Secret Squirrel has turned his attention to recent activity by the State Of Israel,in clearly international waters, on the free high seas,activity,in direct,knowledgable violation of Internationals Laws and Conventions, which is more and more being proven to be atrocity,terrorism,murder,piracy,kidnapping,illegal detention,violations of human and civil rights, both in International waters, and continuing in to Israel itself.
Piracy is a crime with ancient origins. As long as there have been ships at sea, pirates have sought to steal from them. Internationally, laws against piracy have ancient origins, too, but U.S. law developed chiefly in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. The power to criminalize piracy originated in the U.S. Constitution, which was followed by the first federal law in 1790 and crucial revisions over the next sixty years. Additionally, the United States and other nations cooperated to combat piracy in the twentieth century. This resulted in a unique shared view of jurisdiction: piracy on the high seas can be punished by any nation.
Piracy is defined by Roget's dictionary as 'robbery or illegal violence at sea'.Piracy is similar to privateering which is state-sponsored piracy authorized by national authorities.It is an illegal act of violence, detention, or plunder committed for private ends by the crew of a private ship (usually) against another ship on the high seas.Since piracy is a crime against humanity, those practicing it may be tried in any competent court, regardless of nationality.The International Maritime Bureau outlines very specific criteria that must occur for an act to be
considered an act of piracy. Those criteria include:
* The pirates must board another vessel;
* The pirates must have the intent to steal or commit another crime; and
* The pirates must have the intent or capacity to use force in order to commit the crime for which they boarded the vessel;
The definition provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is similar and defines piracy, in part, as any act that:
* Is illegal and committed for private ends by those on a private ship. The actions must be directed against those on another vessel on the high seas or any waterway outside the jurisdiction of a sovereign nation.
The Constitution (United States)addresses piracy in Article 1, Section 8. It gives Congress "the Power … To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations." Generally, the definition of pirates meant rogue operators at sea—independent criminals who hijacked ships, stole their cargo, or committed violence against their crew.
Here from the Times Online the description of what occurred to a Swedish author,Henning Mankell......
“On the night of the raid we thought that we should maybe have a guard on the ship, even though we were some hours away from the territorial waters of Israel. I was on patrol between midnight and 3am.
“At 4am I went to sleep; 15 minutes later people rushed in saying, ‘Hey, they are attacking the big ferry [the Mavi Marmara]’. This was when we heard the shooting. At the beginning we didn’t know what was happening but gradually we understood: sooner or later they will come for us, too. And one hour later, they came.
“When we saw the commandos coming in their inflatable boats, with masks, we all went up to the bridge. When they boarded the ship we were there with our hands behind our heads.
“Even though we didn’t do anything some of the soldiers were brutal. One member of the crew, an old man, maybe a little slow, was shot in the arm with an electric gun. This is very painful and he fell to the ground.
“At sea and on land the soldiers used a lot of violence. The Israelis were taking photos to put into everyone’s file. In the case of one man, however, they wanted his fingerprints, too. When he objected — ‘No, no, I have not done anything’ — they started beating him with their fists, telling him, ‘Give us that fingerprint!’
“Once we were in Israel I was taken to see a policeman. I asked him, ‘What am I accused of?’
“He told me, ‘We charge you with entering Israel illegally.’
“I replied, ‘But you brought me here!’ But there was no discussion. I was sent to a prison to be deported; 30 hours later I was taken to the airport. Only then did I learn that nine people were dead. The Israelis had jammed our communications before boarding our ship. "
He describes, quite correctly,the Gaza flotilla attack was a brutal act of piracy,and the behaviour thereafter, a human rights atrocity.
The Guardian is of the opinion that Israel's vivid act of piracy may yet turn the tide of global opinion.Well, It does label the actions of Israel,piracy, in violation of International Law which Israel merrily defecates on at
will, but references opinion, and of opinion, what does that matter, that does not put a stop to Israel's acts, nor does it compensate Israel's victims, nor does it see to it that victim's of it's Internationally illegal blockage receive the food so necessary to their lives.No indeed, What of opinion, so what.
The Economic Times and India Times state that by any yardstick, using force against peace activists or those engaged in a primarily humanitarian mission is a shameful and criminal act. And considering that Israel attacked the flotilla of ships carrying aid and supplies to Gaza, killing at least 10 civilian activists and injuring many more, in international waters, is nothing short of an act of piracy, of state terrorism.Aussie photographer Kate Geraghty Tasered during flotilla raid,for photographing the atrocity.
Indeed yes, on all counts, atrocity,terrorism,piracy,kidnapping,illegal detention,human and civil rights violations, all laid at Israel's door, Inhumanity, a crime against humanity? Yes, the denial of food to human kind.
Yet more, murder..More eyewitness accounts, backed up by video, indicate that the IDF opened fire before trying to board the vessels. After a passenger was killed, a white flag was raised but the Israelis kept shooting according to a journalist on board the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara.
But what's to be done about it.Nothing really.Israel knows nothing will happen, which is why it does ths.Words,what are words,words, a pocket full of mumbles. Speeches at the United Nations? Something for Israel to laugh at really,
and laugh at the world they did and do and continue to do.Apologize?What is an apology?Geoffey Dahmer could and did apologize too, and what of that?THEY will not compensate nations,individuals,families, ship owners, victims of their beatings and incarcerations,victims of their illegal activity.In short, nothing can be and will be done.Israel will continue to do as it pleases. And, on that score, and for that matter, why shouldn't everybody else? Indeed, can anything be done about other nations doing what Israel did? Yes? Then why not do that to Israel?
What of it,what of anything.Clearly the doings by Israel, both in International waters, and continuing in to Israel itself.Clearly the matter will be taken up in the United Nations,in the Security Council, in the World and civil courts, but isn't it all such a thing as a known to be toothless tiger,a useless endeavor of ridiculous worthless rhetoric,and exercise in utterly useless futility? You know it, and I know it. Nothing will transpire of any use at that level,you know it, I know it.Nothing will be done,miles of video tape it will create,news as it were, rheams of newsprint,so much toilet paper,and a waste for electronic chips to display on screens.Misfortunately for the World, the usual useless thing displayed by the useless rhetorical appendage of humanity that the United Nations is, the impotent Eunuch of humanity.
BUT there is one thing that can be done,and should most certainly be done, by the International Community,by the United Nations, by the Nations which constitute the World,the armed convoy system. In short, yes, send warships to escort the vessels to see to it that the humanitarian aid, the food, reaches it's destination, in defiance of Israel and it's activities against humanitarian aid and ships on the International high seas.Terrorism,atrocity,murder,piracy be damned,but only when it is confronted,forcibly confronted,by the nations of the world.
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