Thursday 27 July 2006

Precision-guided resolutions that miss the target

Precision-guided and hitting the wrong target?

I hear the vehement protestations of Israel that the UN post in Southern Lebanon was not deliberately targeted.

That, indeed might be true, at least, the US Ambassador in the UN – John Bolton, exhorts us to take their word for it.

However, it begs the question how after all the communications with the Israeli army as that post came under sustained attack for hours, the attacks were not ceased to ensure the safety of the possibly rather terrified unarmed observers.

Then, we have the second unexplained issue, could a precision-guided missile have deviated from a purposed target to hit the post?

No, further questions …

The UN SC Resolution 1559

Agreed, Condi, we cannot return to status quo ante, that is fine, but let us look at the issue here.

The said United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 has the following basic premises

· Calling upon Lebanon to establish its sovereignty over all of its land

· Calling upon Syria to end their military presence in Lebanon by withdrawing its forces and to cease intervening in internal Lebanese politics.

· The resolution also called on all Lebanese militias to disband.

It would appear Lebanon may not have been able to establish complete sovereignty over its own land. We are lead to believe that Israel completely withdrew from Lebanon six years ago, however, that might not entirely be true.

There is still a disputed region occupied by Israel and it given voice to the reason why Hezbollah has still maintained a military presence in the south of Lebanon. This place is the Shebaa Farms.

The Golan Heights which is also occupied Syrian territory annexed by Israel since 1967 and is the subject of United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 which requires Israel rescind that territory since 1981.

It is interesting how UN Resolutions are imposed with such ferocity against certain nations and ignored in entirety when it pertains to Israel fulfilling its obligations.

It must be said that unusually, Resolution 497 was unanimous and Resolution 1559 was a 9 to 6, in favour against abstentions.

In the end, the list of resolutions passed pertaining to Israel in which they have been condemned in half as many passed makes interesting reading about the lack of fairness in the implementation of international resolve.

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