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The Inquiry which isn't one really

Yet another example of Israel bluffing its way with its PR - and many unthinkingly accepting what is dished up. The so-called inquiry into the attack on the flotilla headed to Gaza last month which Israel has announced isn't really an inquiry worth a pinch of salt.

This piece "Israel's Dubious Investigation of Flotilla Attack" on FPIF [Foreign Policy in Focus] explains:

"Few decisions of the Obama administration have outraged the peace and human rights community as much as its successful efforts to block an international inquiry into May's Israeli aid flotilla attack. Instead, supported by leading Republican and Democratic members of Congress, the Obama administration has thrown its weight behind an investigative committee handpicked by right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to examine the incident.

The three-member panel is not a full committee of inquiry as defined under Israeli law, so it does not have subpoena power or the ability to question Israeli soldiers. Nor can it compel anyone in the military to provide evidence. All the committee members can do is request documents and "summaries of operational investigations" that have already been conducted by the Israeli military itself.

The committee would not have the authority to even request testimony or other evidence "in regard to military personnel and personnel from the other security forces." They would not be able to interview any soldiers or officers individually or even see their testimony or statements, instead relying only on "summaries" and other documents of internal military inquiries. These are generally done by officers who have no training in such inquiries on possible violations of international law. At most, the conclusions the panel gets will be lessons learned rather than any kind of investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing."

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