Government Takes First Major Steps Towards UFO Disclosure

Educating Humanity, Wednesday, July 23, 2014 

In an astonishing development NASA and the Library of Congress (US Government) will be holding a symposium in Washington DC Sept 18-20, 2014 to discuss the broad implications of discovering life in the Universe. The main purpose of the event is described as:

"Preparing For Discovery - A Rational Approach of Finding Microbial, Complex, or Intelligent Life Beyond Earth"

This appears to be the first major event sponsored by the United States government to bring mankind one large step closer to the knowledge that we are not alone in the universe. Oddly enough it is open to the public.

Date-Time: September 18 - 19, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Admission: Free and open to the public

Location: The John W. Kluge Center, Room 119, Thomas Jefferson Building.

Another stated main goal of this event:

The main goal of the Symposium is then described as exploring “how we prepare to face new knowledge that may challenge our very conceptions of life and our place in the universe.”

From Anthropologist to Astrophysicist to the Vatican to SETI, the list of attendees (see below) reads like a Who's Who for UFO and Extraterrestrial Disclosure.

Steven J. Dick will be the host of this special event. He is the 2013-2014 Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology at the Library of Congress. He has a long history of working for NASA and the U. S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. He is also a noted author whose books have been translated to multiple languages.

Dick's books include: 

• Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the ET Life
• Life on Other Worlds: The 20th Century ET Debate
• Many World: The New Universe, ET Life and the Theological Implications
• The Living Universe, NASA and the Development of Astrobiology
• Sky and Ocean Joined: US Navel Observatory 1830-2000

Full List of Participants

Linda Billings - Consultant to NASA’s Astrobiology and Near-Earth Object Programs, Planetary Science Division, NASA HQ

Eric J. Chaisson - Astrophysicist, Harvard University

Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ - Astronomer and meteoriticist at the Vatican Observatory

Iris Fry - Professor, Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas at Tel Aviv University (retired)

Mark Lupisella - Leader, NASA Goddard Advanced Exploration Systems support for Human Exploration

Jane Maienschein - Regents’ Professor, President’s Professor, and Parents Association Professor at Arizona State University

Lori Marino - Neuroscientist and expert in animal behavior and intelligence

Carlos Mariscal - Post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Comparative Genomics & Evolutionary Bioinformatics in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Margaret Race - Senior Scientist at SETI Institute in Mountain View, California

Dirk Schulze-Makuch - Professor in the School of the Environment at Washington State University

Seth Shostak - Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California

John W. Traphagan - Anthropologist and Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at University of Texas at Austin

Douglas Vakoch - Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute

Clément Vidal - Philosopher, co-director of the 'Evo Devo Universe'

Source

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"FUTURE AND PHYSICS (#)" - May 16-17, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) -

(#) New major Discoveries (This channel will become a historical channel in the future, prove that Kryon is a real communication to humanity from the Creative Source) - (Text version Physics)

1 To see and measure multi-dimensional/quantum physics, instrument (super coaling quantum plasma lens)

2 Two more laws of multi-dimensional physics revealed: explanation of dark matter & acknowledgement of free energy (controlling mass)

3 God in the atom. God has - provable - part in physics. Intelligent/benevolent design. (Will bring religion and science together.)

4 Human Consciousness is an attribute of physics. (Pleiadians - Humans ancestors / Humans free choice only planet in the Milky Way Galaxy. Other galaxies have their own spiritual systems and physics)

5.Coherent DNA. Multidimensional DNA coherent between dimensions will give Enhanced DNA

"Earth, the only planet with free choice in the Milky Way Galaxy"

"The Big Picture - You Are Not Alone" - (a message from Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll)

"The Quantum Factor" – Apr 10, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Galaxies, Universe, Intelligent design, Benevolent design, Aliens, Nikola Tesla (Quantum energy), Inter-Planetary Travel, DNA, Genes, Stem Cells, Cells, Rejuvenation, Shift of Human Consciousness, Spontaneous Remission, Religion, Dictators, Africa, China, Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Animals, Global Unity.. etc.) - (Text Version)


"Recalibration of the Universe"– Jan 25, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text Version)

“… The entire galaxy revolves as one plate, in a very counter-intuitive way. The stars and the constellations do not orbit within the rules of Newtonian physics that you are used to seeing all around you in your own solar system. For the stars and clusters in your galaxy, distance from the center does not matter. All the stars rotate as one. This is because the galaxy is entangled with the middle of itself. In that state, there is no time or distance. The change of consciousness on this planet has changed the center of the galaxy. This is because what happens here, dear one, is "known" by the center.

It's interesting to us what your reaction to all this is scientifically. You saw that the "creative event" of your Universe is missing some energy in order for it to have formed as it did. In addition, the unusual way the galaxy rotates, as I just stated, was also noted. So you have calculated that for all this to be in place, there has to be missing 3D matter, and you have given it a name - dark matter. How funny! Did you ever think that there could be a multidimensional effect going on that you now can observe and calculate - that has immense power, but can't be seen? It's not "matter" at all and it's not 3D. It's quantum energy.

Let me tell you something about physics. Yet again, I'll make it simple. Everything your scientists have seen in physics happens in pairs. At the moment, there are four laws of physics in your three-dimensional paradigm. They represent two pairs of energy types. Eventually, there will be six. At the center of your galaxy is what you call a black hole, but it is not a single thing. It is a duality. There is no such thing as "singularity". You might say it's one energy with two parts - a weak and a strong quantum force. And the strangest thing is it knows who you are. It is the creator engine. It's different in other galaxies than this one. It's unique.

The very physics of your galaxy is postured by what you do here. The astronomers can look into the cosmos and they will discover different physics in different galaxies. Could it be that there's something going on in the other galaxies like this one? I'm not going to answer that. … “

President-Elect Jokowi Calls on Public to Pick Cabinet

People's Power — In an unprecedented move, Joko Widodo has asked Indonesians to help him put together a new government

Jakarta Globe, Erwida Maulia, Jul 26, 2014

Joko Widodo, center, and Jusuf Kalla, second from left, with PDI-P head Megawati
 Sukarnoputri, second from right, and Puan Maharani on July 22, 2014.
(Reuters Photo/Darren Whiteside)

Jakarta. President-elect Joko Widodo has again come up with an innovative idea; one that is unheard of in the history of Indonesian politics. Indonesia’s future leader is asking the public to add its two cents in filling out his cabinet, and in the process, revealing the potential nominees.

Jokowi Center, a team of volunteers helping Joko gather suggestions and examine candidates for his cabinet lineup, launched a poll on its website jokowicenter.com on Thursday, allowing Indonesians nationwide to cast their votes for names provided by the site, or nominate their own favorites.

More than 18,000 online participants raced to the site as of Thursday evening, causing it to crash less than 24 hours after its official launch.

The Center’s Facebook page and Twitter account — @Jokowi_Ina — also provided a link to a Google document inviting citizens to fill out a similar questionnaire.

A total of 102 names have been nominated for 34 ministerial posts, with each position receiving three candidates. If respondents remain unsatisfied with the suggestions, they may nominate their own choice with the “other” option.

“I’m only asking for input [to create] the cabinet,” Joko commented about the online poll on Thursday. “[The suggestions] will be processed by a team, using a set of criteria. Then, [the results] will be sent to coalition members, before being sent back to the [Jokowi Center] team.

“The final decision will be on me.”

The Jakarta governor has repeatedly stated he was against the practice of transactional politics and will not trade political support for a seat in his government.

The unprecedented move could account for the relatively small size of his coalition — compared to opponent Prabowo Subianto’s massive campaign machine — which will control a mere 37 percent of legislative seats when the new set of lawmakers go into session on Oct. 1.

Compare that with the rival bloc of former Army general Prabowo, which will control 73 percent of the House seats if the coalition does not fall apart — as many observers have predicted.

Joko has also vehemently rejected allegations claiming he will merely act as a “puppet president” to Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairwoman of his political vehicle, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

“I truly respect Megawati as my senior. But surely good governance should come from making the right decisions and what is best for our nation,” Joko said in an interview a day before the General Elections Commission (KPU) declared him and running mate Jusuf Kalla the winners of the July 9 presidential race on Tuesday.

Still, it’s impossible not to notice that at least 30 names on Jokowi Center’s list of cabinet nominees are party members — and most of those are from the PDI-P.

Take for example Puan Maharani, Megawati’s daughter, who is tipped as an heir apparent to the PDI-P throne. The 40-year-old is a candidate for the position of women’s empowerment minister.

Meanwhile, senior PDI-P politicians Maruarar Sirait and Pramono Anung are both nominated for state secretary. Similarly, Hendrawan Supratikno has been suggested for the post of finance minister and Arif Budimanta for energy minister.

Politicians from other parties within the PDI-P-led coalition, including National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Muhaimin Iskandar, National Democrat Party (Nasdem) deputy chairman Ferry Mursyidan Baldan and Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) chairman Sutiyoso, are also on the list. They are — in respective order — nominated for the chief welfare minister, the communication minister and the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs.

Interestingly, a number of figures from parties in the rival camp have also been nominated, including popular Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil of Prabowo’s Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party and Lukman Hakim Saifudin of the United Development Party (PPP). They are candidates for the public housing minister and religious affairs minister, respectively.

More notable additions to the list include movie directors Garin Nugroho and Mira Lesmana as the tourism and creative industry minister.

The nomination of noted composer Addie M. S. and Paramadina University rector Anies Baswedan as the youth and sports minister, meanwhile, have managed to raised eyebrows — with neither known to have any experience in the area. Anies has in fact been widely expected as Indonesia’s next education minister, but he’s strangely not among the Jokowi Center nominees for the job.

Is the right man in the right place?

Bantarto Bandoro, a political, defense and international relations expert from the Indonesia Defense University (Unhan), expressed his opinion on several candidates on Friday.

According to Bantarto, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Moeldoko and former Army chief of staff Gen. Budiman were both capable of holding the chief political and security minister position, but noted that Budiman’s recent dismissal — the reason of which remains unclear —  would not set a positive precedence for Joko’s future cabinet.

“Would Joko promote Budiman though he was ‘dismissed’ from the Army?” Bantarto questioned.

“The coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs is a managerial position; it doesn’t require technical skills. Moeldoko will be the best man for the job. He’s familiar with latest security issues, including those that will remain [Indonesia’s concerns] over the next five years,” Bantarto said.

Former chief of the Jakarta military command Sutiyoso, meanwhile, has been absent from Indonesia’s political arena since the end of his term as Jakarta’s governor in 2007, which means he may face difficulties readjusting to another government post, Bantaro added.

For defense minister, he pointed to one of his former students at the University of Indonesia (UI), Andi Widjajanto — who is now a lecturer at the university— as the best man for the job. Andi, along with senior PDI-P lawmaker T. B. Hasanuddin and former Army chief of staff Ryamizard Ryacudu, are three nominees for the job.

It helps that Andi is a core member of Joko’s campaign team and has been directly involved in outlining the ticket’s defense and foreign policy platform.

“Andi has an advantage over the other two [candidates]. His academic, scientific-based approaches will introduce logics in Indonesia’s defense policies and help them develop,” Bantarto said. “He’s young, but has good expertise.”

Meanwhile, Hasanuddin, a member the House’s defense commission, has admittedly been following every development of Indonesia’s defense sector and has provided the government with ample criticism on the matter.

“But his arguments often lack theoretical, scientific and practical grounds and therefore offer no real solutions to the matter at hand,” Bantarto commented.

Finally, he pointed out that the appointment of Ryamizard — a known close aide to Megawati — would contradict Indonesia’s stance on appointing a civilian for the defense minister position. The policy was introduced at the start of the post-Suharto reformation era and was meant to curb military involvement and dominance in the government.

As for the role of foreign minister, Bantarto champions Indonesia’s current international public relations man Marty Natalegawa, as he is expected to continue the country’s ongoing diplomatic missions — which most of Indonesia’s foreign observers say are cruising in the right direction.

“Additionally, there would be almost zero resistance against him within the diplomatic ranks. The same may not be said for public figures who have currently no connections to the foreign ministry, such as UI lecturer Makmur Keliat or Center for Strategic and International Studies [CSIS] executive director Rizal Sukma,” Bantarto said. “Rizal has some great, sharp foreign policy concepts, but he would meet resistance in the diplomatic ranks as he’s never been part of them.”

The economic team

Eric Alexander Sugandi, an economist at Standard Chartered, gave his comments on the appointment of Indonesia’s future economic ministers.

However, Eric refused to take sides and name his favorite choice for chief of Indonesia’s economy, the nominees for which include incumbent minister Chairul Tanjung, who has only held the title for several months, gaining the position after stepping in for current Prabowo running mate Hatta Rajasa; State Enterprise Minister Dahlan Iskan; and former trade minister Gita Wirjawan.

“Ideally, the coordinating minister for the economy position should go to a senior minister, experienced enough to be able to smoothly coordinate with other economic ministers. And ideally, the person must also be able to work with regional administrations,” Eric said.

For the post of finance minister, Eric favors former minister Agus Martowardojo — who held the role from 2010 to 2013 — but highly doubts that Agus would want to leave his current position as Bank Indonesia governor.

“Raden Pardede gained ample experience with the KSSK, the [now-defunct] Financial System Stability Committee,” Eric said. “But other names from the finance ministry’s inner circle should be considered as well.”

These would include deputy finance minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, former deputy finance minister Mahendra Siregar — who is now chief of the Investment Coordinating Board, or BKPM — and tax director general Fuad Rahmany.

Eric added that Mari Elka Pangestu, trade minister from 2004 to 2011 and current nominee, would still be fit for the job, citing her vast experience in the sector.

“Basically, aside from having specific skills in their specific areas, ministers for the economy should also possess macroeconomic knowledge, experience in policy making and the ability to build relations with other state institutions, including the House of Representatives, Bank Indonesia and the OJK [Financial Services Authority].

“Candidates should also be in favor of administrative reform,” Eric added.

Corruption free?

Meanwhile, the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) offered its input by highlighting the track records of names added to Jokowi Center’s online list, some of which have already raised a red flag within the antigraft organization.

ICW coordinator Ade Irawan refused to go into detail, but conceded that Rokhmin Dahuri, the maritime and fisheries minister under Megawati’s 2001-04 presidency, had once been convicted of corruption and abusing his power.

Rokhmin was sentenced to a seven-year prison term in 2007 for illegally collecting up to Rp 11.5 billion ($1 million) from various government programs. His sentence was cut short due to good behavior.

Raden may also prove to be a problematic candidate due to KSSK’s involvement in the Bank Century bailout scandal, which is currently being tried at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court. However, the former KSSK secretary has only testified as a witness in the case.

“The candidates’ list should be free from people implicated or suspected in corruption cases and potential conflicts of interest,” Ade said. “Jokowi-JK should clearly outline the criteria required for each candidate… so the public would not make their choice simply based on popularity.”

Ade conceded Joko’s attempts to draw public participation in selecting cabinet members “deserves appreciation.”

“It is important that people are involved in choosing the officials who will ultimately serve them,” Ade said. “This strategy would also hopefully prevent any transactional, horse-trading politics from happening.”

The ICW is currently drawing up its own list of pros and cons on Jokowi Center’s existing list of candidates.

That report, added Ade, will be released in August.

The ICW coordinator added that the organization supported the idea of cutting down on bureaucracy by closing several ministries that are deemed ineffective, though he declined to name them.

Additional reporting by SP/Deti Mega P.

Related Articles:

Widodo wins Indonesian presidency as rival withdraws

"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“…  Government

Let us speak of government. We're not speaking of your government, but of any government - the way it works, how it survives, how it has survived, the way it campaigns, and how it elects leaders. It's going to change.

Years ago, I told you, "When everybody can talk to everybody, there can be no secrets." Up to this point on this planet, government has counted on one thing - that the people can't easily talk to each other on a global scale. They have to get their information through government or official channels. Even mass media isn't always free enough, for it reports that which the government reports. Even a free society tends to bias itself according to the bias of the times. However, when you can have Human Beings talking to each other all at once, all over the planet without government control, it all changes, for there is open revelation of truth.

Democracy itself will change and you're going to see it soon. The hold-outs, the few countries I have mentioned in the past, are doomed unless they recalibrate. They're doomed to be the same as they have been and won't be able to exist as they are now with everyone changing around them.

I mentioned North Korea in the past. Give it time. Right now, the young man is under the control of his father's advisors. But when they're gone, you will see something different, should he survive. Don't judge him yet, for he is being controlled.

In government, if you're entire voting base has the ability to talk to itself without restriction and comes up with opinions by itself without restriction, it behooves a politician to be aware and listen to them. This will change what politicians will do. It will change the way things work in government. Don't be surprised when some day a whole nation can vote all at once in a very unusual way. Gone will be the old systems where you used to count on horseback riders to report in from faraway places. Some of you know what I am talking about. Government will change. The systems around you, both dark and light, will change. You're going to start seeing something else, too, so let's change the subject and turn the page. …

Obama wants cooperation from Central America over immigrants

Tens of thousands of teenagers from Central America are illegally crossing the US border. President Obama has now pressed for cooperation during new talks with the region's presidents.

Deutsche Welle, 26 July 2014

"Parents need to know this is an incredibly dangerous situation," US President Barack Obama warned a few weeks ago, in light of the surge of minor migrants - more than 50,000 this year alone, attempting to cross the Mexican border. Now the presidents of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador their counterpart at the White House to discuss the problem, which has sparked an intense debate in the US.

The meeting had an important function, Dan Restrepo of explained: it was an urgently needed signal for some intensive crisis management. "It is not a problem you can switch on and off," he told DW. "And you can't solve it quickly either - you have to work permanently on the dynamic and complex circumstances."

Obama is under pressure due to the
increasing number of teenage refugees

Carl Meacham of the think tank thinks there is much lost ground to make up: "US policy in this area has been inconsistent - there hasn't been much engagement," he said. But it is doubtful if the summit, which had few tangible results, will relieve Obama in the domestic debate.

There has been a continuous barrage of criticism from the Republican Party, which makes Obama responsible for the humanitarian crisis at the border. How intense the debate is was demonstrated by the deployment of Texan Guards at the Mexican border and the assessment of the deployment of the National Guard by Obama himself.

Scaring people off

Charlie Dent, Republican representative from Pennsylvania, in whose constituency emergency shelters for children have been built, told DW what the Republican majority in the House of Representatives wanted from the meeting: "President Obama has to make it very clear that these children will be sent back," he said. In fact, Obama did threaten fast deportations, and he claimed that the latest decrease in migrant numbers was a sign of success.

But another demand is much more difficult for him to act on. Dent says Obama should "also tell the presidents of these countries that the US will change its laws" to be able to send back the children immediately. To do that Obama would have to change a law signed by George W. Bush that grants minor migrants a court hearing, and the Democrat Party will be unlikely to accept that.

US complicity

The Democrats triggered problems in Washington even before Obama met the presidents from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Some argued that the US is complicit in the current exodus of unaccompanied minors smuggled across the border by criminal organizations.

"I think we have a shared responsibility," Meacham agreed. "It is true that the United States is a major customer of drugs. On the other hand it is the responsibility [of the Central American governments] to create the necessary security."

Congress is refusing to grant an emergency
program to ease the refugee crisis

At the moment these three countries are seen as strongholds for criminality that force the children to leave. "I talked to a five-year-old girl who came unaccompanied to the US from Central America," said Dent. "She didn't know how to swim, but she crossed dangerous rivers and travelled on the roof of a train to get from Mexico to the US."

No emergency program

So far Dent's Republican Party has refused to grant the $3.7-billion (2.75-billion-euro) emergency program that Obama wants to enable better emergency housing, more immigration judges, and increased border security. They also opposed another one of Obama's pilot projects: to grant refugee status to the children in their countries of origin and therefore spare them from the dangerous voyage to the US.

The Republicans' attitude of total opposition is one of the biggest challenges, says Meacham. "The malfunction of the political system is the other big hurdle beside the crisis at the border," he said. "If we can't act in consensus, not only will the situation at the border get worse, but so will the chaos in the Central American countries."

The White House summit is just the prelude to more talks at the highest diplomatic levels between the US and the three affected states - and Restrepo is expecting Vice President Joe Biden, who attended the meeting, to weigh in regularly.

Related Article:

Central American leaders back Obama on plea to control child migration, 'people smuggling'

War in Gaza: Self-defense or war crime?

How far can Israel go in its offensive against Hamas rockets in the Gaza Strip? International legal experts are divided over where the right to self-defense ends and when the use of force becomes disproportionate.

Deutsche Welle, 24 July 2014

The war in Gaza is not just about military and political goals. In the face of the mounting death toll, questions of proportionality and international law have been raised. When and to what extent can Israel defend itself against rocket attacks launched by Hamas? Is the ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip by Israel a grave violation of human rights?

The UN Human Rights Council believes so. On Wednesday (23.07.2014), the body sharply condemned the military offensive in Gaza and called for an investigation into whether or not Israel has committed war crimes.

But Israeli UN Ambassador Eviatar Manor has rejected these accusations. Every state has the right to defend itself, Manor said, and Israel is doing everything it can to avoid civilian casualties. The diplomat accused Hamas of committing war crimes.

Israel's right to self-defense

Experts disagree on the legality of the war, which has killed 700 Palestinians and 34 Israelis. According to Hans-Joachim Heintze, an international law expert at Ruhr University in Bochum, Israel has the right to respond to rocket fire from Hamas.

"It's indisputable that Israel can defend itself militarily against such attacks," Heintze told DW.

Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, states do not need permission to exercise the use of force if it's done in self-defense. But Israel should have consulted the UN Security Council after the fighting began, according to Heintze.

'War against the civilian population'

But Norman Paech, a law professor and former Bundestag representative for the Left party, believes that Israel has violated international humanitarian law.

"This war is very clearly a war against the civilian population of the Gaza Strip," Paech told DW.

The Israeli offensive has taken a
heavy toll on Palestinian civilians

"In a region like the Gaza Strip, which is so densely populated, the type of warfare that Israel is practicing is forbidden," he said.

Paech does not deny that Israel has a right to defend itself against rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. The "Iron Dome" system has proven itself to be very effective at protecting Israelis, he said.

"The Israeli government can launch targeted operations against launch pads," Paech told DW. But he believes that Israel's attacks against areas populated by civilians have been completely disproportional.

Heintze also emphasizes proportionality, saying that it's important to examine if and to what extent civilians are harmed. Israel warns the civilian population before it launches strikes, according to Heintze. But in the densely populated Gaza Strip, it's very difficult to weigh what's proportional.

Hamas war crimes?

It's also difficult to judge whether the strategy of Hamas is compatible with international law. The Islamist group operates out of residential areas.

According to Israeli UN ambassador Manor, Hamas fires rockets from Palestinian schools, hospitals and apartment buildings. If Israel attacks rocket launchers in those locations, civilian casualties are hardly avoidable, he said. This implies that Hamas is willfully risking the lives of Palestinian civilians.

International law has a much clearer position on Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli cities. While the Palestinians also have a right to self-defense, Hamas must protect the civilian population, according to Paech.

"That's why one has to say that these rocket attacks, which rain down so arbitrarily and uncontrolled on civilian areas, are not permitted under international law," he said.

Question of accountability

It's unclear whether either side will ever have to justify its actions before an international tribunal. According to Heintze, both state and non-state actors such as Hamas must answer for war crimes. But national courts have jurisdiction first.

"In Israel, military actions have already been brought before the courts," said Heintze.

Israeli cities have come under
fire from Hamas rockets

International tribunals wouldn't have any responsibility, because neither Israel nor Hamas have recognized their jurisdiction. According to Paech, the UN Security Council can initiate a case at the International Criminal Court in The Hague against a state that has not signed the treaty.

But Heintze says that there's another way. War crimes can be investigated in other states, when suspects are on their territory. That's why war criminals from the former Yugoslavia have been tried and convicted in Germany.

But it's unlikely that a case from the current Mideast war will end up in a German court, according to the international legal experts.

"Theoretically it could happen, but whether it's likely is another question," Heintze said.

Related Articles:

BRICS countries vote for Gaza ‘war crimes’ probe
'Stop fighting' UN chief tells Israel, Palestinians

Botched Arizona execution takes almost two hours

The execution of convicted murderer Joseph Wood in Phoenix lasted almost two hours. His lawyer filed emergency appeals, saying his client was "gasping and snorting." The state's governor pledged an investigation.

Deutsche Welle, 24 July 2014

Joseph Wood survived nearly two hours after receiving a lethal injection and gasped for breath for around 90 minutes, in the latest botched execution to renew questions about the death penalty in the US. The 55-year-old, convicted of a double murder in 1989, took so long to die that his lawyers had time to file an unsuccessful emergency appeal with multiple federal courts.

"He has been gasping and snorting for more than an hour," Wood's lawyers wrote in a legal filing demanding the courts stop the process and provide medical treatment. "He is still alive."

Wood's execution began at 1:52 p.m. local time on Wednesday at a state prison complex, Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne's office said he was pronounced dead 117 minutes later.

The Department of Corrections Director Charles Ryan said he consulted with medical officials throughout the process, "and was assured unequivocally that the inmate was comatose and never in pain or distress." Yet defense lawyer Dale Baich called it a botched execution that should have lasted 10 minutes.

"Arizona appears to have joined several other states who have been responsible for an entirely preventable horror - a bungled execution," Baich said. "The public should hold its officials responsible and demand to make this process more transparent."

In Ohio this year, an inmate gasped in a similar fashion for almost half an hour before dying. Arizona was using the same drugs - the sedative midazolam and the painkiller hydromorphone - that were used in the Ohio execution. A different drug combination was employed in an Oklahoma execution where the inmate died of a heart attack minutes after prison officials halted the execution because the drugs had not been administered properly.

Prior to his execution, Wood was among six death row inmates who filed a failed appeal, denied by the US Supreme Court, demanding more information on the means of his lethal injection: including who would manufacture and supply the drugs, and the medical qualifications of those administering the injections.

Brewer pledges investigation

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer expressed concern at the length of time Wood took to die and said she had ordered the state's Department of Corrections to review the execution process.

"One thing is certain, however, inmate Wood died in a lawful manner and by eyewitness and medical accounts he did not suffer," Republican Governor Brewer said in a statement. "This is in stark comparison to the gruesome, vicious suffering that he inflicted on his two victims, and the lifetime of suffering he has caused their family."

Family members were present at the execution, and reportedly angered by Wood looking at them and smiling during his last words.

The US is among a gradually shrinking number of countries that still uses capital punishment. Amnesty International recorded at least one execution in 22 countries in 2013, adding that executions likely took place in Egypt and Syria but could not be confirmed. Ninety-eight countries have abolished the death penalty altogether and 140 have scrapped it in practice.

Abolition of the death penalty is a pre-condition for entry into the European Union and is described on the bloc's website as "a key objective for the Union's human rights policy."

msh/dr (AP, Reuters)

Death penalty opponents protest ahead of the execution of Joseph Rudolph

Wood at the state prison in Florence, Arizona. Photograph: AP

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'Stop fighting' UN chief tells Israel, Palestinians

Yahoo – AFP, Sara Hussein, Adel Zaanoun, 22 July 2014

A Palestinian boy sits on the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli air

strike in the center of Gaza City on July 22, 2014 (AFP Photo/Mohammed Abed)

Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon demanded Tuesday that Israel and Hamas halt spiralling violence in Gaza as he pushed diplomatic efforts to end bloodshed that has killed more than 620 Palestinians.

Following top-level truce talks in Cairo, the UN secretary-general headed to Israel to deliver his message in person as the 15-day conflict showed no sign of easing.

"My message to Israelis and Palestinians is the same: Stop fighting, start talking and take on the root causes of the conflict so that we are not at the same situation in the next six months or a year," he said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (L) is

 welcomed by Palestinian Prime Minister

 Rami Hamdallah before a meeting on 

July 22, 2014 in the West Bank city of

Ramallah (AFP Photo/Abbas Momani)

In Cairo, US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed ceasefire proposals with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with both voicing guarded hopes of an end to the violence.

But neither side showed any willingness to pull back, with Israel initially refusing to halt its fire without finishing a ground operation to destroy tunnels used by militants for cross-border attacks.

Even as the diplomats talked, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned US airlines from flying to and from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport for at least 24 hours, citing safety concerns from Gaza rocket fire that continued to fall on central Israel.

Air France and Lufthansa followed suit, suspending flights.

And there was more death on the ground in Gaza where the Palestinian toll rose to over 620. Among the dead were three children and 10 women, one of whom was pregnant, medics said.

UN school bombed

Since the offensive, more than 100,000 Gazans have fled their homes, seeking shelter in 69 schools run by the UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.

Israeli tank fire hit an UNRWA school sheltering the displaced in Al-Maghazi in central Gaza as shelling on the area resumed Tuesday afternoon, an official said.

The shell hit when a team, with Israeli clearance, was at the school observing damage from a possible strike the day before.

"While they were there, they came under Israeli shelling," he added, saying there were holes blown through the walls of the school compound, but that no one was injured.

Family grieve during a funeral in Gaza City, on July 22, 2014

(AFP Photo/Mohammed Abed)

The Israeli military said two more of its soldiers had been killed in the fighting a day earlier, hiking the overall Israeli death toll to 29, among them 27 soldiers who died in the past four days.

It also confirmed a soldier who Hamas militants claimed they had kidnapped was dead, saying his body remained unaccounted for.

Publication of the name suggested Hamas was likely holding the soldier's remains.

Despite its rising body count, Israel said it would only halt its Gaza offensive after laying waste to a sophisticated network of tunnels used by militants for cross-border attacks.

A ceasefire "won't happen before we really finish the tunnels project which was laid out as a strategic objective," Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said, referring to a ground offensive launched on Thursday evening.

She said Hamas's "completely unacceptable" preconditions for a truce had "no chance of being accepted by anyone".

Hamas has laid out a list of demands for halting its fire, including a lifting of Israel's eight-year blockade on Gaza, the release of dozens of prisoners, and the opening of its Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

'Stop fighting'

Israeli soldiers fire artillery shells towards

the Gaza Strip from their position near

Israel's border with the coastal Palestinian 

enclave, on July 21, 2014 (AFP Photo/

Menahem Kahana)

As he touched down in Tel Aviv, UN chief Ban demanded the two sides immediately hold their fire as he sought to drive forward regional efforts for a ceasefire.

Describing Hamas rocket fire on Israel as "shocking," he said it must "stop immediately".

But he also said Israel must exercise "maximum restraint" in Gaza, and he urged it to take a hard look at some of the root causes of the conflict "so people will not feel they have to resort to violence as a means of expressing their grievances".

Since last week, when Hamas rejected an Egyptian ceasefire proposal that was accepted by Israel, there has been growing world pressure on the Islamist movement to halt its fire and stop raining rockets onto Israel.

In Cairo, following talks with Sisi, Kerry again placed the onus on Hamas to accept a ceasefire to end the raging conflict in Gaza, voicing support for an Egyptian truce initiative as a "framework" to end the fighting.

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