{"id":2353,"date":"2014-08-15T09:57:51","date_gmt":"2014-08-15T09:57:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/?p=2353"},"modified":"2014-08-15T17:02:53","modified_gmt":"2014-08-15T17:02:53","slug":"clooneys-fiancee-opts-not-to-join-un-gaza-probe-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/index.php\/clooneys-fiancee-opts-not-to-join-un-gaza-probe-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Clooney\u2019s fiancee opts not to join UN Gaza probe team"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cloony\"<\/a>Hollywood star George Clooney\u2019s fiancee Amal Alamuddin has declined her nomination to join a commission probing Israel\u2019s Gaza offensive, the head of the UN Human Rights Council said.
\nIn a statement, Baudelaire Ndong Ella said that the Lebanese-born British lawyer had cited \u201cprior professional commitments and regrets that the commission will not benefit from her expertise in the field.\u201d
\nElla, who this year holds the rotating presidency of the top UN rights forum, had on Monday named Alamuddin to the three-member commission of inquiry.
\nHe said that he had approached a \u201cnumber of individuals\u201d as potential candidates before making the announcement, and that Alamuddin had several hours later said that she was not in a position to accept the role.
\nDespite Alamuddin\u2019s decision, the commission of inquiry is now operational, Ella said, adding that he would \u201cdecide on the way forward.\u201d
\nThe commission will be led by Canadian international lawyer William Schabas, and also include Doudou Diene of Senegal, who has previously served as the UN\u2019s watchdog on racism and on post-conflict Ivory Coast.
\nThe UN Human Rights Council ordered the Gaza investigation on July 23, in the face of fierce opposition from Israel and the US.
\nThe decision came during a marathon seven-hour emergency session of the 47-nation council, where Israeli and Palestinians delegates traded accusations over each sides\u2019 alleged war crimes.
\nThe probe team has been tasked with reporting back to the council by March.
\nAlamuddin\u2019s family, who are from Lebanon\u2019s Druze community, fled to Britain during the country\u2019s 1975-1990 civil war.
\nThe 36-year-old, who is fluent in Arabic, French and English, is reportedly due to wed 53-year-old Clooney in Italy in September.
\nNews that she had stolen the heart of one of Hollywood\u2019s most celebrated bachelors caused a global media frenzy back in April.
\nAlamuddin is well versed in international conflict probes.
\nShe worked with the international tribunal examining the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, and assisted ex-UN head Kofi Annan in efforts to make peace in Syria.
\nAmong her legal clients have been Ukraine\u2019s former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and controversial Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.<\/p>\n

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