with hamas.on't agree hamas, they go to groups to revenge hamas. it's a dark reality for the young generation because they are paying heavily. when it comes to fatah, there is no fatah leadership in gaza. you know, the supporters are still there. but all fatah leaders escape gaza before the civil war. so you have fatah supporters but there's an absence of leadership so you cannot count on somethi when it comes to fatah on the ground. the question here, who's going to employ the flotilla attack to their advantage? if we talk about the u.s. administration, can they push israel so hard to come out with a peace agreement? to come out with -- you know, to go backnto negiation and to turn it into a reality? or, you know -- or to fail and what will be the outcome for the region for everyone that israel is above the law? and then when it comes to israel, i would say -- is israel still interested in the vision of pushing gaza into, you know, egypt? because there is this line within the hard line in israel

hamas has almost total control of their economy. in this context, current israeli restrictions are counterproductive for israel's long-term security. we will continue to press the israeli government to lift the closure of the cause of stress and plan discussions with israel and our other international partners about what more can be done to insure unfettered flow of aid while making sure it reaches those who needed and is not abused. i discussed this with secretary clinton last night and we will take for discussions on this urgently. the house should not forget the role played by hamas in this conflict are they continue to pursue an ideology of violence and to undermine prospects of peace in the region. violence has continued in recent days with rocket fire from villages in the gaza strip and air strikes in response. we call on hamas to make immediate and concrete steps toward the peace principle. we call on them to enter into appearance for the operation of u.n. agencies in the gaza strip. it is more clear that the only long-term a

but hamas. finally, the united states should and will resist all one-sided attempts to condemn israel at the united nations. the u.n., a body committed by its charter to universal rights has been sadly fixated on singling israel out for condemnation. the only democratic nation in that region ofhe world that recognizes human rights and we see the supreme court of israel saying time after time, you cannot do that, government. that is a nation of laws. yet, it has bn singled out for condemnation, as much more serious crimes and cises have gone unaddressed throughout the world. the bias record extends beyond the 1975 resolution. the u.n. general assembly has convened an emergency special session 10 times, 10 times, not, i would suggest to you when the north koreans killed obviously 46 individuals in their ship of south korea in south korean waters. six of the times they met, out of 10, have focused on one small nation, israel. while no emergency session was ever held on the genocide in rwanda, not h

they're the main sponsors of hamas, and as we watch hamas cruel treat the palestinian people in gaza like animals more than people. we know that the iranians are supporting hezbollah in lebanon and transporting weapons to them that could be used against israel. we watch as they infiltrate south america through venezuela trying to spread their hate and terrorism across the planet. . we have a serious problem with iran. they will not join the family of civilized countries that are trying to improve this world. quite the contrary, they are the main obstacles to peace everywhere. in addition to their exporting of terrorism and supporting of terrorist organizations, the threat to wipe israel off the map, what s this dangerous country doing? it is attempting to acquire nuclear weapons with all deliberate speed. when there is a president of a rogue nation that is supporting terrorism and terrorists across the planet, that is calling for the destruction of the state of israel, that talks with great disparagement about western civilization, particularly the united states of america, when a co

hamas is continuing to arm and iran is smuggling weapons. need to clarify that the missiles and rockets that iran is smuggling to gaza are intended to hurt the settlements around gaza. i remember that i i remember thatn the past and today, i am telling you, the missiles and rockets that iran is smuggling into gaza hurt tel aviv, jerusalem and even beyond. some of it is already within gaza. this is why it is our duty and our right, according to the international law, to prevent this weapons from g weaponsaza through the air or sea. this duty, the previous government understood. the last few days was an attempt to break this blockade. we allow merchandise to come into gaza. it was to break the blockade. if this would have been broken, it the result of this flotilla, would've come hundreds of ships. the weapons you can bring on a ship is different from what you can bring back through the tunnels. on each ship, you can smuggle 10 tons of [inaudible] one ship was stopped in d.c. last year, there were hundreds of tons of weapons that iran was send

>> it is very important to remember the role played hamas. we need to see an end of the rocket fire into israel as well as the other measures we have called on israel to take. my friend brings that necessary balance to the questions we are having today. >> the secretary will know that the siege has been ongoing for three years. given that the condemnation and criticism to not seem to change the actions of israel, what further action will he propose to take in terms of the association agreement? there is an accord that provides for suspension and the light of human rights violations. what he considered suspending debt agreement to get the met -- to give the message we are serious about this? >> i do not think israel will doubt the seriousness of the message. the fact that the resolution was agreed to so rapidly with the support of the united states and united kingdom will have made an impact on israel. if she could of her the conversations that we have had with their israeli counterparts, which he could be very confident that they are aware of

they're at war with hamas. has a right to know whether or not arms are being smuggled in. >> woodruff: meantime, international mideast envoy tony blair said the blockade of hamas-ruled gaza has been counter-productive. >> my view is the blockade of gaza has to change, to stop. we need a better policy for gaza. but we needed that even before this incident occurred. >> woodruff: in jerusalem, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu insists lifting the blockade would open the door to illicit arms shipments to hamas. >> ( translated ) : now the rockets and missiles that iran is trying to get into gaza-- and some are already there-- at aimed at tel aviv, and jerusalem. it is our responsibility and our right, accordinging to international law and common sense, it is our duty to prevent these weapons from entering via airways, the sea, and the ground into gaza. >> woodruff: the blockade will be tested again in the coming days. an irish cargo ship may try to break through the israeli cordon as early as tomorrow. for

the latest episode cost lives -- fund hamas. the latest episode costs lives and further isolate israel in the international community. the only people smiling of the rejectionists. -- are the rejection desperate i was glad to to the prime minister talking about parts of the talks, but they only -- proximity talks, but they are only worth having as a prelude to negotiation. i have a set of questions for the foreign secretary. first, the welfare of good citizens, the lack of clarity about the position of british nationals is completely unacceptable. we're talking about 37 people, not 37,000 people. they should be given support immediately. if it is being denied, we should be announcing -- we should be denouncing it, not saying we are disappointing. -- not saying we are disappointed. second, the legality of the action. it is clear that the turkish government intends to pursue this question. can the foreign secretary tell the house that he believes the action, which she tells us is -- which he tells us is illegal, that he will discu

we al know that hamas receivesaterial support fr irannd international ah that oppresses i own citizs twle fundi trost ornitishroughout -- while funding terrort organizations rougho the region. isrl has chosen to restrict imports on e gaza str, sisting tt all deliveries must binspected make sure that weapons are not smuggled into territory. today i call on hamas leaderip to reject tir past pport for terrism, renounce violence andmbrace the two-ate sotion so that israelis and palestinians can li their lives freelin peace and sit i alsoall on all powers in the middle east to value human nd do everything to avo oodshed. the lo olife in the flotilla cident was trac and i look forwa to e independent public commission which will exaneuch sues. actiontaken by th commanders dg the flla iident. in the meanme, weust focus on avoing escalation, prevnting anprevent more violence, continue the peace process. e grtest tragedy woulde to allow e otilla incident r peace.he region's prospect and witthmrspear, i yield ba my reining time. thakerroempore: e gentman yields back. for what purpose does the g

he is thhead of hamas, and we have to talk with him. we know his relations, but in spite of that, we have to talk him, to conveyo him that he can go to the reconciliation. he can go to sign the document and please don't ask me any questions about the nuclear-- because i don't unerstand the nuclear. >> let's take one more. >> please allow me to ask in arabic. [speaking in nive tongue] >> tnslator: is there a maximum percentaof territory that the palestinian side would be willing to swap. second question, the nepaper mentioned regardinthe meeting with rresentative-- thatou do notyou are not against the claim of the jewi and israel. [speaking in native tongue] >> translator: you will find that, they we here, they came, they went and cam back. that is what i sai. regarding the-- swap i say i know why do you asked the question. we were told, and take some citizens from 1948. we rejected that are go for us, when we speak of swap we are talking about a tiny-- in orde to make small modifications over the borderere and there and that iacceptable

it is whether israel is at war with hamas. israelis believe that they are and they are well within national law to interject this flotilla. others believe that the gaza strip, despite the israeli withdrawal remains under occupatioo. this flotilla, as a result, was there illegally in the blockade. the problem is that everybody has a point. it depends on which international lawyer and you are talking to where you will get one opinion or another. host: the here is what our twitter comment is. guest: i think the israelis could have shifted their policy from a blockade see if they search ships. then maybe they can be brought to gaza safely. this flotilla was offered that option. that is too awful -- offload at a port. they refused to do that. as long as they will refuse these kinds of things -- i understand they are concerned. as long as they are looking at these kinds of of flexibility, the israeli government worked out these agreements -- there will be however complex at sea. host: michael, detroit. caller: they often accuse the

so, hamas is not a positive factor in this process. it and we all, i think, share the great concern that the hon mandatary in -- that the humanitarian needs of the people in gaza and the white house expressed the ongoing needs -- need to meet the needs of those people. host: let me begin by asking you about the diplomatic relationship between turkey and israel prior to this weekend. guest: prior to this weekend, turkey and israel had probably the strongest relationship of a muslim country to israel that existed in the united -- than the nine it states. in the last few months there has been tension as turkey tries to come onto the world stage and position itself as a broker in a number of circumstances, including, as we discussed, with iran. so, turkey has been in a very difficult role, on one hand trying to be the broker of the irans of the world and on the other hand maintaining a relationship with israel. the flotilla that was headed toward gaza was set on the seas from istanbul from turkey with the goods to go to gaza. and it was su

and that's the mindset of hamas. and it's very telling of their supporters. the steps to lift the stooge, i think first you want to go into . comes to the borders. you need fatah and hamas. you need security establishments. you need joint security forces. and that will be, of coue, accepted to all. so i think e.u. is willing to play this role. in engaging in this, i think. it will be really like -- you cannot -- you cannot go for lifting the siege unless you go ahead with reconciliation first. and i think you can -- you know, you can start easily by the formation of secuty, you know, forces that will be in charge of the border. i'm talking about the border here. the crossing. that's where they can go first. and then, you know, they can move ahead with rest of the reconciliation. >> yeah, i agree. regarding practical steps that can be taken. i mean, just -- let's remember, yoknow, what this flotilla crisis showed. this was not a humanitarian crisis. the flotilla crisis did not show, you know, humanitarian conditions in gaza are so deplorable or whatever. what

who is accused of war crimes, not hamas but israel.something similar is happening now. here are the facts. hamas is continuing to arm itself and iran is continuing to smuggle weapons to the gaza. the rockets that they are smuggling are intended to hurt the settlements around gaza. i remember that they warned about it and today, i am telling you that the rockets that iran is planning to send to gaza and will hurt tel aviv, jerusalem, and even beyond. some as it is already within gaza. this is our duty and right according to the international law and the common sense to prevent these weapons from entering gaza. the previous government understood this and they impose a naval blockade on gaza to prevent any smuggling of weapons to hamas. last week, this was an attempt to break the blockade. we allow merchandise to come into gaza. if the blockade would have been broken, as a result this flotilla would have come with tens or maybe hundreds of ships. the amount of weapons you can bring on a ship is different than what you can bring through tu

obviously an international incident that had gone bad for hamas. recently, myself and the gentleman from michigan, mr. peters,

hamas calls for the elimination of israel. and jews from islamic holy lands. no hamas leader publicly expressed a willingness to disarm or stop attacks on israel or israelis. israel, like very other country in the world, has a right to defend itselwith a sworn enemy on its border, israel must protecter citizens against pontial attacks every single day. under the blockade, israel directs ships to tte port of ashtat where they are inspected for arms or other dangerous úúems before israel allows off loading and assists in the delivery of legitimate goods to gaza. we know israel's concerns about arms transfer to gaza are legitimate because both weapons and raw materials are smuggled into gaza through tunnels ffom the sinai and egypt. thousands of rockets and mortars have been fired from gaza into &&rael over the last decade. just last week israel has shown signs of compromise, announcing its intentions to ease the blockade, allow more civilian &-ods and humanitarian aid to enter the palestinian territory by land, including construction materials for civilian proje

procedures that prevent the import into gaza of weapons and more materials that could strengthen the hamas military machine. the militant group hamas rules gaza and a spokesman called the israeli move nothing more than "window-dressing." the chief negotiator for the palestinian authority, saeb erekat, was critical as well. >> there is no such thing as easing the siege. this siege must be totally and completely lifted. this is a collective punishment against 1.5 million people living in gaza. it has no political dimension. >> sreenivasan: an israeli naval blockade of gaza will stay in place. last month, israeli commandos killed nine people on aid ships bound for gaza. more than two dozen pakistani soldiers are missing after they were attacked by militants. in all, about 40 troops disappeared on monday, when their checkpoint was overrun near the afghan border. since then, at least 14 have been found or released. the u.s. justice department has arrested nearly 500 people in a major crackdown on mortgage fraud. attorney general eric holder announced today the roundup began in march, as part of

the israeli blockade of gaza has been in place since 2007 when the hamas movement came to power. israeli leaders say the blockade is needed to cut off the flow of weapons to hamas and that the act i.v.f.s aboard the flotilla were essentially a front group but the activists argued the embargo has only impoverished gaza's 1.5 million residents. today egypt opened at least one check point that had been blocked off and a spokesman for israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said israel would consider ways to ease rather than end the blockade. another ship now off the coast of italy is heading toward gaza and presumably another off-shore confrontation later this week. late today, president obama spoke to turkish prime minister in a phone call. a white house statement said mr. obama expressed condolences for the loss of lives and he promised support for a credible investigation of the israeli raid. >> lehrer: now the other news of the day. here is hari sreenivasan in our news room. >> sreenivasan: al qaeda acknowledged today its number three leader has been killed. the group announce

iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism funding and arming hezbollah and hamas and has produced enough low-enriched uranium to produce two nuclear weapons and has been converting low-enriched uranium to 20% which represents 85% of the work necessary to provide weapons-grade fuel. this bill imposes sanctions that if implemented makes iran think twice about continuing their illegal nuclear program. and there is a plan to all of this. our efforts have been half hearted. our determination to stop iran froo acquiring nuclear weapons capability must exceed iran's determination to get a bomb. president obama must immediately enforce these sanctions. we cannot and must not allow iran to have nuclear weapon capability. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield to my friend from california, a member of the committee and member of the conference committee, mr. costa, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. costa: thank you very much mr. chairman and mr. berman. i

and as a result, we do not have political relationship with with hamas. >> you expect - north korea [inaudible] you expect - you know, just to clarify to be sure that you didn't mishear me. we, the south korean government has sent a letter to the president of the security council. we do expect the material er to come up within the council in the next couple of weeks. we would expect to have you know per the south korean request an appropriate response from the un security council but what that specific response is, we'll or will be part of upcoming debate. sorry. >> letter to secretary clinton calling for the passage of the free trade agreement. >> calling for the a same? >> of the u.s./korea free trade agreement and the special permit to burma as well as - an increase east asia bureau funding here. have you seen the letter or do you intend to respond to it? >> of course we'll respond it to. i'm not aware of the letter yet. >> can i just come back to gaza related issue? thank you. but about the turkish american that was shot in the know tila do you have further information whether o

myself a friend of israel -- should be saying to the israelis that the blockade actually strengthens hamas's grip on the economy and on gaza, and it is in their own interests to lift it and to allow these vital supplies to get through. >> i thank the prime minister for that answer, and i know that we will be hearing more from the foreign secretary in a statement immediately after these questions. can the prime minister give me an answer on another important issue -- one that i raised with him last tuesday -- about prosecuting rape? we know that it is often only after many rapes that a defendant is finally brought to court, and it is often only at that point that previous victims find the courage to come forward. by making rape defendants anonymous, he is going to make it harder to bring rapists to justice. >> i know that the right honorable and learned lady cares very deeply about this issue, as do i. the fact that rape convictions are so low in this country is a scandal, and we need to improve on that. that means working with the police, and also doing more to help rape victims, including b

hama operatives had cssed into israel, captured the soldier whom ty continue to ho.rael reacted ver strongly. as ambasdor went toebanese politil leaders. inde the vernment, out the government, across the politica spectrumnd i said okt israel reaction to whatamas did. imagine if hezbollah had succeeded back in november a few months earlier in kidnaing those soldiers. imagine what would have happened to lebanon? all the lebanes political leaders who i saw, despite tir litical anings, agrd with me. it would have been aa tac trory for lebanon. nevertheless, a few weeks later, hezbollah did launch a raid, le than a month after shalib had been captured and dragged lebanon into a bloody conflt in which many civilians lost their live infrastructure destroyed, et cetera. afterwards, hezbollah claimed th 2006 war w a, qu divine ctory. bui doubt that many lebanese would agree. in fact, hezbollah seetary-genel nasrallah later had to issue a begrudging sort of apology on national television. disingenuously state that had he anticipated isel's reaction, he wld n have dered t kidna

as a result, we do not have political relationship with hamas. yes? >> you said yesterday -- does that mean you expect a statement ? >> just to clarify to be sure that you didn't mishear me, the south korean government has sent a letter to the president of the security council. we do expect the matter to come up within the council in the next couple of weeks. we would expect to have you know, per the south korean request an appropriate response from the u.n. security council, but what that specific response is, well -- will be part of the upcoming debate. >> [inaudible question] >> secretary clinton calling for the free trade agreement -- >> passage -- >> passage of the u.s. free trade agreement and appointment of special envoy to burma immediately as well as an increased east asia bureau funding here. have you seen the leteror do you intend to respond? >> we'll respond to it. i'm not aware that we've seen the letter yet. >> i would like to come back to gaza. about the turkish american that was shot, do you have any further information whether there a

israel's blockade of gaza, and the strict embargo it maintains on the hamas-controlled sliver of palestinian land, has been a focus of erdogan's. >> ( translated ): gaza is like an open air prison, because it's completely isolated from the rest of the world. >> holman: shortly after israel ended its invasion of gaza in january 2009-- "operation cast lead", during which 1,400 palestinians were killed--the turkish prime minister had an angry encounter with israeli president shimon peres amid the normally-staid confines of the davos world economic forum. >> what would you do if you would have in istanbul every night, ten rockets or hundred rockets? >> one minute, one minute, you must... ( applause ) >> i have to ask you to defer to our host. >> ( translated ): so i don't think i will come back to davos after this, because you don't let me speak. >> holman: this week, despite the tensions with israel and the u.s., erdogan said turkey was not turning away from its western orientation. at the forum in istanbul, he said "those who allege that turkey has broken away from the west are the intermediar

this should be clear to all concerned throughout the world, especially hamas and hezbollah, and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: are there any members seeking one-minute speeches? for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? mr. lungren: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lungren: there is discussion about whether we're going to bring up the disclose act in the rules committee or on the floor this week. and the reason is the special exemption has been to just a select number of groups. starting with the national rifle association. but also not including the gun owners of america including the humane society but not including other agricultural groups in america. in other words, we're saying that free speech's free for some but not all. and as i looked at this exemption that's been given, you have to have over a million members, you have to have members in all 50 states, you have to existed for more than 10 years. it's obvious we've now gone from too big to fail to too big to file. in other words, if you g

gaza is run by hamas which is threatening its destruction. if israel allows 10,000 tons of week of stuff to go through to gaza. they could have channeled the humanitarian aid that way. they wanted a confrontation but israel was phenomenalically stupid to walk into this trap politically and the administration is trying to walk down the middle and just being fuzzy about it between turkey and israel and really making no one happy. i really don't see another way for the obama administration. >> woodruff: it's a headache and more. >> it's more than a headache. i mean it is, one could argue about the illegality, the immorality of what israel did. but no one can argue against the stupid-- stupidity. it was isolating. it lead to worldwide condemnation it put the united states in a terrible position. it put turkey in a terrible position. the one muslim country that had been open and dealing with the israelis. put the united states, as general david petraeus said earlier this year, and testified that this weakens the united states and its ability to be

tehran funds hamas, which is causing untold heartbreak and bloodshed in the -- in gaza. number two, it funds hezbollah, funding untold terrorism activity in -- in -- north of israel, in lebanon, and number three, it's also working to develop nuclear weapons. we don't want iran to have nuclear weapons. and what has iran been doing while we have been -- over the last several years? they have had a record of denial and deception in developing nuclear weapons, in processing weapons grade uranium. they have also been developing the method for delivering nuclear weapons, the so-called shahab-3 ballistic missile. that's capable of striking israel, u.s. troops in zack and afghanistan, and even parts of -- in iraq and afghanistan, and even parts of europe. we don't want iran to continue to develop nuclear weapons. now, we have been down this road before and people say right, let's stop them. let's go to the u.n. hoohah for the u.n. well, we've done hoohah for the u.n. we have had over -- we have had several sanctions. we have had one most recently passed that our administration w

i assume their disagreements there on the role of hamas. did they broached the subject? >> no, they were not discussed. the foreign minister went through some background from the -- their background and the discussion that they had with the israeli government officials prior to the launching of the flotilla. but this was primarily focused on understanding where we are now and what should be done in the short and intermediate term. >> did turkey push for more international participation? >> the secretary conveyed to the foreign minister primarily what she conveyed in her press availability a short time ago. we support the security council's call for prompt and partial and credible and transparent investigation. we support an israeli investigation. we're open to different ways of shoring up a credible investigation, including international participation it might undertake an investigation, since this was a turkish ship. part of what he said and we fully understand, this is not just an incident that involved turkey and israel. a number countries including the united states

iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism funding and arming hezbollah and hamas and has produced enough low-enriched uranium to produce two nuclear weapons and has been converting low-enriched uranium to 20% which represents 85% of the work necessary to provide weapons-grade fuel. this bill imposes sanctions that if implemented makes iran think twice about continuing their illegal nuclear program. and there is a plan to all of this. our efforts have been half hearted. our determination to stop iran froo acquiring nuclear weapons capability must exceed iran's determination to get a bomb. president obama must immediately enforce these sanctions. we cannot and must not allow iran to have nuclear weapon capability. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield to my friend from california, a member of the committee and member of the conference committee, mr. costa, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. costa: thank you very much mr. chairman and mr. berman. i

the history is clear in that region, gaza is controlled by a terrorist organization knowns hamas. hamas used gaza as a launching pad for thousands of rockets that killed innocentcivilians in israel. israel responded with military force and stitute add blockade that has saved lives in gaza and in israel. and there's no humanitarian crisis. ,000 tons of food and medical supplies are transferred into gaza every singleeek. remarkab yesterday the presidt said it was time for israel toharply limit its effective blockade in gaza saying, quote, the situation in gaza is unsustainable. the truth is, mr. president, your policy in israel is unstainable. the american people are on the side of israel and israel's right to defend herself. mr. president, whose side are you on? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> to address the house for one minute revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. stupak: starting this book tax-free rebate ecks of $250 will be nt to senio

we started the taliban grid israel started hamas.st: let's go to front royal, va., on our rrpublican line. caller: first of all, i love george bush and i pay all the criticism of him. i hope the school is doing well and i hope the library in dallas is doing well and i hope he is happy there. to the issues -- first of all, he had surveillance. our country was safe when they put in surveillance of all the wire tapping and so forth which got so much criticism. got so much criticism. all that time, they were able to do tteir damage. by the same token, i wish that george had jumped right in in iraq right from the beginning. every day they waited and allowed for all these people to investigate and to all that stuff, ,ñsekr&oge0s i knew, do it because i knew their work nuclear-weapons there and i am most people feel there were. even though they have not found on, that doesl ss not mean theye not there. host: any response to her comments? guest: the george bush school here at texas a and m is named after george h. w. bush, the 41st preside

we started the liban id is start hamas.s's go toro royal, george bush ad i paall e criticism ofim. e thechl is doing we isoing well and i hope hes happe. to t issues -- first ofall, head surveilnc oucotry wheth t tngnd forth which got so much cr got so much cr all attime, theyerbl to he same token, i wish th orge h juedightin in irq rifrom the beginni ery dahey ed and weall these people to vestind tall th stuf ,ñ&ognew, d , do do bause i knew tir wor r-wes ere a most pele fl th . eventhough thehave n und on, that does no mean ther noe. ghe ge bushch here a 41sth.w. bush th hereat tas a. the 43rd president wi wch was ishing hisibrary i dallas. tw seraterests er hoolwoferent ies. halhost: demoatic caller, nex y mbing the ddlest aarted ts staginofus in sa ara that iwherwe w wrong rold rean created saddam n. he case heveim tens o llions ollinilitar aidndhe thmonster got ta the..ol,apaw bh added that is what staqaida d jihaemenanhat has gotn wre we theac yo casy sithe and defend your riculo behavior. weave stng in iran and almo

as world watch israel took action to prevent a flotilla from reaching the gaza strip because hamas terrorists could smuggle in weapons that could be used to take lives of innocent people. israel is a good friend. and a true ally to america. we must not turn our back on israel at this critical time. we must stand with them. we must support them and the right to protect and defend the safety of their people and sovereignty of their nation. the israeli government just announced the decision to appoint an independent public commission to review the circumstances surrounding the flotilla raid. this commission will be headed by a retired israeli judge and will include two israeli experts in international law and two high ranking foreign observers. this action demonstrates israel's commitment to act within the law to hold itself accountable and good faith to the international community. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois rise? >> ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro

we started thetalibangrid isra started hamas.ost: let's go to front royal, va., on our rrpublicaline. caller: first ofall, i love george bush and i pay all the criticism of him. i hope the school is doing well and i hope the library in dallas is doing well and i hope he is happy ere. to the issues -- first of all, he had surveillance. our country was safe when they put in surveillance of all the wire tapping and so rth which got so mh criticism. got so mh criticism. all that time, they were able to do tteir damage. by the same token, i wish that george had jumped right in in iraq right fr the beginni. every day they waited and allowed for all these people to investigate ando all that stuff, ,ñsekr&oge0s knew, dd o it because i knew their work nuclear-weapons there and i am most peop feel there were even though they have not found on, that doesl ss not mean theyr not ther host: any response to her commts? guest: the george bush school here at texas a and m is named after george h. w. bush, the 41st president a his library is her

alpeople tained andas inspecd and trucked the aid cargo gaza where i undstand it awaits permon from hamas to cross. sa last week's confrontation could haveeen voided they could have had their port ipected and transported to gaza. fe of t six ships complied nonvioleny, but the peop refused. events that led to violence is disted but it's obvious to me anyway, that e actions of the ship wasrovocative israel shoullead an impal, tranarent and prompt inspection of the incident and inquies may show how the inteiction could have been accomplished without loss of life. it seems to me that the israeli ldiers re right to defend themselves fromhe brutal assault. we w this on video. it does not seeclr th the situation had to unfold as it did, howeve israel annoued yesterday that ahighly expectedeaof experts wieview the investigions that are now under way with a report expected in about a month. unid states should assist r and in this endeavo the wld community should withhold judgment until a reliab inquiry is compte, yet, ny aund the wod, once againare rushing blame israel beforeully examining all of

they have supported organizations like hezbollah and hamas, but they have gotten two tangible benefits from that. there's not a lot of arab investment in iran. many of them are concerned about the nuclear ambitions. turkey has taken a much more sophisticated approach. they had the support of government in the region and businesses in the arab world. host: our phone lines are open. even join the conversation on quitter as well, twitter.com/c- spanwj, or send us an e-mail at journal@c-span.org. caller: i am sort of an expert on this deal of money. your guess s talking, do he know why we went to iraq? or why we are in afghanistan? it has nothing to do with weapons or what ever. it has to do with money and who controls it. who do you think controls the united states? host: how would you answer that question, john? caller: the united states, the people do not own anything anymore. corporations, aig, all of it. who owns it? guest: an interesting question. certainly in the 1970's in iran this was the overwhelming popular narrative. the united states was an the backs of the third world. why th

that right now is threatening one of the most important opportunities after the presidential election hamas and horry were, which is the parliamentary election. if we do not pay attention to this parliamentary election, in the only opportunity that the people of afghanistan have to regain self confidence, to regain the trust in the system they are embarking on an eeriment they are undertaking, then we would have lost a very, very important opportunity. therefore it behooves our allies, especially the united states of america, especially those of you who are aware of the value of democracy, the value of people's ability to exercise their well, to make sure that we all raise our voices for a free and fair election, if it happens. the most important caveat in my opinions security. right now, the latest report that have, at least half of the voting centers in the country were declared unsafe or unmanageable because of security. i am not saying that elections should not be held, but they should be held so that people can participate in them. if not, the question should be answered basically in t

>> i can try to -- there is a blockade to ensure that weapons are not brought in for hamas. yet heard the president and the secretary of state discuss what we believe is an unsustainable humanitarian presence in gaza. >> i assume the president knows that one of the deaths was an american. what was his reaction? >> i am told that he expressed his deep condolences, and we certainly expressed our deep condolences to his family. obviously, this is extremely horrible news for them. our ambassador has been in touch with his father, and i would reiterate that we have, with the un security council, condemned to the acts that have led to these deaths. >> we talked about this before and i understand it was written -- by condemning the act that condemn the people on the flotilla. does the fact that one of the victims was an american born in new york change at all the u.s. view of what happened or the u.s. position on what happened? >> i would reiterate, we have condemned the act. i am going down the other side of the street. we have called for and the un security council has called for

it 2009, gaza, hamas did not do a lot of damage, scared a lot of people and killed a couple. then the israelis launched a massiv invasion, a lot of destruction, killed maybe 1000 or 1400 people depending on what figures to go by and blockade of the ace. we over here kind of had the same policy, let it go for a while, and that would be good. what happened was, the turks looked at it and the turks looked at what happened with the blockade, and they started moving in a different direction. cooperating with the isrealies, some rumors that it cooperated when they cooperate with the bombing of theuclear plant letting them fly over turkish territory. this gaza business, i did not think people understand the raid in 200and of blockinit afterwards, israel is not a little power anymore. it looks big and it does not look gentle. so i think even some of the guys on fox or pro israel, kind of understand now that the turks are moving in a different direction a if we lose turkey and to not respond somehow to this over all crisis, which means a movement toward a general settlement over there

that right now is threatening one of the most important opportunities after the presidential election hamas and horry were, which is the parliamentary election. if we do not pay attention to this parliamentary election, in the only opportunity that the people of afghanistan have to regain self confidence, to regain the trust in the system they are embarking on an experiment they are undertaking, then we would have lost a very, very important opportunity. therefore it behooves our allies, especially the united states of america, especially those of you who are aware of the value of democracy, the value of people's ability to exercise their well, to make sure that we all raise our voices for a free and fair election, if it happens. the most important caveat in my opinion is security. right now, the latest report that have, at least half of the voting centers in the country were declared unsafe or unmanageable because of security. i am not saying that elections should not be held, but they should be held so that people can participate in them. if not, the question should be answered basically

obviously you've got organizations like hamas that have not recognized israel, have not renounced violencewho are calling for a different approach. and we think it's important that, given president abbas's commitment to a peaceful diplomatic solution to these issues, and i think the desire of people both in israel and palestine -- palestinian territories for a peaceful solution, that we move forward. and the united states is going to put its full weight behind those efforts. i did share with president abbas, in order for us to be successful in these next several months, that both sides have to create an environment, a climate, that is going to be conducive to an actual breakthrough. and that means on the israeli side, curbing settlement activity and recognizing some of the progress that has been made by the palestinian authority when it comes to issues like security. it means on the palestinian side -- and i was very frank with president abbas that we have to continue to make more progress on both security as well as incitement issues. and if we can over the next several months try to lift

again, there is a blockade, as you know, to ensure that weapons are not brought in for hamas. at the same time, you heard the president recently, and certainly the secretary of state discussed that they believe it was a reasonable humanitarian aid. >> [inaudible] what was his reaction? >> i am told that -- upon being told this, obviously, he expressed deep condolences, and we certainly express our deep condolences to his family. obviously, this is extremely horrible news for them. our ambassador has been in touch with his father. and i would reiterate that we have with the u.n. security council condemned the acts that have led to these deaths. >> we have talked about this before and i understand it was written the way it was, but by condemning the exportacts, thatd condemn the people on the flotilla to a degree. does the fact that one of the victims was an american born in troy, new york changed at all the u.s. view of what happened, or the u.s. position on what happened? >> again, i would reiterate, we condemn the acts and i believe -- >> [unintelligible] >> well, i go down t

it is helpful to understand that this is a blockade to not allow weapons to get into the hands of hamasave it at that. >> is the president concerned that the flotilla incident might poison the atmosphere? will there be delays here? >> obviously, the president spoke on three occasions yesterday with prime minister netanyahu. obviously, we regret that, but understand completely why he went back to israel and had to cancel the meeting. the schedule for mr. baas coming is still the same. more than ever, we need comprehensive middle east peace plans. >> will mr. mitchell be [unintelligible] >> i do not know his schedule on the top of my head. >> does president obama believe the israeli government's version of events? >> again, let me refer you to the un security council statement. >> the investigation, does the president won the international community to be involved in the investigation -- does the president want the international community to be involved in the investigation? >> obviously, we are open to weigh is to assure a credible investigation, including international participation. >>

hamas used the gaza strip to launch vicious and brutal attacks, thousands of rockets on civilians, it cost lives in gaza, it cost lives in israel. turkey needs to count the cost. turkey needs to decide whether its president course is in its long-term interest. but america will stand with israel. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from arizona rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mrs. kirkpatrick: mr. speaker, i rise to celebrate the life of a true american hero. on may 28, we lost another of the last survivg navajo code talkers, reverend yazz of white corn, arizona. navajo code talkers saved the lives of countless americans during world war ii and the korean war to help them communicate without risks of interception by the enemy. he served greatly and honorably as part this legendar group. after leaving the military, he kept giving back. serving for years as a missionary, staying involved with community work, and helping organize a commi

-- the actors like tomas, hezbollah -- the actors like how mosque and hezbollah -- the actors like hamas and hezbollah do not care about ormalization. so they have a lot to lose. where does that leave the administration, going forward? that is a challenge. i think one of the great disappointments of the sanctions that passed a few days ago is that it seemed that the administration approach to sanctions was that it was a means to an end. it was a way to bring iran to the negotiating table. that option no longer exists because iran is not going to cooperate. they have stated publicly for the last 10 days since the triiateral agreement that if sanctions are passed they will not go through with the agreement. as of sunday, the parliament is likely to pass legislation which will sever runs -- double civil -- that will sever iran's ties to the iaea. sanctions are stopping any hope of monitoring iran's nuclear program. as i mentioned, even though the at mauna -- even though the obama administration intended these sanctions to be a means to an end in a negotiating process, that avenue has been c