Spain?

[Mediocrates]

Spanish National Court Judge Fernando Andreu says he will [1] redouble his probe of seven top Israeli military and government officials (http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/juez/Andreu/sigue/investigacion/Israel/bombardeo/Gaza/2002/elpepuesp/20090227elpepunac_9/Tes) for suspected “crimes against humanity.” He made the decision after determining that documents forwarded by the Israeli Embassy in Madrid show that Israel has decided not to prosecute anyone for the targeted assassination of Salah Shehadeh, the commander of the military wing of Hamas, in Gaza City in 2002. Spanish law allows the prosecution of foreigners for such crimes as genocide, crimes against humanity, and torture committed anywhere in the world if the suspects will not be tried in their home country.

The case was brought to the Spanish court by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, which is represented in Spain by [2] Gonzalo Boyé (http://www.libertaddigital.com/mundo/gonzalo-boye-esta-detras-de-la-querella-contra-el-ex-ministro-de-defensa-israeli-1276349588/), a Marxist revolutionary who was sentenced to 14 years in prison for collaborating with the Basque terrorist group ETA. A seven-page court document says the initial evidence suggests that the attack in the densely populated Gaza City, which killed 14 civilians, “should be considered a crime against humanity.” Supporters of the lawsuit say Spain should pursue the suit because it has “universal jurisdiction” in such cases.

Andreu will now probe former Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, former Air Force Commander Dan Halutz, former head of the National Security Council Giora Eiland, and four other senior officials. Andreu will also seek testimony from Palestinian witnesses. The court will ask Israel to formally notify those named in the complaint so that they can be called by the judge to testify. Should Andreu decide to issue an international arrest warrant for any of the seven Israelis, they could be detained upon arrival in any EU member state.

The lawsuit has sparked outrage in Israel, which is trying to fend off foreign censure over the civilian death toll during Operation Cast Lead in January 2009. Israeli Defense Minister [3] Ehud Barak (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/129681) has rejected the complaint as “delirious” and pointed out that Shehadeh was a terrorist mastermind responsible for the deaths of many dozens of innocent people. “Whoever calls taking out a terrorist ‘a crime against humanity’ lives in an upside-down world,” he said. Barak vowed to do “everything possible to get the investigation dismissed.”


http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/spain-israel-and-war-crimes/

[Dorothy]

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131197

Almagor Demands War-Crimes Probe of NATO
7/1/09
"...In response to the Spanish case, Almagor is currently preparing a petition to the Spanish court system demanding that it also investigate NATO countries and leaders for war crimes during the air campaign against Serbia in the late 1990s. Over 2,000 civilians were killed in the attacks. Almagor is specifically looking into a NATO bombing that destroyed a passenger train on a bridge, killing over 100 people, and airstrikes on Serbian hospitals and two Serbian TV stations.

"The suit would force the court to look into wartime actions by several former and current Spanish leaders, as well as those of other NATO member states. Chief among the potential targets of the Almagor suit is European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who was NATO's Secretary-General during the Serbia bombing campaign.

"The suit is a way to open what Indor called a "Pandora's Box", which he hoped would pressure the Spanish court to close both cases. Such a scenario took place in 2001, when Almagor filed suit against Yasser Arafat after a similar case was opened against Ariel Sharon in Belgium. The cases were ultimately dropped by the court. ..."

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/132133
July 1, 09
"(IsraelNN.com) The highest court in Spain has decided to call off an investigation of seven Israelis for alleged war crimes in connection with the 2002 killing of Hamas terrorist mastermind Saleh Shehadeh in Gaza. Spanish legislators are about to change the law that gave their courts jurisdiction in the case...."

Yes that's the same Javier Solana who heads the European Union. That's the same Javier Solana who destroyed Christian holy sites in favor of the growth of the Muslim community. It's pretty clear that they don't want that dirt exposed, particularly when Solana wants:

http://www.euractiv.com/en/opinion/solana-backs-felipe-gonzlez-eu-president-job/article-183401
"Solana backs Felipe González for EU president job
Published: Tuesday 23 June 2009

"EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana yesterday (22 June) endorsed former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González as first permanent president of the European Council, should the Lisbon Treaty enter into force....

"Zapatero and González - like Solana - are from the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE), a relationship which should enable good cooperation and ensure a smooth start for the new job. "