Former Icelandic Minister Invited to Lead UN Investigation

July 12, 2010
Iceland Review 
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=29314&ew_0_a_id=364972 http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=29314&ew_0_a_id=364972
Former Foreign Minister of Iceland and chairwoman of the Social Democrats Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir has been invited to lead a UN committee which plans to investigate the attack of the Israeli military on a convoy headed for Gaza on May 31. 
Gísladóttir confirmed to mbl.is yesterday that the president of the UN Human Rights Council had discussed the position with her, Morgunbladid reports. 
However, the case is sensitive, she said, many viewpoints must be taken into consideration and, in fact, nothing has been decided yet. 
It isn’t certain whether the committee will be appointed; the Israeli government is against it, at least until they have investigated the case themselves. 
Nine Turkish citizens were killed in the attack on the convoy. The Israeli army claims that these people had been carrying knives and bats and that killing them was self-defense. 
The Turkish government does not accept that explanation and has demanded an apology, which the Israeli government has refused to issue. 
Since the attack on the convoy, the blockade around Gaza, which was established in 2007, has been relaxed somewhat. 
For example, the import of construction material has been permitted in spite of risk that it might be used for military purposes.