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July 31, 2006
Posted 7:33 PM
by Mary
UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com UN/ - 1 August 2006 - The U.N. Security Council yesterday deplored the Israeli attack on the Lebanese village of Qana, where over 50 civilians, mostly children, were killed. It was also reported to the Council that demonstrators against the United Nations office in Beirut broke into the UN headquarters and briefly set it on fire and three staff members were injured. At the same the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon reported that their positions continued to receive fire including aerial rockets from the Israeli side that hit near Addaisseh on Saturday, where two UNIFIL soldiers from the Indian battalion were wounded and evacuated to the UNIFIL hospital in Ibil As Saqy. “The Security Council expresses its extreme shock and distress at the shelling by the Israeli Defense Forces of a residential building in Qana, in southern Lebanon, which has caused the killing of dozens of civilians, mostly children, and injured many others,” said Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sablière of France, this month’s president of the Council. “The Security Council strongly deplores this loss of innocent lives and the killing of civilians in the present conflict, and requests the Secretary-General to report to it within one week on the circumstances of this tragic incident,” he said. The Security Council called for on an end to violence, while also urging efforts for a lasting, permanent and sustainable ceasefire. Greatly concerned about the civilian casualties and human suffering, the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and the growing number of displaced persons the Council urged all parties “to grant immediate and unlimited access to humanitarian assistance.” “The Security Council affirms its determination to work without any further delay to adopt a resolution for a lasting settlement of the crisis, drawing on diplomatic efforts underway,” said the French Ambassador. Kofi Annan urged the Council to condemn the Qana attack and call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, saying: “The authority and standing of this Council are at stake.” The Council, in a statement read by Mr. de La Sablière, deplored any action against UN personnel. Geir Pedersen, the U.N. S-G Representative of Lebanon issued a statement that he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the incidents in Qana, and called for immediate cessation of hostilities and investigations into how it happened. “This tragic event demonstrates the urgency for all parties to heed the United Nations repeated calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities,” he said. “Civilians have been paying the heaviest price for this war and I reiterate calls by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to all parties concerned to respect international humanitarian law and spare the civilians further suffering and loss.” A memorial service was held in Jerusalem for the four UN Military Observers killed last week during an Israeli aerial bombardment of the Patrol Base Khiyam in southern Lebanon . “We must honour their work by ensuring that the death and destruction come to an end as soon as possible, and by bringing help to all those whose lives are being torn apart,” Mr. Annan said in a message to the solemn gathering that was delivered by his aide, Alvaro de Soto. ~~~
July 29, 2006
Posted 10:11 AM
by Mary
Israeli and Palestinian Women Call on Quartet to Intervene to End the Conflict Date: 13 July 2006 Members of the International Women’s Commission for a Just and Sustainable Palestinian-Israeli Peace (IWC) convened an emergency meeting in Athens, July 13, 2006. Following deliberations, the meeting issued the following appeal: The present crisis is escalating out of control in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (especially in Gaza), Israel and Lebanon, threatening the region as a whole. We reject the use of force. We call for an immediate end to the fighting and a return to the political process. Civilians, mainly women and children, are paying the price daily for this vicious cycle of retaliation and counter-retaliation. This is a time of great danger. Political collapse will lead to total loss of control, anarchy and chaos. If no action is taken today, tomorrow will be too late. We urgently request the Quartet to intervene immediately to stop the fighting. We call upon the Quartet to dispatch high-level special envoys, including women, to mediate a truce and the exchange of prisoners, and to lead the parties back to political negotiations that address the root issues of the conflict. This is the last chance for sanity. This is the last chance for a two-state solution. The International Womens Commission for a Just and Sustainable Palestinian-Israeli Peace (IWC) is an international body of Palestinian, Israeli, and International women established in 2005 under the auspices of UNIFEM in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. For more information contact: Israel: Romy Shapira at romys[at]netvision.net.il, Tel: 00-972-54-2256633 Occupied Palestinian Territory: Nadia Hajal at nadiahajal[at]yahoo.com, Tel: 00-972-599-751208 UNIFEM: Osnat Lubrani at osnat.lubrani[at]unifem.org, Tel: 00-421-908-707781
July 26, 2006
Posted 2:51 AM
by Mary
KOFI ANNAN: "SHOCKED by ATTACK on U.N. PEACEKEEPERS" UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com UN/ - 26 July 2006 - Kofi Annan expressed shock and deep distress over what he called the “apparently deliberate targeting” by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) of an observer post with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that has killed two military observers, with two more feared dead. The following statement was issued in Rome by the UN Secretary-General on 25 July: "I am shocked and deeply distressed by the apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli Defense Forces of a United Nations observer post in southern Lebanon that has killed two United Nations military observers, with two more feared dead. "This coordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long established and clearly marked United Nations post at Khiyam occurred despite personal assurances given to me by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that United Nations positions would be spared Israeli fire. "Furthermore, General Alain Pelligrini, the United Nations Force Commander in south Lebanon, had been in repeated contact with Israeli officers throughout the day on Tuesday, stressing the need to protect that particular United Nations position from attack. "I call on the Government of Israel to conduct a full investigation into this very disturbing incident, and demand that any further attack on United Nations positions and personnel must stop. "The names and nationalities of those killed are being withheld pending notification of their families. I extend sincere condolences to the families of our fallen peacekeepers." by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "ATTACK on UN", Op-Ed Commentary by IAN WILLIAMS With the Israeli bombing of a UN camp and the killing of four UN peacekeepers, we really do seem to be in a "deja vu" all over again phase. Already Kofi Annan is under attack for condemning the "apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli Defense Forces of a UN Observer post." It is reminiscent of the trouble his predecessor Boutros Boutros-Ghali got himself into last time the Israelis tried shock and awe on Lebanon back in 1996, when he failed to suppress a report that said pretty much the same thing about the IDF shelling of the UN post in Qana, which macerated some 106 Lebanese civilians to death. It is worth remembering that of all UN Secretary Generals, Annan has done most to end Israel's isolation in the organization and maintained the closest relations with Israel's friends in the US. In the end, however, he is also an S-G who sets great store by protecting UN staff, and so the palpable anger of his statement is entirely understandable. "This coordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long established and clearly marked UN post at Khiyam occurred despite personal assurances given to me by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that UN positions would be spared Israeli fire. Furthermore, General Alain Pellegrino, the UN Force Commander in south Lebanon, had been in repeated contact with Israeli officers throughout the day on Tuesday, stressing the need to protect that particular UN position from attack." So to accept it was yet another accident presupposes a level of incompetence or insubordination in the Israeli army that should see some serious court-martials, but never does. So what could be the motive? It is clear that there are many in the IDF with a profound contempt for the UN and all it stands for, and who would not shed many tears at such an accident. It may also rankle that UNIFIL has, in the dearth of Western reporters from much of South Lebanon, provided independent corroboration of many incidents of IDF attacks on civilians. One only has to think of the fate of the USS Liberty in 1967 for being in a position to observe what the IDF was up to. And most sinisterly of all, there are many Israelis – including the government only a few days ago, who do not want an international force between them and their targets in Lebanon, who would have no great scruples about bombing a UN compound "accidentally on purpose." This time, the "collateral damage" is not just four dead UN personnel. The bombing scotches any realistic chance of a reinforced UN or multinational peacekeeping force – which it is worth remembering that Israel itself opposed until a few days ago, and which the war party in Israel sees as a potential obstacle to their attempts to emulate Ariel Sharon's disastrous invasion in 1982. Already, while lots of countries have endorsed the general idea of putting foreign troops on the Lebanese side of the border, there has been a complete lack of specific volunteers – for the understandable reasons that the attack on Khiyam now so forcibly demonstrates. The Fijians and Ghanaians make lots of money out of providing peacekeepers for UNIFIL and seem to think weekly humiliation by the Israelis and Hezbollah is worth it. There are few serious military powers would tolerate sending their troops for IDF target practice, let alone Hezbollah attacks. And who knows? If any were so bold as to put in contingents, they may well stand up to Israeli incursions as well. Some Israel supporters are already arguing that the bombing could not have been deliberate because it was a public relations disaster for Israel. Excuse me, but only an American or Israeli commentator could say that. Manifestly, for the rest of the world, the whole Israeli campaign is a PR disaster, with massive majorities even in Blair's Britain regarding the Israeli attack as a massively disproportionate reaction, let alone how Israel's assault is turning Hezbollah into the toast of the Third World. There is some added piquancy that both the Lebanese and Iraqi prime ministers (until this week at least champions of the new democratic Middle East) are condemning Israel's assault. Condoleezza Rice's statement that it is "too early" for a ceasefire, when only five hundred were dead and countless more dismembered, should go down with Madeleine Albright's since regretted statement that the death of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children as a result of sanctions was "a price worth paying." Since Annan is already going at the end of year, which puts him beyond reach of Bolton's veto, we can but hope that he will not be browbeaten by Rice, Bolton or Bush, but will use the sacrifice of the UN observers to shame the Security Council into demanding an immediate ceasefire. And who knows, while he is still angry, he may wish to remind them that Israel was defying Resolution 242 for many decades before 1559, and that it has to be a crucial foundation for any peace settlement for the region. OP-ED COMMENTARY by IAN WILLIAMS ~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 23, 2006
Posted 4:47 PM
by Mary
New York, 20 July 2006 - Secretary-General's briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East UN.orgMr. President, The bloody conflict that has engulfed Lebanon and northern Israel, following the crisis triggered by the Hezbollah attack across the Blue Line on 12 July, continues to rage. Almost every day brings a new escalation. The Lebanese people, who had hoped that their country's dark days were behind them, have been brutally dragged back into war. Already, over 300 Lebanese have been killed and over 600 wounded. And the casualties are mainly among the civilian population, about one third of them children. Much of the infrastructure in Beirut and around the country has been destroyed. Lebanon remains under an Israeli military blockade, imposed by sea and air. The Israeli people, who had hoped that Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon – certified by this Council six years ago – would bring security along their northern border, find themselves under constant Hezbollah rocket attacks, which every day reach further into Israeli territory. To date 28 Israelis have been killed and over 200 wounded. On the humanitarian front, conditions continue to deteriorate. Israeli operations have made it impossible for UN agencies and their humanitarian partners to reach almost any part of southern Lebanon, even to assess the needs, let alone to deliver the actual assistance needed. Lack of access and in situ assessments make it difficult to determine the exact figures of people in need. Based on preliminary information provided by UNIFIL, the national Lebanese Red Cross, and the Lebanese Government, UN agencies are currently working on the basis of a combined total of up to 500,000 people affected, comprising both internally displaced and those under siege. This includes nationals from some 20 foreign countries. According to extrapolations of the Lebanese Ministry of Interior, these figures could likely double. In addition, the Syrian authorities report that more than 140,000 people have now crossed into Syria, the majority being nationals of Lebanon, Syria and other Arab countries. Mr. President, Since the fighting began, I have been in constant touch with regional and world leaders, both by telephone and during the G-8 Summit in St. Petersburg and my visit to Brussels. The G8 issued an important statement which you have seen. But, as I have repeatedly stressed, what is most urgently needed is an immediate cessation of hostilities, for three vital reasons: first, to prevent further loss of innocent life and the infliction of further suffering; second, to allow full humanitarian access to those in need; and third, to give diplomacy a chance to work out a practical package of actions that would provide a lasting solution to the current crisis. I repeat: hostilities must stop. But while they continue, it is imperative to establish safe corridors for humanitarian workers and relief supplies to reach the civilian population. The humanitarian task facing us is massive, and must be funded urgently. As early as next week I hope to issue a UN Flash Appeal, covering an initial response period of three-to-six months. Because of the continued fighting, restrictions imposed by Israel and the destruction of many roads, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon has no freedom of movement and is unable even to provide humanitarian escorts for displaced persons . Its personnel remain confined to the Naqoura Headquarters and their positions in the area of operations. One UNIFIL staff member and his wife have been missing in Tyre since Monday, when the building they live in was hit by an Israeli airstrike, and collapsed. We are gravely concerned about their fate, since the approach road to Tyre is now impassable and UNIFIL engineers have been unable to reach the area. UNIFIL now urgently needs a “window” of time in which to bring in stocks of food, water and fuel from Israel for its own personnel. If UNIFIL is to remain operational, it will also need to distribute fuel supplies to its positions within the next 24 hours. We are not going to desert the people of Lebanon in their hour of need. But we have to proceed with caution. As we come to their aid, our Department of Safety and Security has been coordinating efforts to ensure the safety of staff in the affected areas from all parts of the UN System, and their dependents. Most non-essential staff and dependents have been moved outside the country. Meanwhile we are bringing in additional humanitarian experts. Mr. President, Let me be frank with the Council. The mission's assessment is that there are serious obstacles to reaching a ceasefire, or even to diminishing the violence quickly. On 13 July I dispatched an urgent mission to the region, led by my Special Adviser, Vijay Nambiar, accompanied by Terje Roed-Larsen and Alvaro de Soto, whom you know well, to urge all parties to show restraint and to explore ways of defusing the crisis. Mr. Nambiar and his colleagues returned to New York last night, and they are here now with me. I am very grateful to the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom for enabling them to cover so much ground in such a short time. Hezbollah's provocative attack on July 12 was the trigger of this crisis. It is clear that the Lebanese Government had no advance knowledge of this attack. Whatever other agendas they may serve, Hezbollah's actions, which it portrays as defending Palestinian and Lebanese interests, in fact do neither. On the contrary, they hold an entire nation hostage, set back prospects for negotiation of a comprehensive Middle East peace. I have already condemned Hezbollah's attacks on Israel, and acknowledged Israel's right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter. I do so again today. I also condemn Hezbollah's reckless disregard for the wishes of the elected Government of Lebanon, and for the interests of the Lebanese people and the wider region. Israel has confirmed that its operation in Lebanon has wider and more far-reaching goals than the return of its captured soldiers, and that its aim is to end the threat posed by Hezbollah. The mission was informed that the operation is not yet approaching the achievement of this objective. Israel states that it has no quarrel with the government or the people of Lebanon, and that it is taking extreme precautions to avoid harm to them. Yet a number of its actions have hurt and killed Lebanese civilians and military personnel and caused great damage to infrastructure. While Hezbollah's actions are deplorable, and as I've said Israel has a right to defend itself, the excessive use of force is to be condemned. But, while Israel has stated its military objectives to be to “hit Hezbollah's infrastructure and physical strength”, it has, in the words of the Lebanese Prime Minister, “torn the country to shreds”. As Prime Minister Siniora also said yesterday, “no government can survive on the ruins of a nation”. The mission reports many of its interlocutors in the region as noting that, whatever damage Israel's operations may be doing to Hezbollah's military capabilities, they are doing little or nothing to decrease popular support for Hezbollah in Lebanon or the region, but are doing a great deal to weaken the Government of Lebanon. In short, the very Government which Israel wants to extend its control throughout the territory has itself become a hostage to the crisis, is less able than ever to deploy its forces in the areas necessary to control Hezbollah, and is appealing to the international community for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Moreover, any analogy with Afghanistan under the Taliban is wholly misleaeding. Mr. Siniora's government clearly espouses democratic values. It deserves, and must receive, all possible support from the international community. Mr. President, Despite our assessment that a full ceasefire remains difficult to achieve at this time, I remain of the view that the international community must make its position clear on the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and a far greater and more credible effort by Israel to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure while the conditions for such a cessation are urgently developed. Both the deliberate targeting by Hezbollah of Israeli population centres with hundreds of indiscriminate weapons and Israel's disproportionate use of force and collective punishment of the Lebanese people must stop. The abducted soldiers must be released as soon as possible, and in any event the International Committee of the Red Cross must be granted immediate access to them. The Government of Israel must allow humanitarian agencies access to civilians. And the democratically elected Government of Lebanon must be urgently supported in its hour of crisis. In addition to, and in parallel with, these urgent steps, we need to continue diplomatic efforts to develop, in the shortest possible time, a political framework which can be implemented as soon as hostilities cease. Most people in the region rightly reject a simple return to the status quo ante, since any truce based on such a limited outcome could not be expected to last. The mission has suggested elements to me which, in my opinion, must form the political basis of any lasting ceasefire, and on which they have conducted consultations with the leaders of Lebanon and Israel. I and my advisers will continue to work on these elements, in dialogue with the parties and regional and international partners. The elements include the following: The captured Israeli soldiers must be transferred to the legitimate Lebanese authorities, under the auspices of the ICRC, with a view to their repatriation to Israel and a ceasefire. On the Lebanese side of the Blue Line an expanded peacekeeping force would help stabilize the situation, working with the Lebanese government to help strengthen its army and deploy it fully throughout the area. Meanwhile, the Lebanese government would fully implement Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1680, to establish Lebanese sovereignty and control. The Prime Minister of Lebanon would unequivocally confirm to the Secretary-General and the Security Council that the Government of Lebanon will respect the Blue Line in its entirety, until agreement on Lebanon's final international boundaries is reached. A donor framework would be established, with immediate effect, to secure funding for an urgent package of aid, reconstruction and development for Lebanon. A mechanism would be established, composed of key regional and international actors, to monitor and guarantee the implementation of all aspects of the agreement. An international conference should be organized, with broad Lebanese and international participation, to develop precise timelines for a speedy and full implementation of the Taef agreement and further measures needed for Lebanon to comply with its international obligations under Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1680. The conference would also endorse a delineation of Lebanon's international borders, including a final resolution on all disputed areas, especially the Shebaa Farms. My letter to Prime Minister Siniora of 5 June 2006 covers these issues. The planning and implementation of these elements should, as far as possible, be done in parallel. I repeat, in parallel. I should stress that these ideas would obviously require further elaboration and re-working, in close dialogue with all concerned. This Council would need to consider incorporating the elements of such a package in a resolution. Meanwhile, the conditions for peacekeeping clearly do not exist. The Security Council will need to decide what to do about UNIFIL, whose mandate expires on 31 July. In my view, the continuation of UNIFIL in its current configuration, and with its current mandate, is not tenable. Should it be withdrawn? Should it be strengthened? Should it be replaced with something else altogether? The context is radically different from that of a few weeks ago. Mr. President, We also need a peace track for Gaza – despite the different issues involved – as much as we do for Lebanon. I am gravely concerned about Gaza. Palestinians there are suffering deeply, with well over 100, many of them civilians, killed in the last month alone. After the destruction by Israel of the Gaza power plant, more than a million people are without electricity for most of the day and night. Israelis in the south continue to endure Qassam rocket attacks, though fortunately without casualties in the past month. I call for an immediate cessation of indiscriminate and disproportionate violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a reopening of closed crossing-points, without which Gaza will continue to be sucked into a downward spiral of suffering and chaos, and the region further inflamed. In my delegation's meeting with President Abbas he underscored his readiness to engage in a proper dialogue with the Government of Israel. It is vital that the regional crisis not be allowed to dampen the hopes that had been emerging on this score. President Abbas´ efforts to move the Palestinian side towards a national unity government that addresses the Quartet´s principles must be fully supported. Israel needs to refrain from unilateral acts that prejudice final status issues and agree to negotiate in the peace process. If the violence is to end, and dialogue and engagement resume, the international community must also play its part, and address the Israeli-Palestinian issue boldly and creatively. This would also help remove a pretext used by extremists throughout the region – including in Lebanon. As the G8 summit concluded, and as Arab leaders stressed to the mission, the need to address a root cause of the region's problems – the absence of a comprehensive Middle East peace – is clear. We really need to focus on a comprehensive Middle East peace. Mr. President, Our hearts and minds must be with the civilians in Lebanon, Israel and Palestine who are enduring daily violence and who are looking to the United Nations, as are many in the wider region, to find a solution to the current crisis. I recognize that there are differences of approach within this Council. But today let us remember what unites us: our compassion for the victims and for all who have lost loved ones – to whom we must all express our deepest condolences – and our common desire to bring about a stable, long-term peace between Israel and its neighbours. That requires the international community, through this Council, to speak with one voice in the coming days. I invite the Council to consider the parallel implementation of the package of concrete actions I have just presented. The support of the international community in the political, security and financial areas would be critical for the success of the entire process. It is my firm belief that only the simultaneous implementation of the different elements of this package will allow for the transformation of any cessation of hostilities into a durable ceasefire. When this is achieved, the international community will need to develop a framework for the final delineation of the borders of Lebanon and a decisive revival of the Middle East peace process. I urge the Council to take firm action towards ensuring peace and stability in the Middle East region as mandated by the Charter of the United Nations. Thank you, Mr. President.
Posted 4:41 PM
by Mary
Attacks Qualify as War Crimes, Officials Say By Warren Hoge July 20, 2006, New York TimesThe United Nations' top human rights official said Wednesday that the killing and maiming of civilians under attack in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza and the West Bank could constitute war crimes. 'The scale of killings in the region, and their predictability, could engage the personal criminal responsibility of those involved, particularly those in a position of command and control,' said Louise Arbour, the high commissioner for human rights. Ms. Arbour is a former justice of Canada's Supreme Court who, as chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, indicted the former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic. 'International humanitarian law is clear on the supreme obligations to protect civilians during hostilities," she said. That same obligation exists, she added, in international criminal law, which defines war crimes and crimes against humanity. 'Indiscriminate shelling of cities constitutes a foreseeable and unacceptable targeting of civilians,' she said in a statement released by her Geneva office. 'Similarly, the bombardment of sites with alleged innocent civilians is unjustifiable.' The Swiss-based International Red Cross, the recognized guardian of the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of war, said Wednesday that Israel had violated the principle of proportionality provided for in the Conventions and their protocols. It also noted that Hezbollah was firing rockets into northern Israel. 'Hezbollah fighters too are bound by the rules of international humanitarian law, and they must not target civilian areas,' it said. At the United Nations, there was support for the view that the only way to spare more victims was to halt the fighting, but there was also evidence that the United States would continue to dispute it. 'We think a truce is needed for humanitarian reasons,' said Jean-Marc de la Sablière, the ambassador of France, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council. But John R. Bolton, the American ambassador, said the notion that a cease-fire would solve the problem was 'simplistic.' 'Among other things,' he said, 'I want somebody to address the problem how you get a cease-fire with a terrorist organization.' 'This is a different kind of situation,' he added, 'and I'm not sure that sort of old thinking, conventional thinking, works in a case like this.' Mark Malloch Brown, the deputy secretary general, said that 'on humanitarian grounds but also to enable ultimately a sustainable solution to this, one which allows Israel and its neighbors to live in peace with each other, continued conflict does not help.' Secretary General Kofi Annan was returning to New York from Europe and was scheduled to brief the Council on Thursday on his call for a 'cessation of hostilities' and a stabilization force for southern Lebanon. 'The need to bring this to a stop while we find a longer-term political and security solution is one that he will be stressing tomorrow in the Council,' Mr. Malloch Brown said.
Posted 4:39 PM
by Mary
While the international spotlight has focused on the conflict in Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, sectarian violence in Iraq has escalated sharply increased. "The human rights office of the U.N. mission in Iraq reported Tuesday that more than 14,000 civilians had been killed during the first half of this year, including more than 3,000 in June (Washington Post, 9/20/06)." Last month, the death toll averaged more than 100 Iraqi civilians a day. So far in July, that average appears to have continued to go up. On July 9 in Baghdad's al-Jihad neighborhood, Shiite militiamen went door-to-door systematically killing Sunni families. The next day, Sunni gunmen openly massacred innocent civilians in a Shiite market. Each new attack leads to bloody retaliation, fueling a cycle of violence that has engulfed much of Baghdad. Desperate to escape the attacks, Iraqis have begun fleeing from their homes,including at least 1,000 Iraqi families in the past week alone Education for PEace in Iraq
Posted 4:36 PM
by Mary
UN appalled by Beirut devastation BBCThe UN's Jan Egeland has condemned the devastation caused by Israeli air strikes in Beirut, saying it is a violation of humanitarian law. Mr Egeland, the UN's emergency relief chief, described the destruction as "horrific" as he toured the city. He arrived hours after another Israeli strike on Beirut. Israel also hit Sidon, a port city in the south crammed with refugees, for the first time. In Haifa, two people died as Hezbollah rockets struck the Israeli city. Fifteen people were reportedly injured by the volley of rockets, which struck a house and an industrial zone. The BBC News website's Raffi Berg visited the scene of one of the rocket attacks in northern Haifa. He says the rocket exploded next to a carriageway, raking passing cars with shrapnel and ball bearings and killing a man in a nearby vehicle. A later barrage of missiles was reported to have injured five people. Mr Egeland arrived in southern Beirut on Sunday just hours after Israeli strikes on the Hezbollah stronghold. A visibly moved Mr Egeland expressed shock that "block after block" of buildings had been levelled.
July 7, 2006
Posted 10:55 PM
by Mary
SHOWDOWN AT THE UNITED NATIONS AVERTED! Big Challenges Still Ahead A major win for U.N. supporters occurred at the United Nations last week, and I wanted to give everyone in our on-line community a quick update: All but four U.N. member countries agreed to get rid of a strict spending limit on the regular budget. This was a really big deal as the regular budget covers the salaries of 14,000 U.N. workers on 5 continents. The world body and some of its life-saving missions, including those in Afghanistan and Iraq, was just inches away from a shutdown. The problem started when U.S. Ambassador John Bolton demanded that U.N. funding be linked to the adoption of reforms. As a result, the U.N. General Assembly, under pressure from Bolton, authorized only enough money in December for the U.N. to operate for six months. Though improving the way the U.N. does business is a concept embraced by many, this play by Bolton was seen by other countries as a heavy-handed negotiating tactic to gain leverage over poor nations. As you can imagine, the agreement last week to keep the lights on was a huge relief to supporters of a strong, effective, and, above all, operational United Nations. Here are the major pros and cons that came out of last week’s decision: The upside: The U.N. can continue to provide essential services to the international community. Translation = 14,000 U.N. staff can keep their jobs. They can continue to promote human rights, provide assistance in conflict areas, conduct public information work, put on international meetings and conferences, and address the crises in Darfur, North Korea, and Iran, among other things. Even though the U.S. dissociated itself from the General Assembly decision to lift the spending cap, it did not block the decision to do so. Translation = The U.S. was one of only four countries that decided not to speak for or against the decision to get rid of the spending limit. This means that, ultimately, while the the Bush Administration wanted to keep the spending cap as leverage, it was not willing to risk a shutdown of the U.N. Ambassador Bolton does not share the above-mentioned view of the Bush Administration. Translation = It seems that Ambassador Bolton is now encouraging his friends in Congress to withhold U.S. dues to the U.N. What’s worse is that many of his friends are promising to do just that. The budget cap has hindered, rather than aided the implementation of proposed reforms. Translation = Although there has been more reform progress at the U.N. in the last year than at any other time in the organization's history, many of the important improvements that Secretary General Kofi Annan, the Bush Administration, Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and Citizens for Global Solutions have proposed for the U.N. have not yet taken place, in part because of the United States' heavy-handed diplomacy. Our nation needs good diplomats to convey the message that these reforms are a win-win situation for all countries. + Click here to read more about reform at the U.N. The long and short of all of this is that while a big victory was achieved at the U.N. last week, there are still some bumps in the road ahead. We need to continue to let our leaders know what we, as Americans, really want. + Click here for ideas on how you can help affect change for a 21st Century United Nations. Thanks!
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"War does not determine who is right--only who is left." - Bertrand Russell
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