Today’s Q’s for O’s WH — 6/1/10

TAPPER:  Does President Obama believe the Israelis' version of events?
  
GIBBS:  I'm sorry?
  
TAPPER:  Does President Obama believe — does he believe the Israeli government's version of events?
  
GIBBS:  Well, again Jake, I'd refer you to the U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an investigation so that everybody knows exactly what happened.
  
TAPPER:  Let's talk about that investigation.  Is it important that it be run by the Israelis?  Does the president want the international community to be involved in the investigation?
  
GIBBS:  Right.  Well, I would say that obviously what I said earlier, the resolution calls for a prompt and transparent investigation.  Obviously, we are open to ways to assure a credible investigation, including international participation.
  
TAPPER:  And there were Americans on the flotilla.  Has there been any — do you have any information about whether any of them were hurt?  There was an unconfirmed report that an American student lost an eye in the incident.  Do you know anything?
  
GIBBS:  I — I think we're in contact with the Israelis in order to get an accounting as to whether any Americans citizens — well obviously American citizens were — acting as private citizens — were — were on some of these ships. We're working with the Israelis to determine if any of those individuals were injured, and, as the resolution says, would call on the Israelis to release both the ships and any of those people.

TAPPER:  Is the president concerned at all that after all his work to repair relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world that a situation like this destroys overnight?
  
GIBBS:  The U.S. relationship with the Muslim…
  
TAPPER:  U.S. Relationship with the Muslim world, by standing so steadfastly with Israel?
  
GIBBS:  No.  Again, I — again, I would point you to I think it was a pretty clear statement by the international community that the United States…
  
TAPPER:  I wouldn't call it that.  I mean, it condemns acts that were taken that led to the loss of life, but it doesn't say whose acts.  It could have been the flotilla's acts or it could have been the IDF's acts.  It's not clear from that statement.
  
GIBBS:  Well, I think our opinion is this is a pretty clear statement and obviously…
  
(CROSSTALK)
  
TAPPER:  … whose acts are you talking about in that statement?  Is it the IDF or is it…
  
GIBBS:  Again, we're talking about a series of facts that will be determined by an appropriate investigation, as I just said.
  
TAPPER:  OK.  So there's no specificity as to whose acts it's condemning?
  
GIBBS:  Well, it may be of information as to exactly how this went down that the rest of the international community may not be completely clear on, Jake.  But, again, I'm saying — and let me…
  
(CROSSTALK)
  
TAPPER:  … you don't even know what it (inaudible) if you don't know what happened.
  
GIBBS:  We can play circular ball all day long, Jake.  Obviously we condemn the loss of life and we regret it deeply.  I think that is knowable, correct?
 
TAPPER:  OK.
  
GIBBS:  OK, good.  So I would simply say — reiterate what is in the statement. In terms of our relationship with the Muslim world, I think the president has obviously spent a lot of time on improving our relationship with countries throughout the world, and special time and care on our relationship with the Muslim world.  I do not think that this will have a great impact on that.

- Jake Tapper