Kofi Annan's claims of 'apparent delibrate targeting' of a known UN observer post ignored one of the problems of the confict. Since the withdrawl of Israeli forces from Southern Lebanon in 2000, the UN has maintained an force of Observers throughout Israel and Southern Lebanon. In their midst, Hezbollah did not only fail to obey the UN Security Council resolution in which they were to disarm and disband their militia, it actually did the opposite. The UN has been recieving a running commentary from its observers of the preparations of Hezbollah military infrastructure and movement of weapons throughout the region. This is a prime example of the UN as a toothless tiger - impotent and pathetic. Not only was their resolution disobeyed, but they have presided over the biggest arms build up of Hezbollah's history. The UN actually has a fair element of the blame for Hezbollah arming its infrastructure and forces with countless rocket artillery assets - Israel was expecting after withdrawing from Lebanon that the UN would police and ensure their resolution was carried out. Instead the UN stood by and watched Hezbollah prepare for their opportunity to launch their new found arsenal into Israel - not at invading troops but at civilians and civilian infrastruce indiscriminatly.
Annan lashed out at Israel for the killing of UN Observers by IDF bombing - Australia's media lapped it up, damning the Israeli's for their inhumane act... both ignored the fact that Hezbollah has openly moved forces to close vicinity of UN Observer posts, civilan infrastructure and to civilians themselves. Hezbollah understands the propaganda gains it makes when it forces Israel to use area weapons close to civilian and neutral infrastructure. Hezbollah gains in strenght everytime children are killed because of the combatants in their midst, when Hospitals and homes alike are destroyed due to rockets being fired in close proximity.
I just wish the Western media would stop feeding the Hezbollah propaganda machine and start looking at the tactics that are causing the collateral damage, and lay the deserving criticism and blame upon the terrorist Hezbollah forces.
4 comments:
Parasite: an animal or plant which lives on or in an organism of another species (the host), from the body of which it obtains nutriment.
I wonder if there is a word to describe fooling the host into thinking that the parasite is benefiting the host, whilst actually leeching off it?
This link is to a video of Hamas fighters using a UN ambulance to retreat from an area they are coming under fire from IRF elements...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqGjz7iJTns
Mr Annan is not new to this kind of ineffectiveness. He was regional leader of the UN for the Rwanda crisis. His office was given the black box of an airplane that had crashed, killing a Rwandan leader. Rumors were prevalent that the crash was a terrorist attack along racial lines and the black box would have exonerated. Annan 'lost' the black box in his office for ten years.
The UN has always been inneffective, but during the cold war that was held to be because of spoiling tactics by the Soviets and the US (and China). Mr Annan does not have that excuse.
See also a post by Andrew Landersyou: Deafening silence since Hezbollah hit UN...
Post a Comment