Flotilla Deaths Obama's Fault

White House rejected Israeli intel, blocked use of anti-riot gear against flotilla WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama stopped Israel from using anti-riot gear to prevent a Turkish-sponsored flotilla from breaking the siege on the Gaza Strip.  ShareThis Diplomatic sources said the White House rejected Israeli intelligence assessments that the six-ship flotilla contained weapons and Islamist fighters trained to resist any boarding operation. The sources, privy to Israeli-U.S. governmentcommunications, said Obama and his leading aides pressed Israel against any act that would be deemed excessive force."The White House demanded that Israel exercise extreme caution and restraint in any scenario," a diplomatic source said. Also In This Edition

NORTHEAST ASIA: Nice: U.N. 'gravely concerned' at sinking of Korean ship, won't assign blame Mideast / S. Asia: Pentagon: $1 trillion mineral wealth could reorient Afghan economy AFRICA/EUROPE: May deadliest month for Darfur since 2008, peacekeepers say In the end, Netanyahu approved a plan for the Israel Navy to board Marmara with commandos armed with paintball guns, Middle East Newsline reported. The commandos were quickly overpowered by Turkish fighters until the Israeli commander ordered live fire, which killed nine passengers, eight of them Turks. The Obama administration demands were relayed through Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor, the sources said. They said Barak, who has sought advanced weapons from Washington, persuaded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree that the Israel Navy would not use anti-riot equipment, including tear gas, to stop the flotilla. The sources said the Israeli intelligence community had informed the White House that the flotilla contained scores of Turks trained in weapons and hand-to-hand combat. They said the Turkish-flagged ship Marmara was believed to have contained weapons and components ordered by the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip. Obama, whose aides were said to have been in contact with the flotilla, did not condemn the Israeli naval interception. But within hours of the bloody clash, the president withdrew his invitation to Netanyahu to come to the White House. "The last thing the president wanted was to stand next to Netanyahu as he defended this action and blasted Hamas and its supporters in the West," another source said. The sources said Barak and Netanyahu decided on the details of the interception without consulting a seven-member security Cabinet committee. Later, Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon, a former chief of staff, asserted that the naval operation had endangered the commandos. "The prime minister decided to settle everything with the defense minister," Ya'alon was quoted as saying. "Netanyahu shouldn't have left such fateful decisions to an irresponsible defense minister drunk with power." In wake of the clash, Obama has sought to ease tensions with Turkey. On June 2, Obama telephoned Prime Minister Recep Erdogan amid rising Islamist threats against Turkey's Christian and Jewish communities. The following day, a Roman Catholic bishop was killed by an alleged Islamist. "Obama told Erdogan 'Don't rock the boat too much. We'll take care of business,'" another diplomatic source said. "It was a very friendly message." On June 4, the administration, which reinvited Netanyahu, demanded the easing of Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip. The White House said the United States was working with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to "develop new procedures for delivering more goods and assistance to Gaza, while also increasing opportunity for the people of Gaza and preventing the importation of weapons." "The current arrangements are unsustainable and must be changed," White House spokesman Mike Hammer said. "For now, we call on all parties to join us in encouraging responsible decisions by all sides to avoid any unnecessary confrontations and to ensure the safety of all involved." Netanyahu: Gaza flotilla probe will show the world Israel acted lawfully Israeli cabinet approves inquiry commission into raid on Gaza-bound aid flotilla in unanimous vote. By Barak Ravid Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of Monday's cabinet meeting that the main goal of the Gaza flotilla probe is to prove to the world that the Israel Navy operation on the Gaza-bound aid ship was appropriate and met international standards. "The government decision will make it clear to the world that Israel is acting legally, responsibly, and with complete transparency," said Netanyahu. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a weekly cabinet meeting. Photo by: Archive The cabinet approved the inquiry commission into the Gaza flotilla events in a unanimous vote. "It is not ideal, but the other options are less good," Netanyahu said regarding the probe. "The flotilla to Gaza was not a one-time incident. We are in the midst of a difficult and continuous fight against the state of Israel." Netanyahu told the ministers that it was particularly important to announce the Gaza flotilla probe panel on Sunday and for it to be approved on Monday, since the foreign ministers of the European Unions are due to convene on Sunday to discuss the events that led up to the IDF raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla which killed nine Turkish activists. North Irish Nobel laureate, Canadian jurist to serve as observers The committee will include two international observers and tackle the legality of the blockade of Gaza and the legality of the navy's actions. The committee will also determine whether investigations of claims of war crimes and breaches of international law conform to the Western standards. A retired Supreme Court justice, Jacob Turkel, will head the committee, whose members will included Shabtai Rosen, 93, a professor of international law who is an Israel Prize laureate in legal sciences and a Hague Prize laureate in international law. Also on the panel will be Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Horev, former president of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Two foreign observers will take part in the committee's deliberations. The statement released by the Prime Minister's Bureau did not say what their powers would be. The first observer will be William David Trimble, a Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Trimble joined the "Friends of Israel" initiative launched in Paris some two weeks ago, in which Israel's former ambassador to the United Nations, Dore Gold, was also involved. Gold is considered a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The second international observer will be Ken Watkin, former military judge advocate general from Canada. The committee will also examine the Turkish position and actions taken by the flotilla's organizers, especially the Turkish group IHH, which has alleged ties to terrorist groups, as well as the identity of the participants in the flotilla and their intentions.