finally.. some condemnation..
so, you would NEVER see this headlined in any newspaper or god-forbid any news channel.. but here's what the UN had to say about what went on in Lebanon this summer..
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&9A86039D230C03A9C225722D005E45C0
U.N. Team: Israel Guilty of 'Collective Punishment' in Lebanon
Israel's military attacks against Lebanese civilians in July and August constituted "collective punishment" and violated international humanitarian law, U.N. human rights investigators said Tuesday.The U.N. Human Rights Council in September appointed Ambassador Joao Clemente Baena Soares of Brazil, Judge Mohamed Chande Othman of Tanzania and Professor Stelios Perrakis of Greece to investigate Israeli attacks on civilians.
The report by the commission of inquiry highlighted "a significant pattern of excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) against Lebanese civilians."
"The commission has formed a clear view that, cumulatively, the deliberate and lethal attacks by the IDF on civilians and civilian objects amounted to collective punishment.
"During the conflict, Israel justified its attacks on civilian infrastructure saying it was being used by Hizbullah.
The report conceded that some infrastructure "may have had 'dual use,' but this argument cannot be put forward for each individual object directly hit during this conflict."
"Further, the commission is convinced that damage inflicted on some infrastructure was done for the sake of destruction," it added.
The four-man inquiry called on the U.N. to provide wide-ranging assistance to Lebanon, both in terms of economic reconstruction and humanitarian and medical assistance to the victims of the conflict.
It also said an arbitration commission could be envisaged between the interested parties to examine issues of reparations.
The decision by a majority vote of the 47-member U.N. council to set up the inquiry team was controversial.
Western countries said its terms of reference were too one-sided to provide objective conclusions because it did not even consider Hizbullah rocket attacks on Israeli towns.
The experts noted in their report that they were "bound by the mandate given to it by the Human Rights Council," and that their commission "was not entitled, even if it had wished, to construe it [the mandate] as equally authorizing the investigation of the actions by Hizbullah in Israel."(AFP)
Beirut, 21 Nov 06, 19:11
me..
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&9A86039D230C03A9C225722D005E45C0
U.N. Team: Israel Guilty of 'Collective Punishment' in Lebanon
Israel's military attacks against Lebanese civilians in July and August constituted "collective punishment" and violated international humanitarian law, U.N. human rights investigators said Tuesday.The U.N. Human Rights Council in September appointed Ambassador Joao Clemente Baena Soares of Brazil, Judge Mohamed Chande Othman of Tanzania and Professor Stelios Perrakis of Greece to investigate Israeli attacks on civilians.
The report by the commission of inquiry highlighted "a significant pattern of excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) against Lebanese civilians."
"The commission has formed a clear view that, cumulatively, the deliberate and lethal attacks by the IDF on civilians and civilian objects amounted to collective punishment.
"During the conflict, Israel justified its attacks on civilian infrastructure saying it was being used by Hizbullah.
The report conceded that some infrastructure "may have had 'dual use,' but this argument cannot be put forward for each individual object directly hit during this conflict."
"Further, the commission is convinced that damage inflicted on some infrastructure was done for the sake of destruction," it added.
The four-man inquiry called on the U.N. to provide wide-ranging assistance to Lebanon, both in terms of economic reconstruction and humanitarian and medical assistance to the victims of the conflict.
It also said an arbitration commission could be envisaged between the interested parties to examine issues of reparations.
The decision by a majority vote of the 47-member U.N. council to set up the inquiry team was controversial.
Western countries said its terms of reference were too one-sided to provide objective conclusions because it did not even consider Hizbullah rocket attacks on Israeli towns.
The experts noted in their report that they were "bound by the mandate given to it by the Human Rights Council," and that their commission "was not entitled, even if it had wished, to construe it [the mandate] as equally authorizing the investigation of the actions by Hizbullah in Israel."(AFP)
Beirut, 21 Nov 06, 19:11
me..
posted by nounou :) @ 10:13 PM
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