Syrian troops have opened up with live fire, once gain, on protesters. Libyan forces loyal to Gaddafi have shelled civilian areas indiscriminately. Yemen government forces have cracked down leading to many deaths. Iran routinely decimates opposition protesters.
So what is the U.N. Human Rights Council going to do about it? If the Islamic Conference at the U.N. has its way, it will investigate … Israel. Via AP:
Several members of the U.N.’s top human rights body are pressing for an emergency meeting to examine the government crackdowns against popular protests that have swept the Middle East and North Africa, Western diplomats said Wednesday.
The countries, from Latin America, Europe, North America and Asia, are trying to collect 16 signatures necessary to force a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council next week, the diplomats said.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, which was underlined by the innocuous title proposed for the meeting — “Promotion and protection of human rights in the context of recent peaceful protests.”
The title was chosen to avoid singling out particular countries, the diplomats said. But they confirmed that Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria would be among the nations whose violent suppression of protests would be on the agenda.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose members carry significant weight in the 47-nation Human Rights Council, said it wouldn’t consent to holding such a meeting.
“We think that the events that are taking place do not merit some kind of a special session,” said Zamir Akram, Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva.
He accused those advocating a special session of double standards, and said the OIC would use any such meeting to focus on human rights abuses by Israel instead.
Hey, we wouldn’t want to break the HRC’s anti-Israel hitting streak.
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All Hell in Syria
The Shia-Sunni Cold War, a regional cold war between Sunni-led nations and the “Shia crescent,’’ the term King Abdullah of Jordan used to describe Iran’s growth as a regional superpower.
Live updates on Syria’s uprising
"Protesters in Syria have reported 40 people killed by security forces – the highest daily death toll in five weeks of unrest against President Assad."
BBC News
Good Friday Martyrs (graphic)
Hama You Tube, syriawillbefree
"Blame Israel First" and its "Firsters" are really misnomers, I'm coming to believe.
"Blame Israel Only" and "Onlyers" might be more fitting.
I'm not really sure how I feel about this phenomenon any more.
The first stage, long ago, was disbelief. For some time now, it's been a stage of almost humorous, "Here we go again … just like clockwork!!" Now, it's getting to be so old … I guess it's the stage where you want to yell at the comedian, "Get off the stage. You're not funny anymore! Get some new material!!"
There certainly don't appear to be any obvious good guys in these ME revolts and put-downs. I'm curious as to why Libyan oil-consuming France and Italy (and, to a lesser extent, the UK) have waded into the Libyan uprising and on the side of the rebels? The humanitarian excuse comes off as an insulting cover for a western intervention and attendant "kinetic" killing. That Obama is giving money and other aid (arms?) to the rebels is more understandable, because they look to be extremists who'll end up resenting the US much as our Prez does.
At any rate, Israel, like the Jew, always plays the scapegoat for haters, takers, corrupt dictators and clergy, western apologists, and screw-ups. The country is simply too successful for its own good.
Speaking of which, why is the US still giving so much money to Israel and Egypt? Haven't the Camp David dynamics changed since Mubarek's ouster and esp. considering the permanent state of warm war with the Palis? While American-Israeli military and intel cooperation benefits us, aren't we throwing too much good money after bad in the case of Egypt which will end up radicalizing, anyway, and on our dime?
It's time to seriously consider moving the UN headquarters to Jerusalem. What better place is there for their mission to achieve world peace?
there is also this link:
MUAMMAR Gaddafi's forces have committed "crimes against humanity and war crimes on a large scale", according to a human rights lawyer gathering evidence in Libya to present to the International Criminal Court.
Torture, mass executions, using humans as shields and banned cluster bombs all testify to the violence inflicted by Gaddafi's regime on the Libyan population in recent weeks, French lawyer Philippe Moriceau told AFP today.
Government forces charged eastwards in the middle of March, pushing back rebels seeking to topple Gaddafi into their stronghold Benghazi, and then began bombarding its western gate.
They were beaten back when NATO launched air strikes from March 19 under a UN mandate to protect Libyan civilians caught in the fighting between Gaddafi's troops and the rebels.
According to Mr Moriceau, vice president of the France-based Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB) group, in the short time Gaddafi's forces attacked Benghazi, "the motto was to 'rape, rob and kill'."
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/large-scale-war-crimes-by-gaddafi-forces/story-e6frfku0-1226043606242#ixzz1KJjZMc1Q
The case which is being investigated by Lawyers without borders working in Libya. Their investigation relates to Benghazi alone at this stage. Thousands have been killed and wounded.
Those who are against the UN investigating are going to be in for a big surprise that they will be outnumbered because of all the human rights abuses in: Iran, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Libya etc. etc. There are African nations such as Ivory Coast that need investigation as well.
After Good Friday Massacres come Saturday funerals.
NYT says at least 81 killed during protests in Syria yesterday. They will be buried today with large mourning crowds and new protests.
Syriana BY ROBERT D. KAPLAN
Everyone sees the downside of Assad’s departure, how about the upside? A fractured, internally occupied Syria would have little time to be Iran’s right hand man in Middle East mischief. Nor would it have time to meddle in Lebanon which might cut off Iranian support of Shia Hezbollah. Syria might cease to be Iran’s chief ally. Lebanon might begin to dismantle Hezbollah, shake off Syrian influence and become that country which showed so much promise in the Cedar Spring. Syria has been the headquarters and refuge of some of the worst terrorist groups in the Middle East, that might end. Northern Kurdish Syria might turn toward Kurdish Iraq further strengthening nascent Kurdistan, an American ally. The end of the corrupt Baath Party and Alawite domination in Syria would be positive not negative. As a fairly secular, educated country a new Syria might have some promise as an multi-ethnic, multi-religious nation. In any case would a inward looking, divided Syria be any worse than a meddling, murderous Baath Party kleptocracy? There is a small possibility that Turkey might take over some part of Syria in a move towards Ottomon revanchism. Would that necessarily be a bad thing?