What the media says about me...
"The Speaker, more active by the day, rudely interrupted Gordon Prentice. This is an error of taste as well as judgement."Simon Carr, The Independent, January 2004
| Inquiry Call into War Crimes |
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| Wednesday, 01 April 2009 10:18 |
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Pendle MP, Gordon Prentice, is calling on the Government to press for an independent inquiry into allegations of war crimes during the Israeli assault on Gaza in December and January. The MP, an outspoken critic of Israel’s actions in the Gaza strip, says Britain is a High Contracting party to the Fourth Geneva Convention whose provisions outlaw attacks on civilians and, as such, is legally required to act where there is a breach. Last week in a Westminster Hall debate, the MP called for an immediate halt to UK arms exports to Israel which were running at around £25 million last year. Speaking from Westminster, the MP said: "What happened in Gaza should concern us all. The attack was a wholly disproportionate response to the rockets fired into southern Israel. The deaths of huge numbers of Palestinian civilians is not something which can or should be swept under the carpet." The MP is supporting the following Commons motion tabled by Martin Linton MP: That this House notes the allegations which have been made in respect of war crimescommitted during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009 on the basis of investigations by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and TheGuardian newspaper; notes that these allegations include the use of human shields, unmanned aerial vehicles and the targeting of medical staff and medical facilities, all of which are prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention; recalls that Britain is a High Contracting Party to the Convention and is, therefore, legally required to uphold its provisions; and urges the Government to call for an independent inquiry sanctioned by the UN Security Counsel into allegations of war crimes during Operation Cast Lead. |