_snow911_death

[ninathedog]

Irish Officials Enter Gaza

Thursday February 25, 2010 13:07
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

A group of Irish officials, headed by the Irish Foreign Minister, Michael Martin, arrived in the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning via the Rafah Border Terminal.

Authorities in Gaza confirmed that 10 individuals, led by Michael Martin, entered the Gaza Strip.



The Irish Foreign Minister said his first visit to Gaza is for observing the situation on the ground. 

The officials will be visiting hospitals, schools, and heavily damaged areas.



Last Sunday, Martin accused Israel of preventing him from entering the Gaza Strip via the Erez Terminal, between Gaza and Israel. 



He added that Israeli Authorities never presented a convincing reason for preventing entrance to Gaza.



Martin has made demands for Israel to cease construction of Jewish settlements in Jerusalem and the West Bank in addition to ending the illegal policies of home demolition and forced expulsion of residents.

www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_id=53&story_id=58059

.............

Viva Palestina To Send Convoy To Gaza

Thursday February 25, 2010 12:28
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

British Legislator, George Galloway, stated that Viva Palestina is preparing to send another humanitarian aid convoy to the impoverished Gaza Strip.

A large convoy of ships, from many different countries, will depart for Gaza in June.



Galloway added that Viva Palestina will also establish an international summer school for activists working for the Palestinian cause. 



His statement came during an activity held by the Palestinian Forum of Britain (PFB) , Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and the Islamic Unity Forum (IUF).



Several UK organizations also participated in the event to honor the participants of the Viva Palestina Convoy. 



Zaher Beerawy, head of Public Relations at the Palestinian Forum of Britain (PFB), said this activity was held by the Arab and Muslim sectors in Britain to celebrate the success of Viva Palestina in sending financial, medical and moral support to the residents of Gaza, to celebrate the extraordinary efforts by Viva Palestina to break the Israeli siege and to highlight the issue of Palestinian refugees. 



The event was supported by the following groups, British Muslim Initiative (BMI), Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE), Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Stop The War Coalition (STW), Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS).

www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_id=53&story_id=58057

...............

German Jews To Aid Gaza

Thursday February 25, 2010 11:33
by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Among the groups and organizations aiding Gaza — a group of German Jews, some Holocaust survivors — plan to send a humanitarian aid ship to show support for the Gazan people.

In their press release, the group states, “We are a group of German Jews who want to send a ship with goods and musical instruments to Gaza. We intend to cooperate with a European project that is sending supplies in the spring of 2010. We are acquiring a ship, loading it up in Germany, then picking up passengers (Jewish and non-Jewish, German and non-German) at a Mediterranean port.”



According to the group, urgently needed items; medicine, baby food, bedding, children’s clothes and school materials, will be among the ship's humanitarian aid package.



The ad-hoc group of German Jews working to bring solidarity aid to Gaza say cement is not the only necessity for rebuilding: “We call on our politicians to provide these urgently needed building materials but also things to help cure the soul."



“We hope our musical instruments will contribute a little towards this. Our schools can also make a very significant contribution: Children in Gaza are prevented from studying through lack of materials. This is why we are looking for schools to donate school material. Later perhaps we can work on twinning schools or classes.”



The German Jewish ship is part of several dozen solidarity aid boats, planned to form a flotilla that breaks the nearly 3-year long siege of the Gaza Strip.



The Israeli and Egyptian siege upon Gaza has prevented the entry of nearly all basic medical, construction, fuel and food supplies.

www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_id=53&story_id=58058

[emeraldsun]

German woman breaks silence about Red Army rapes [/size]

An 80-year-old German woman has broken an old taboo of silence over the rapes she endured at the hands of Soviet soldiers in the second world war with a searing book about the crimes of the Red Army as it marched towards Berlin.

"Why Did I Have To Be A Girl" by Gabriele Koepp is the first book published about the rapes under a victim's real name. Mrs Koepp was one of an estimated two million German girls and women raped by Soviet soldiers, encouraged by their leader Josef Stalin to regard the crime as a spoil of war after Hitler's invasion had left 26 million Russians dead.

"Frau. Komm," was a phrase that women dreaded hearing from Red Army soldiers. In the weeks after the city fell the rape epidemic was so bad that even the Catholic church countenanced abortion for some victims.


Even today, Mrs Koepp has trouble sleeping. "I was hardly more than a child. Writing this has not been easy, but I had no choice: who else would do it?"

Mrs Koepp told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine at the weekend that it was on the evening of January 25 1945, when she was 15, that her mother told her to pack quickly as she had to flee.

They lived in Schneidemuehl, in the former German region of Pomerania which is now a Polish town called Pila. She and her sister left the next day aboard a cattle train that was supposed to head towards Berlin. But it went in a different direction and the engine was soon blown up by Russian artillery. "The freight car door was locked," she said. "I managed to climb up and crawl out of a high window. My sister was left behind: I have never seen her again."

Her ordeal of multiple rape in a nearby village went on for two weeks until she was taken in at a farm and hid from the Soviets.


Read more here: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/7338034/German-woman-breaks-silence-about-Red-Army-rapes.html

[ochasame]

Chile asks Canada for help

Chile is asking Canada to provide a field hospital, a pontoon bridge, generators and telecommunications equipment following Saturday's devastating earthquake that killed more than 700 people, destroyed 500,000 homes and displaced at least 1.5 million people.

Chile's ambassador to Canada Eugenio Ortega told CBC's Power & Politics that the country doesn't require the food and humanitarian aid that Haiti required after that country's quake on Jan. 12, but that it needs a temporary field hospital with surgical facilities, electricity generators for hospitals, a pontoon bridge and satellite phones.

"The situation is very difficult and the human situation is complicated for us," he said.

On Sunday, President Michelle Bachelet outlined those same requirements, as well as water purification plants, damage assessment experts and rescuers to help relieve exhausted workers.

Chilean officials have struggled to assess the damage caused by the massive earthquake and the more than 100 aftershocks that have rumbled through the country since Saturday.

Ortega said he sent a letter Monday on behalf of Chile to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon that specifies Chile's needs, following a phone conversation between Peter Kent, Canada's junior foreign affairs minister for the Americas, and his Chilean counterpart.

The Canadian government has not responded yet with how it will help, but it issued a statement on Sunday saying, "Canada stands ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Government of Chile during this time of need."

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on its website Monday that 520 Canadians living in Chile have been located while 337 have yet to be located by family, friends or consular officials.

About 5,000 Canadians live in Chile, and of that 1,000 are in the affected area where the 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/01/canada-chile-ortega.html