De Israelische Terreur 815

Amnesty: US Arms Delivery to Israel Threatens “Mideast Peace”
Readers Number : 445

02/04/2009 The delivery of munitions in the Zionist entity from the US earlier this month has thrown President Barack Obama's commitment to maintaining peaceful relations between Israel and Palestine into question, according to Amnesty International.

The humanitarian group said Thursday that the arrival of the Wehr Elbe, a German cargo ship, and her delivery of 300 containers of munitions to the Israeli port of Ashdod suggested the new administration will not act to prevent further attacks against civilians.

A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the delivery of munitions to Ashdod had been completed successfully, but said they were destined for a US ammunition stockpile held in the Zionist entity.

However, under an agreement with the US, the Israeli's could use the munitions for their own purposes if it was required.

The Pentagon said although they were looking for ways to restrict Israel's use of some US munitions, they had not yet come to an agreement.

Amnesty International's arms control campaign manager Brian Wood said given the suspected war crimes the group says to have identified in the recent Gaza conflict, Obama should not have allowed the shipment to be delivered to Israel after it left the US on December 20th.
"There is a great risk that the new munitions may be used by the Israeli military to commit further violations of international law, like the ones committed during the war in Gaza," said Wood.

"We are urging all governments to impose an immediate and comprehensive suspension of arms to Israel and to all Palestinian armed groups, until there is no longer a substantial risk of serious human rights violations."

The Wehr Elbe left North Carolina on 20th December 2008, and arrived in Ashdod on March 22nd. It is reported to have been carrying a net weight of 14,000 tons of munitions.

Amnesty International also expressed its concern Obama had shown no intention of cutting back the billions of dollars in military aid which were promised to Israel in a ten-year agreement by George Bush's previous administration.

Wood added: "Legally and morally, this US arms shipment should have been halted by the Obama administration given the extent of the evidence showing how military equipment and munitions of this kind were recently used by the Israeli forces for war crimes. Arms supplies in these circumstances are contrary to provisions in US law."
Zie: http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=80057&language=en