Switzerland: Gaza Report Stands, Despite Author’s Post Script

The United Nations rights body that commissioned an investigation of Israel’s 2009 invasion of Gaza will continue to treat it as a working document, even though the lead investigator has backtracked from some of the report’s most damning allegations against Israel. The leader of the investigation, Richard Goldstone, wrote an opinion article last week retracting the report’s assertion that Israel intentionally killed Palestinian civilians during the war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. A spokesman for the United Nations Human Rights Council said for the report to be withdrawn Mr. Goldstone would have to submit a formal request to the Geneva-based body, which he has not done. “U.N. reports are not canceled on the basis of an op-ed in a newspaper,” the spokesman, Cedric Sapey, said. The council has sent the report to the General Assembly, recommending that it ask the Security Council to submit it to prosecutors at the International Criminal Court.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/world/europe/05webbrfs-switzerland.html?_r=1&ref=europe