Thursday
Jun032010
Investigation Of Flotilla Raid Is Neccessary Says Expert
Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 3:48PM
By Sarah Mamula- Talk Radio News Service
Shibley Telhami, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, commented on the recent events of the Gaza-bound flotilla, claiming that not enough is known about what he calls, "a disaster," and urges an investigation into Israel's actions.
"For all intents and purposes, all we know is that there were civilians and that they were in international waters," Telhami said. "I think we should have an investigation to find out what exactly happened, who was behind it, and what transpired on board."
Despite the lack of concrete information surrounding the Israeli commando raid, Telhami firmly believes aggressive action was the wrong approach.
"Regardless of the circumstances, confronting a civilian boat in a manner that could lead to the death of civilians is wrong. I think that clearly what transpired here is very hard to explain on the part of the Israelis."
The expert went on to speak about the importance of the United States' diplomatic role in this "immediate crisis," but also emphasized that an alternative to the Gaza blockade must be found.
"Everyone in the international community has been calling for more goods to go into Gaza. Even the U.S. says the blockade is not sustainable the way it is now," Telhami said.
Shibley Telhami, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, commented on the recent events of the Gaza-bound flotilla, claiming that not enough is known about what he calls, "a disaster," and urges an investigation into Israel's actions.
"For all intents and purposes, all we know is that there were civilians and that they were in international waters," Telhami said. "I think we should have an investigation to find out what exactly happened, who was behind it, and what transpired on board."
Despite the lack of concrete information surrounding the Israeli commando raid, Telhami firmly believes aggressive action was the wrong approach.
"Regardless of the circumstances, confronting a civilian boat in a manner that could lead to the death of civilians is wrong. I think that clearly what transpired here is very hard to explain on the part of the Israelis."
The expert went on to speak about the importance of the United States' diplomatic role in this "immediate crisis," but also emphasized that an alternative to the Gaza blockade must be found.
"Everyone in the international community has been calling for more goods to go into Gaza. Even the U.S. says the blockade is not sustainable the way it is now," Telhami said.
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