Finland’s YLE main news broadcast yesterday(4.9.06) at 20.30:
Although minister Herzog’s justified accusations against Hizbollah using the UN as their shield was clearly verified by a footage showing Israeli soldiers blowing up a Hizbollah bunker next to a UN post, the Finnishreporter still implied that the Israelis only have an “opinion” about this, which probably is false.
OK, this is no news about YLE news – but is Kofi Annan totally unable to read the resolutions of his own organization? Eeva Polttila (journalist) read with obvious satisfaction the news that a “distinguished negotiatior” has started to resolve the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by Hizbollah. This”distinguished” person was nobody less than Kofi Annan, who has appointed a”secret negotiator” to negotiate “the conditions” for the release of thesoldiers.
As far as I know, the UN Security Council resolution 1701 adopted 11.8.2006 emphasizes “the need to address urgently the causes that have given rise tothe current crisis, including by the unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldiers”
(PP3.UNCONDITIONAL was the word. Well, but who in the international communityremembers anymore the following parts of resolution 1701, where the UNSecurity Council
(OP8) “calls for Israel and Lebanon to support a permanent ceasefire and along-term solution based on the following principles and elements: – full implementation of the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords, and ofresolutions 1559 (2004)
and
1680 (2006), that require the disarmament of allarmed groups in Lebanon…- no sales or supply of arms and related materiel to Lebanon except asauthorized by its government”and(OP10) “requests the Secretary General to develop, in liaison with relevantinternational actors and the concerned parties, proposals to implement therelevant provisions of the Taif Accords, and resolutions 1559 (2004) and1680 (2006), including disarmament”.
(including DISARMAMENT were the words!)
and
(OP15) “decides further that all states shall take the necessary measures toprevent, by their nationals or from their territories or using their flagvessels or aircraft,
(a) the sale or supply to any entity or individual in Lebanon of arms andrelated materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, militaryvehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for theaforementioned, whether or not originating in their territories, and
(b) the provision to any entity or individual in Lebanon of any technicaltraining or assistance related to the provision, manufacture, maintenance oruse of the items listed in subparagraph (a) above, except that theseprohibitions shall not apply to arms, related material, training orassistance authorized by the Government of Lebanon or by UNIFIL asauthorized in paragraph 11″.
Answer: nobody remembers – or even worse: nobody cares.
Tundraman
Update:
According to this BEEB report, Kofi Annan is spinning this “mediation” role to its own advantage at the expence of Israel and its own UNSC resolution 1701. Israel insists that it expects :
“the UN to facilitate their unconditional release”, and “…..the Israeli government said Mr Annan’s announcement was not in line with its position on the prisoners. “A mediator is not needed,” an official told the Reuters news agency. “The UN resolution determines that soldiers will be released unconditionally. The UN secretary general will assist – and not mediate…..”
So….Tundraman’s observations are correct and that the UN head is doing an “end run” to help save face for the Hezbollah.
