U.S. "deeply regrets" Gaza flotilla deaths (UPDATED)

[Karmadillo]

From DU rules: If a discussion is primarily about US policy in Israeli/Palestinian affairs, it is sometimes allowed in other forums.
I hope this fits the exception.

http://dyn.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/archive.cfm/year/2010/month/5

U.S. "deeply regrets" Gaza flotilla deaths (UPDATED)
- Laura Rozen

World capitals have reacted with shock to news that Israeli commandos killed at least ten pro-Palestinian activists in storming their flotilla of six ships bringing aid to Gaza.

Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador to Israel, France has condemned the killings, while the Obama White House expressed deep regret at the killings and said it was still trying to understand the circumstances.

The Obama administration "deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained," White House spokesman Bill Burton, in Chicago with the president, said. Administration officials are "currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy."

UPDATE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to cancel his planned visit to Washington Tuesday, deciding to return home from Canada to deal with the incident, the AP reported. The Israeli embassy couldn't immediately confirm it.

more...

[ensho]

1. "deeply regrets" is pith, is nothing, empty words

nt

[Imajika]

4. Yup, completely meaningless

When a nation says it "deeply regrets the loss of life" what they really mean is "we don't really care about this, but for public relations reasons we will say we are sorry some people died".

The old "deeply regrets" line is just one step up from "troubled by" statement.

[jaxx]

11. It's sensible language, instead of dead or alive.

[Ned Bro]

13. Agreed

Netanyahu should be condemned for the thug that he is!

[Poll_Blind]

2. Washington Post reporting Netanyahu's cancellation as well (LINK)

HERE

There may still be some confusion over this, I'd read a story just a few minutes ago to the contrary. This from the WP is all of 4-6 minutes old, FWIW.

PB

[Subdivisions]

5. MSNBC is reporting Netanyahu has cancelled his meeting with Pres. Obama. n/t

[Barack_America]

8. Uh huh. Or the other way around? nt

[Barack_America]

7. Netanyahu still has time to meet with Harper today though.

Which is curious as it works against the idea that Netanyahu's return to Israel is "urgent".

There's a lot of ways to read this, but one is that the White House is shying away from Netanyahu and he wants that to be known. If he has time to meet with Harper today, he surely has time to meet with Obama tomorrow.

[Arctic Dave]

3. They need to boot israels ambassador ASAP.

[spanone]

6. how about 'deeply condemns'

[Mari333]

9. +10000000000000000

and we pay for it.

[Catherina]

10. Deeply regrets? How about *outraged*?

How about *will not tolerate*? How about *sanctions*?

I can't believe the lukewarm reaction.

[NutmegYankee]

15. It's a proper response until all the facts are known.

As stated, the Administration is "currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy".

[ensho]

17. what's to understand - it was out and out murder

a CRIME

[NutmegYankee]

22. Then the facts will show that. Getting outraged before proof is stupid. nt

[blurp]

50. Bullcrap. Watch the video. IDF boards ship and is immediately attacked and beaten.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYjkLUcbJWo

[treestar]

56. Jumping to conclusions never helped anything

The WH has the right to figure out what happened first and decide what to do based on facts.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dutch]

28. You're right of course

But don't expect the lynch mob to be called off any time soon.

[NutmegYankee]

31. I dislike the occupation, but I also want the facts to come in.

If the flotilla was unarmed, the IDF will have a major crisis. If there were weapons, then the flotilla will also have some explaining to do. At this point, both are possibilities.

[JoeyT]

37. Doesn't really matter how armed or unarmed they were.

When you drop onto a boat that's in international waters, anything they do to you is in self defense. Doesn't matter WHAT government sent the choppers.

[NutmegYankee]

39. Good point.

I didn't know this happened in international waters. I'm sitting back waiting for all the facts to come in because I used to jump to conclusions, some of which were very wrong in the past.

[Duncan]

51. thank you

[Mari333]

12. partial list of passengers

Partial list of passengers on board:

*USA

Greta Berlin. Co-founder of the Free Gaza Movement

Hedy Epstein (86) St. Louis, Missouri.

Katherine Elliott Sheetz (63) Woods Hole, Mass.. Registered Nurse. Master's degree.

David Schermerhorn (80) Deer Harbor, Washington State. Commercial film producer.

*UK

Alex Harrison (32) London. Solidarity worker.

Theresa McDermott (43) Edinburgh, Scotland. Logistics worker.

Denis Healey (55). Captain.

*IRELAND

Caoimhe Butterly 31. Human rights activist.

Mairead Maguire 66 Belfast. Nobel Peace Laureate.

Mark Daly 37 Kerry. Senator.

Shane Dillon (36) Dublin. Seafarer.

Fiachra O Luain 28 Carndonagh.

*HOLLAND

Annekarijn de Jong (29) Weesp. PhD researcher.

*BELGIUM

Griet M.A. Deknopper (Margarita) (32) Halle. Solidarity activist and teacher trainer.

Inge Neefs (26) Ghent. Studied educational sciences and holds a master in anthropology.

*GREECE

Giorgos Klontzas (39)

Agios Nikolaos. Professional diver and sailor.

*POLAND/UK

Ewa Jasiewicz (31) London, UK / Otwock, Poland. Journalist, community and union organizer, and solidarity worker.

*PALESTINE

Lubna Masarwa (32).

Huwaida Arraf (33) Ramallah, Palestine / Washington D.C. / Detroit, MI. JD. American University Washington College of Law. Twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nader El Sakka (58) Hamburg.

*GERMANY

Annette Groth 56 Berlin, Member of Parliament in the German Bundestag.

Inge D.M. Höger 59 Herford. Member of Parliament in the German Bundestag

Matthias Jochheim 61 Frankfurt. Physician and psychotherapist.

Prof. Dr. Norman Paech 72 Hamburg. Member of Parliament in Germany's Bundestag. Professor of Public Law at the University in Hamburg.

Compiled from here

http://www.freegaza.org/en/boat-trips/passenger-lists/75-ninth-trip-to-gaza-in-may-2010

[G_j]

18. thank you

very disturbing,

[Upton]

14. Unarmed peace activists murdered

though I know the Israeli apologists will be out in force...how can this possibly be justified?

[sixmile]

26. The spin army says they were armed...

With the same weapons one might find in a typical household: knives, sticks and a couple guns.

Very proportional response to these dangerous humanitarians.

[NutmegYankee]

30. The wild claim is "attemping to shoot down a helicopter".

I'm patiently awaiting all the facts because that one seems unlikely.

[TexasObserver]

55. This is what the $10 million a day the US gives to Israel buys.

Why isn't this action labeled as the state supported terrorism it is?

Why isn't Israel added to the list of terrorist states?

Masked men, hiding their faces from prosecution for international crimes, killing innocent people on the high seas. Where's the navy flotilla to find these pirates and dispatch them? Israel starts more trouble than the US can fix. That's the recurring theme. We need to consider effecting regime change in Tel Aviv.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. No doubt, demands for sanctions against Israel will follow.

:sarcasm:

[Mari333]

21. yeah, it will be swept under the rug as usual.

[chrisa]

19. Business as usual for Israel.

And yet, they're our "best friends." I wonder if they used our weapons in the process?

[ensho]

23. if it wasn't our weapon it was our money that bought the weapon

nt

[jaksavage]

24. Damn them

to hell.
This has to stop!
I am sick.

[jody]

25. Those who still support Israel's policies condone the murder of innocent people. n/t

[NutmegYankee]

27. If the flotilla is confirmed as unarmed, this may be Israel's Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

This really destroyed the British in that most Indians woke up to realize they needed to be forced out. Pending the investigation, this may lead to the two state solution that has been preached for years.

[malaise]

29. Cancelling the meeting

with Netanayu is a start. The world will be reacting today.

[inna]

48. Actually, it was Netanyahu who cancelled the meeting with Obama.

"Netanyahu decided to cut short his visit to Canada and return to Israel early," a statement from the Israeli government said, reported by Reuters.

The White House said President Barack Obama had a fifteen minute phone call with Netanyahu this morning in which he expressed understanding for Netanyahu's decision to return to Israel immediately.

“This morning between 10:00 and 10:15 AM CDT, the President spoke by phone with Prime Minister Netanyahum" the White House said in a statement Monday. "He said he understood the Prime Minister's decision to return immediately to Israel to deal with today's events."

"They agreed to reschedule their meeting at the first opportunity," the White House said.

[mod mom]

32. Can anyone explain why the Israelis were masked? I would expect that if armed masked commandos

dropped aboard any ship there would be a reason to attempt self defense. Horrible.

[NutmegYankee]

34. I think that is standard in any elite force these days.

I see special forces from many countries donning masks.

[ShamelessHussy]

36. they remind me of pirates

maybe that is the intent :shrug:

[mod mom]

40. I think terrorists when I see masks.

[NutmegYankee]

41. Or swat teams...

And the police wonder why people are freaked out when they raid the wrong house with flash bangs, automatic weapons, and black clothing with face masks.

[ShamelessHussy]

33. Video from one of the ships under attack by sea and air - yikes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0GY-wFjFF8&feature=youtube_gdata

[Purveyor]

35. "Deeply regrets" my ass. We are the f'n enablers that allow israel to go unchecked. eom

[Puregonzo1188]

38. How about cutting off military aid? Being that our tax dollars most likely paid for this

unbelievable and murderous act of piracy.

[L0oniX]

47. The USA supports terrorists ...case closed. n/t

[Jumping John]

42. The WH calls terrorist attack by Israel in International waters a CLASH. DAYUM What a pity.

What a pity that a terrorist attack on unarmed civilians in international waters has to be called a clash by the Obama administration so as not to upset the terrorist government of Israel who uses their military to murder unarmed civilians on a humanitarian mission.

[BanzaiBonnie]

43. Armed Israeli Terrorists attacking innocents in international waters

What's to understand.

Because too many believe the big daddy sky god gave a book that speaks of the Hebrew tribe and the end of times prophesy, we are apparently willing to support Israel at any cost.

[Frank Booth]

44. Don't forget campaign contributions.

The Democratic party gets a lot of money from the "Israel is always right" crowd. Does anyone with any power have the guts, will or desire to close the coffers?

[sixmile]

45. No.

Not if they want to stay in politics (and there's LOTS of money in politics.)

[Ichingcarpenter]

46. 'Deeply Regrets' is said when you can't make a wedding, party or funeral

Lame response by the USA addressing a massacre

[TexasObserver]

49. The US response is weak and lacking.

Israel misbehaves more than all our other allies combined. Why we support such a regime is a mystery. They certainly do not deserve our aid or our protection.

[JackRiddler]

52. What do they do when Turkey demands measures against the state that attacked a NATO nation?

[Cali_Democrat]

53. Pathetic response by the Obama Administration

Sort of expected.

I wonder what else Israel expects from us....of course we will oblige in any way we can.

I'm losing hope :(

[ConsAreLiars]

54. And the US also "deeply regrets" mass murdering wedding parties in Afghanistan.

and a million in Iraq, and driving millions into refugee camps. Oh wait, the US only regretted the several small mass murders.

But, hey, we're the lords and masters of the universe and can slaughter millions at a touch of the button, so it's really no big deal. Same hubris, run by the same corporate hegemonic powers, same evil, same values, same goals, same supremacist jingoism.

(edit near miss on the keyboard)