Iran accuses Israeli leaders of war crimes

(CNN) -- A conference of Islamic prosecutors in Iran worked Wednesday to draft an indictment against Israeli leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
The charges stem from Israel's late-December offensive into Gaza against Hamas militants. The Israeli military has been accused of using excessive and indiscriminate force in civilian areas.

Israel is "a regime that only understands the language of violence and force," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at the gathering, in calling for the prosecution of Israeli "criminals."

"I am confident that there will come a day when all Zionist criminals will be brought to justice," he said on the second day of the conference in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

The Iranian president regularly rails against Israel and has called for the Jewish state's elimination.

Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said: "The day when this conference will start dealing with human rights in the countries that are members of this organization will be the day that their claims concerning Israel will be deserved to be heard, not before. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, let alone commit suicide bombings."

"The accusations themselves are nothing more than the hysterical, hostile coverage of the media in these countries and not based on solid facts," he continued.

Human Rights Watch, in a report released last month, said there was evidence that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza by firing white phosphorus shells over densely populated areas. Israel has rejected that claim.

Israel also has said that the offensive was to defend against repeated rocket attacks by Palestinians.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday its forces "operated in accordance with international law" during recent fighting in Gaza, but said there were a few incidents in which "intelligence or operational errors" occurred.

This is the conclusion of probes that emerged from Operation Cast Lead, in which Israel was broadly criticized for its actions in Gaza.

Phosphorus shells can be used to create a smokescreen for troops. In creating the diversion, the element ignites when exposed to oxygen and can cause severe burns.

The Israeli offensive was launched December 27 and ended January 17 with a cease-fire. Of the 1,453 people estimated killed in the conflict, 1,440 were Palestinian, including 431 children, a U.N. report recently said.

Thirteen Israelis died -- three civilians and six soldiers were killed by Hamas, and four soldiers were killed by friendly fire -- the report said.

A spokesman for the Israeli prime minister called the U.N. report an example of the "one-sided and unfair" attitude of the U.N. Human Rights Council, which had requested it.

The two days of meetings in the Iranian capital have included more than 200 senior judicial officials from the Organization of the Islamic Conference -- an association of 56 states.

The organization might ask the U.N. International Court of Justice to charge Israeli leaders with crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. The court would not be obligated to act.

My comment
馬鹿！！ばか！！Baka means ‘stupid’ in Japanese.
Israel and Iran are both the worst communicators in the world when they all prosecute the other one is the real criminal. When it comes to study the long-lasting conflict within Jewish and Arabians, we have to review the history again, although some people think that Arabians naturally oppose to Jewish, they fail to see that it is U.N or U.S make the turmoil more serious.

The most persuasive point is that in 1947, United Nations approved the UN Partition Plan (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181) on November 29, 1947, dividing the country into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. Could you find the controversial part? This is exactly not mean to unite but to divide.
Honestly speaking, who could come up with this pathetic solution??

At April 22nd, Islamic prosecutors draft indictment against Israeli leaders over Gaza offensive. The charges stem form Israel’s late-December offensive in Gaza against Hamas militants. While the spokesman of Israeli Foreign Ministry on the other hand, said these charges are not based on solid facts but merely hostile coverage of media.
Nevertheless, from my point of view, saying that Israel is the same as Iran would be to exaggerate. But the resemblances are very close.

U.S Politic

Obama: 'We can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction'
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (CNN) -- President Obama said Friday he is seeking "a new beginning" in U.S. relations with Cuba.
Before addressing the representatives of 34 countries at the Summit of the Americas, Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez saw each other and shook hands.

"Every one of our nations has a right to follow its own path," Obama told the assembly. "But we all have a responsibility to see that the people of the Americas have the ability to pursue their own dreams in democratic societies.

"Toward that end, the United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba."

Obama arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday evening for the Summit of the Americas, a key meeting of hemispheric powers. Although it was not represented at the talks, the subject of Cuba dominated the president's speech.
n prepared remarks, Obama said that "decades of mistrust" must be overcome, but noted that he has already loosened restrictions that limited Americans from traveling to visit relatives in Cuba and from sending money to them.

Obama lifted all restrictions Monday on the ability of individuals to visit relatives in Cuba, as well as to send them remittances.

That may be just the beginning. "I am prepared to have my administration engage with the Cuban government on a wide range of issues -- from human rights, free speech and democratic reform to drugs, migration and economic issues," he said.
"Let me be clear: I am not interested in talking for the sake of talking. But I do believe that we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction."

Obama's comments represent a significant shift in a U.S. policy that has remained largely unchanged since 1962, when the U.S. government imposed a trade embargo with Havana.

They come a day after Cuban President Raul Castro said he was prepared to discuss "everything, everything, everything" with the United States.

Castro told a summit of leftist Latin American leaders gathered in Venezuela, "We are prepared, wherever they want, to discuss everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners," Castro said Thursday.

Havana played a major role in Obama's remarks, where he called for rejection of "stale debates" that have undermined opportunities to forge new partnerships.
"They would have us make the false choice between a rigid, state-run economy and unbridled and unregulated capitalism; between blame for right-wing paramilitaries or left-wing insurgents; between sticking to inflexible policies with regard to Cuba or denying the full human rights that are owed to the Cuban people.

"I didn't come here to debate the past -- I came here to deal with the future. As neighbors, we have a responsibility to each other and to our citizens. And by working together, we can take important steps forward to advance prosperity, security and liberty."

Chavez's press office said Obama walked up to Chavez to greet him, a meeting it called "historic."

"President Chavez expressed his hope that relations between the two countries would change," the press office said, quoting Chavez as having told his U.S. counterpart, "Eight years ago with this same hand I greeted Bush. I want to be your friend." It said Obama then thanked Chavez.

Chavez once referred to former President Bush as "the devil."

On other matters, Obama, who said he is committed to fighting inequality "and creating prosperity from the bottom up," announced a Microfinance Growth Fund for the hemisphere and proposed creating an Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas "to promote renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

He also vowed to "take aggressive action" to slash demand for illegal drugs, and to halt the movement of arms and money to Mexico.

Quote

"We are prepared, wherever they want, to discuss everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners," Castro said Thursday.

My comment
I think Castro understands the relation between U.S and south America more than Persident Obama. I deeply believe that President Obama is too optmistic to his belief on creating a new relation to south America.
Creating a new relation can mean to open new discussing room toward many controvercial issue, such as human rights, illegal immergraion, and illegal drugs.

Castro and President Obama are from different political generation. As Castro has more foreign policy experiences than President Of U.S, south American countries certainly are well-prepared to discuss everything.
However, President Obama, who is another political generation, has less foreign politic experience, would be seemed too realism or less practical comparing to the experienced former leader.

N.Korea: Nuclear tension

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday in what U.S. and South Korean officials deemed a provocative act.
While the United States and South Korea confirmed the rocket launch, the payload of the rocket remains unclear. North Korea has said the rocket was to carry a satellite into space, but the United States, South Korea and other nations fear it could be a missile with a warhead attached.

"With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations," U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement after the launch.

"We will immediately consult with our allies in the region, including Japan and (South Korea), and members of the U.N. Security Council to bring this matter before the Council," Obama added. "I urge North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions."
The council scheduled a meeting for Sunday afternoon after Japan's representative to the United Nations, Yukio Takasu, sent a letter requesting an urgent meeting in response to the launch.

A spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he "regrets that, against strong international appeal, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) went ahead with its planned launch. Given the volatility in the region, as well as a stalemate in interaction among the concerned parties, such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace and stability."

A senior Obama administration official in Washington confirmed that the rocket did clear Japan.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told reporters after the launch that the country's military was not forced to intercept any missile, which it had pledged to do if necessary. Preliminary data show that two objects, possibly boosters from the rocket, apparently fell around Japan, one in the Sea of Japan and one in the Pacific Ocean.
Western nations fear that North Korea plans a ballistic missile test rather than a satellite launch, but the Obama administration's special envoy to the Six-Party Talks, Stephen Bosworth, said last week that it didn't matter if the North Koreans were trying to put a satellite in space or testing a ballistic missile that could threaten Japan or the United States.
U.S. Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement late Saturday.

"It is alarming that North Korea carried out this missile launch in direct defiance of the international community," Berman said. "The test is an unnecessary provocation that raises tensions in the region, and I urge the North Koreans to stop using their missile and WMD programs to threaten their neighbors and the rest of the world."

My comment
N.Korea carried out its word finally and launched rockets. I have been waiting whether it will be really launch a satellite or something. Maybe China supports N.Korea, I suppose. But it is now listen to what western countries will decide what to do next. And it only needs to wait and see.

G-20 summit

At a glance: G20 agreement

G20 world leaders have revealed their communiqué to tackle the global economic crisis. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the $1.1 trillion deal as he closed the G20 summit. Here is a summary of the key points:

FINANCIAL REGULATION

A new Financial Stability Board, with a strengthened mandate, will replace the Financial Stability Forum
Financial regulation and oversight will be extended to all financial institutions, instruments and markets
This includes bringing hedge funds within the global regulatory net for the first time
Members are committed to implementing tough new rules on pay and bonuses at a global level
International accounting standards will be set
Credit rating agencies will be regulated in order to remove their conflicts of interest
A common approach to cleaning up banks' toxic assets has been agreed

TAX HAVENS
There will be sanctions against tax havens that do not transfer information on request
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has published a list of countries assessed by the Global Forum against the international standard for exchange of tax information

IMF

Resources available to the International Monetary Fund will be trebled to $750bn
This includes a new overdraft facility, or special drawing rights allocation, of $250bn
Additional resources of $6bn from agreed IMF gold sales will be made available for lending to the poorest countries
The G20 also supports increased lending to the world's poorest countries of at least $100bn by the multilateral development banks

GLOBAL TRADE

There will be a commitment of $250bn of support for trade finance made over the next two years
This will be made available through export credit and investment agencies, as well as through multilateral development banks
National regulators will be asked to make use of available flexibility in capital requirements for trade finance

PROTECTIONISM

The G20 has pledged to resist protectionism
There will be a commitment to naming and shaming countries that breach free trade rules
The G20 will notify the World Trade Organization (WTO) of any measures that constrain worldwide capital flows
The G20 has called on the WTO to monitor and report publicly on these undertakings on a quarterly basis

FISCAL STIMULUS

Although there is no new fiscal stimulus, Gordon Brown said G20 countries are already implementing "the biggest macroeconomic stimulus the world has ever seen" - an injection of $5tn by the end of next year

G-20 summit

G-20 pumps $1 trillion into beating recession

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Leaders of the world's largest economies agreed on Thursday to a package worth more than $1 trillion to tackle the global economic crisis. U.S. President Barack Obama called the deal "a turning point in our pursuit of global economic recovery." The plan calls for reform of the international banking system and the injection of more than $1 trillion into the world financial system.

The Group of 20 is taking "unprecedented steps" to attack the global economic downturn, stimulate growth and expand loans to troubled nations, Obama said at the close of the group's meeting in London.

"The challenge is clear," the U.S. president said. "The global economy is contracting. Trade is shrinking. Unemployment is rising. The international financial system is nearly frozen."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown heralded the emergence of a "new world order" Thursday following the release of what he called an "unprecedented" package of measures to tackle the crisis.

The deal agreed by the leaders of the world's largest economies included reform of the international banking system and the injection of more than $1 trillion into the world financial system. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had voiced concerns prior to the summit about the wisdom of pumping further public money into economies already in recession, welcomed Thursday's agreement -- though hinted at unresolved disagreements behind the scenes.

There had been concerns that a rift was opening up between the approach being championed by the U.S. and Britain -- more economic stimulus -- and that favored by France and Germany -- more banking regulations.

Sarkozy said the agreement represented "great progress" on reform of financial institutions and said "a page had been turned." Merkel described the deal as "a very, very good, almost historic compromise." The six-point plan includes banking reform measures and more than $1 trillion to be spent on restoring credit, growth and jobs, as well as measures clamping down on tax havens and a commitment to build a green and sustainable economy. Much of the G-20 communique issued at the end of the London summit restated promises and goals that international leaders had made earlier, relying on language such as "we remain committed" and "we reaffirm our historic commitment."

But Brown said: "Our message is clear and certain. We believe that in this new global age our prosperity is indivisible. We believe global problems require global solutions," Brown said.

"I think a new world order is emerging and with it the foundations of a new and progressive era of international cooperation."

Brown said the new rescue package, which includes a commitment to treble the resources available to the International Monetary Fund to $750 billion, amounted to "the largest macro economic stimulus the world has ever seen."

Along with existing national stimulus measures, Brown said efforts to bolster economies amounted to more than $5 trillion.

My comment

It seems to me that this outcome is unpredictable in some way. I was expecting China to speak something. I also found that Japan will lend 1bn dollars to IMF, whereas the EU will also lend 1bn to IMF. It seems wield to me since Japan has the lowest confidence on trade and its GDP growth also lower than past years, then how come it still can lend money to IMF? Maybe western countries want Japan to do it. Or maybe Japan voluntarily decided to lend money.

 

 

G-20 SUMMIT

U.S.-China relations in focus at 'G-2' summit

By Jaime FlorCruz
Beijing Bureau Chief

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- If money is power, China is now in a powerful position to play a critical role at the Group of 20 summit in London.So powerful, in fact, that some analysts speak of a "G-2", referring to the first meeting between the new U.S. president and his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the G-20. What matters most in the G-20, some say, is Barack Obama and Hu Jintao's meeting on the eve of the summit. "This is a summit of symbolism, where the meeting itself is the message," said China analyst Victor Gao.

To be sure, the closest U.S. allies are Great Britain in Europe and Japan in Asia. But with its growing economic and military clout, China is now a major player at the G-20.

China "appears to be actively setting the agenda," said Glenn Maguire, economist at the investment bank Societe Generale. China is awash with cash, its economy is still growing and its banking system is solvent. It is seeking a bigger role as global powers seek to reshape the economic and financial framework."It's almost impossible for China to engineer enough of an increase in domestic consumption to make up for the contraction in demand that we're seeing in Europe and the United States," said Michael Pettis, who teaches economics at Peking University. Put simply, Hu Jintao needs President Obama to succeed with his economic prescriptions -- and vice versa.

Such a congruence of goals is viewed positively in Beijing. "The degree of close U.S.-China cooperation in the process of coping with the global financial crisis will directly affect how fast the global economy can extricate from the difficult time," said a commentary in Global Times, a state-run Chinese newspaper.Rather than alluding to a goodbye to the U.S. dollar, Zhou may as well be making a case -- implicitly -- for including the (Chinese) renminbi into the list of currencies when the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank work on the SDR in the future," Zha explained.

Meanwhile, China hopes the G-20 meeting will reach a consensus on how to deal with the global crisis.Said Victor Gao: "It is equally important to identify the root causes, and make fundamental changes to the international financial system, including cross-border financial regulation, increasing transparency, bringing the hedge funds into the regulatory framework, enhancing risk management, and preventing countries from excessive and irresponsible financial and budgetary activities," Gao said. Pointing the finger squarely at the United States, he said China hopes the U.S. will learn from its mistakes to avoid a repeat of the crisis.

Before leaving Beijing for London, President Hu Jintao remained circumspect. "We will continue our contribution to international economic development," he said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency. He called for efforts to resist trade protectionism while also calling for a revamp of the international financial system. 

My comment

This week's London Summit brings together the leaders of the world's 20 largest economic powers, known as the Group of 20, to discuss the global financial crisis and decide new measures to set the world on a more stable economic footing.