UN rights head sees possible Mideast war crimes (By Israel of Course)

Reuters ^ | July 19, 2006 | Richard Waddington and Robert Evans

[RWR8189]

GENEVA (Reuters) - The scale of killing and maiming of civilians in Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territory of Gaza could constitute war crimes, the United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said international humanitarian law was clear on the need to protect non-combatants in any conflict. "This obligation is also expressed in international criminal law, which defines war crimes and crimes against humanity," she said.

"The scale of the 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," she said, without directly accusing anyone.

In a statement, Arbour expressed "grave concern over the continued killing and maiming of civilians in Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory".

Arbour, a former Canadian Supreme Court judge and war crimes prosecutor, said the "indiscriminate shelling" of cities and the bombing of sites where civilians would suffer were unacceptable.

Israeli air strikes have accounted for most of the 293 deaths in Lebanon in the eight-day-old war which began after Hizbollah guerrillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.

The Lebanese Shi'ite militia has rained rockets down on northern Israeli towns and villages. Twenty-nine Israelis have died in the violence.

STRETCHED RULES

Israel's offensive in Lebanon has coincided with a three-week-old push into the Gaza Strip to retrieve another soldier, seized by Palestinian militants on June 25.

In a separate statement, the U.N. special envoy on the right to health said Israel's destruction of Gaza's only power station could constitute a war crime and should be investigated.

New Zealander Paul Hunt said lack of power had caused a serious water shortage and affected sewage disposal for tens of thousands of households in the Gaza Strip. Reported cases of diarrhoea had risen 163 percent compared with last year, he added.

As international concern mounted for civilians caught up in the bloodshed, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) suggested that Israel had stretched the agreed rules of war with its air and land operations in Lebanon.

The Swiss-based body, the recognised guardian of the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of war, said it had told the Israelis and Hizbollah that both must avoid targeting civilians.

Under the Conventions, first formulated after World War One and expanded after World War Two, countries involved in international conflicts are obliged to observe measure in their response to actions by an opposing side.

"The ICRC reminds the parties to the conflict that the obligation to distinguish between civilians and civilian objects, on the one hand, and military objectives, on the other, is at the core of international humanitarian law and must be complied with at all times," it said in a statement.

[DungeonMaster]

"If we kill 10 less than 100, will we still be guilty of war crimes? How about 20 less than 100?"

[gondramB]

We need an international update to the laws and rules of war.

wars are fought less and less by large standing armies.

The protections need to apply whether in an organized army or not and the responsibilities need to apply.

If hezbollah is lobbing missiles deliberately aiming at civilian areas - that is as a much of a war crime as if they wore a uniform. Likewise, if someone is captured, their right to not be tortured should not depend on whether they were wearing a uniform - much like the need for formal declarations of war, these concepts need to be updated.

[sheik yerbouty]

Maybe she should concentrate her efforts on Darfur.

[tigtog]

Well by all means tell the UN Sheriff to go and arrest those bad men. Don't they know there is some UN law that they have broken???

[The Iceman Cometh]

This is of course assuming that those killed were in fact civilians.

Looking at all the footage from that area in the last decade I think you can include a good portion of the civilian population as de facto military targets.

Sound bizarre? How about all the children loaded with bomb vests and carrying weapons. Add that to the parents who assist in the creation and deployment of homicide bombers.

Civilians? I am not convinced.

[scottdeus12]

I vote we send a cruise missle into the UN...any takers?

[eyespysomething]

Still hoping the alligator eats them last, the UN is.

[Bigh4u2]

Just make sure Mr.Bolton and a few of our friends aren't there first.

[scottdeus12]

Good point. We can send him and our friends a memo....

Scott

[Gay State Conservative]

Of course,the UN won't acknowledge that the 9th Century knuckledraggers that Israel is defending itself against deliberately intermingle their operations with civilians so as to possibly protect themselves and maximize civilian casualties.

[4Liberty]

"The ICRC reminds the parties to the conflict that the obligation to distinguish between civilians and civilian objects, on the one hand, and military objectives, on the other, is at the core of international humanitarian law and must be complied with at all times, blah-blah" it said in a statement."

Terrorists don't wear uniforms. So isn't that a violation of rule #1 ('distinguish between civilians, military)'?

Really confusing

[finnman69]

Nothing looks indiscriminate to me.

War crimes should be charged to Hezbollah for hiding among civilians.

[paguch]

When are the people of the US going to rise up and get rid of the UN? I wish someone would list the successes and failures of the UN and push home what a problem this organization is. The UN is the enabling force the terrorists use to remain a problem. Eliminate the UN and their protectors are gone.

Oil for food was just the tip of the iceberg. We have all seen the stories of the damage the UN does but we persist in continuing their support. The biggest step we could make for World Peace and to protect our sovereignty is to eliminate the UN.

If you disagree, please make an honest argument.

[ichabod1]

Horrible people. Horrible institution. Where terrorists go to school to learn how to scam the liberals.

[Bigh4u2]

We could just drop leaflets!!

:0)

[proud_yank]

I second.

[proud_yank]

Haven't they been working on maintaining the status quo in Sudan for about 20-30 years now?

[WarEagle]

Israeli air strikes have accounted for most of the 293 deaths in Lebanon in the eight-day-old war which began after Hizbollah guerrillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.

Weren't there 377 killed in the Haifa rocket attacks, or did I dream that one?

Why are the deaths in Lebanon all that are mentioned in this POS story?