Actually, the Ship Was Not Turkish-Flagged 6/7

On the web: http://accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?articleId=2258

Institute for Public Accuracy
980 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
(202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org
___________________________________________________

JOHN QUIGLEY,
http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/faculty/bios.php?ID=42
Professor of international law at Ohio State University, Quigley
said today: “Contrary to what many are claiming, including the New York
Times in a front-page article on the Gaza flotilla, the Mavi Marmara,
the vessel on which deaths occurred, is not Turkish-flagged. Although
formerly Turkish-flagged, the Mavi Marmara was Comoros-flagged by the
time of last week’s incident. The point may be of some significance,
because Comoros, unlike Turkey, is a party to the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court. The Court has jurisdiction over war crimes
committed on vessels registered in a state that is party to the Rome
Statute.”

FRANCIS BOYLE,
Professor of international law at the University of Illinois
College of Law in Champaign, Boyle said today: “The highest level
officials of the Israeli government who ordered the attack upon the Mavi
Marmara can be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court: Prime
Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak, Foreign Minister Lieberman,
General Ashkenazi and the rest of the Israeli council of seven ministers
who ordered this criminal attack. Furthermore, under the ICC’s Rome
Statute any state party has the power to demand that these Israeli
governmental officials be prosecuted.”
Boyle’s books include “Tackling America’s Toughest Questions.” See:
“Is the Israeli Blockade of Gaza Against the Law?”
http://www.slate.com/id/2255610

Background:
The Independent (UK): “The Hijacking of the Truth: Film Evidence
‘Destroyed’: Protesters say Israel had an assassination list. Israel
says soldiers fired only in self-defence. So what really happened on 31
May?” http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/06/06

The Guardian (UK): “Gaza Flotilla Activists Were Shot in Head at Close
Range: Nine Turkish men on board Mavi Marmara were shot a total of 30
times, autopsy results reveal”
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/06/05

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020, (202) 421-6858; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167