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Annan's bombing claims 'shock' Israel
Australian Broadcasting Corporation ^ | 26 July 2006

Posted on 07/25/2006 6:49:13 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher

Israel's United Nations (UN) ambassador says he is "shocked" by accusations from UN chief Kofi Annan that the Jewish state may have deliberately targeted a UN post in Lebanon in an air raid.

Four UN military observers have died in the strike on the post in the border town of Khiam.

Mr Annan describes the strike as a "coordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long-established and clearly marked UN post".

But Israeli ambassador Dan Gillerman says the secretary-general has judged the incident too soon.

"I was shocked and deeply distressed by the hasty statement by the secretary-general insinuating that Israel has deliberately targeted the UN post at Khiam and surprised at these premature and erroneous assertions," he told BBC World Service.

"The secretary-general, while demanding an investigation, has already issued his conclusions.

"Israel is carrying out a thorough inquiry into this tragic incident and we will inform the UN of its results as soon as possible."

Israel's Foreign Ministry has expressed its "deep regret" over the deaths of the UN observers.

"The ministry expresses its deep regret for the tragic death of the staff of the United Nations in Lebanon," a communique said.

"Israel does not target UN staff, and since the beginning of the conflict Israel has deployed all its efforts to ensure the safety of those staff in the region."

Hezbollah fights on

Israel has launched a series of air strikes and ground attacks in Lebanon since Hezbollah captured two of its soldiers in a cross-border raid 14 days ago.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has today vowed that his guerrillas will fire rockets on Israel beyond the northern city of Haifa and counter Israeli military advances inside southern Lebanon.

"We are entering a new phase in the confrontation, the phase of (striking) beyond Haifa," Mr Nasrallah said.

Israel has repeatedly said it believes Hezbollah has longer-range rockets capable of reaching beyond Israel's third city, as far as the commercial capital Tel Aviv, or even the southern city of Beersheva.

Mr Nasrallah denies that the southern border town of Bint Jbeil has fallen.

A UN spokesman earlier said Israeli troops entered the town where they were engaged in clashes with Hezbollah

"They do not control Bint Jbeil. All the city of Bint Jbeil is still in the hands of the resistance," he said.

Mr Nasrallah says Hezbollah is "not a classical army and will wage guerrilla wars" against Israeli advances inside southern Lebanon "which will not halt bombardments on the settlements" or northern Israeli towns.

"There will be no limits to our bombardments," he said.

He is calling for "further steadfastness and unity on these decisive days."

Diplomatic efforts

Mr Nasrallah says all the delegations which flocked to Lebanon in the past week "only brought American-Zionist diktats ... they did not bring solutions or settlements".

"We do not accept humiliating conditions but we are open to political discussions," he said.

After UN and European Union delegations, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise visit in Beirut on Monday.

She reportedly presented a cease-fire plan stipulating the deployment of an international force, possibly led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in a buffer zone inside Lebanon for 60 to 90 days.

But Dr Rice's cease-fire plan was rejected by Lebanese parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, who is acting as an intermediary for the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group, because it did not include a prisoner swap with Israel.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2006israelwar; annan; attack; israel; kofiannan; krookedkofi; shock; un; unifil
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Kofi is a krook and a krackpot - simple as that!
1 posted on 07/25/2006 6:49:14 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
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To: Aussie Dasher

And a kreep.


2 posted on 07/25/2006 6:51:06 PM PDT by Rocko ( Hezbollah isn't crying UNCLE; they're crying UN....)
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To: Aussie Dasher

Mr. Gellerman makes an excellent statement; they should issue a formal complaint against Kofi's outrageous statement. the UN is useless, and has been for a long time, but completely useless under the "leadership" of Kofi. Kofi's remarks should be condemned by Rice and Bolton....I hope they do so.


3 posted on 07/25/2006 6:51:49 PM PDT by Laverne
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To: Aussie Dasher

Israel: "Dear Kofi - We wouldn't have bombed but we thought you were there."


4 posted on 07/25/2006 6:52:09 PM PDT by Enterprise (Let's not enforce laws that are already on the books, let's just write new laws we won't enforce.)
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To: Rocko

Those UN oberservers were Hezbollah terrorists.


5 posted on 07/25/2006 6:52:35 PM PDT by baiamonte
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To: Aussie Dasher

Annan's not the only crook in this picture, the UN clowns who got croaked were almost certainly on the take and nobody should miss them. If they'd ever done their jobs none of this %%%& would be happening.


6 posted on 07/25/2006 6:52:42 PM PDT by tomzz
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To: Aussie Dasher
guilty conscience? Considering the U.N.s complicity in muslim aggression against Israel he's gotta suspect they might retaliate.
7 posted on 07/25/2006 6:53:00 PM PDT by bad company (When Chuck Norris goes to bed at night, he checks his closet for FReeper kanawa)
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To: Aussie Dasher

Personally I can't help but wonder why the UN is still there. They usually run at the first sign of trouble. It's like Kofi is using the UN to recruit human shields.


8 posted on 07/25/2006 6:54:02 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Greed is NOT a conservative ideal.)
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To: Aussie Dasher

It would only make sense if Kofi was IN the UN post.


9 posted on 07/25/2006 6:54:12 PM PDT by quantim
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To: Rocko; Aussie Dasher
You might even say he's a Kooky Krackpot Kreep ...
10 posted on 07/25/2006 6:54:30 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Aussie Dasher

I just heard and read about this. I too am shocked at the immediate assumption that Israel purposely fired upon these individuals. I have no words. Everyday I become more and more discouraged surrounding the situation we find ourselves in. I believe we are losing the media and propaganda war. (off topic a bit, sorry)


11 posted on 07/25/2006 6:55:32 PM PDT by newconhere (bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. zap)
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To: Aussie Dasher
Israel is shocked that Annan would make such an accusation?

I doubt it.

12 posted on 07/25/2006 6:56:26 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Aussie Dasher
Hey Kofi,

Why have your "Observers" been criminally negligent in allowing Hizbollah to stage attacks against Israel using phony UN Uniforms and vehicles? Why have you allowed Hizbollah to operate with impunity in the zone your observers were suppose to be policing?

Perhaps if you had done your job as your promised Israel when they pulled out of Southern Lebanon, Israel would not have the need to be taking this action now.
13 posted on 07/25/2006 6:58:18 PM PDT by MNJohnnie (Fire Murtha Now! Spread the word. Support Diana Irey. http://www.irey.com/)
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To: Rocko

And a Kommie.


14 posted on 07/25/2006 7:00:20 PM PDT by visualops (visualops.com)
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To: Aussie Dasher
And korrupt.

-PJ

15 posted on 07/25/2006 7:02:40 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too (It's still not safe to vote Democrat.)
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To: Aussie Dasher

It's truly a shame that it took some UN guys getting killed before Kofi got excited about the problem there. He didn't seem to mind when innocent Israeli children were being blown up at birthday parties and bar mitzvahs!


16 posted on 07/25/2006 7:04:20 PM PDT by LoudRepublicangirl (loudrepublicangirl)
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To: MNJohnnie

did I hear 'the outrage' that the Israelis fired upon AMBULANCES!...and then the ambulances turned out to be full of Huzzies with rockets...?


17 posted on 07/25/2006 7:07:27 PM PDT by bitt (NY Times to New York: Drop Dead!)
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To: Aussie Dasher

I would be impressed if they had the chutzpah to bomb the U.N. The U.N. is probably at least harmful to the survival of Israel as Hezbollah.


18 posted on 07/25/2006 7:07:32 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: Aussie Dasher

Nothing that spews forth from this a$$es mouth should shock anyone. You can always tell the a$$ by the loudness and the way it brays!


19 posted on 07/25/2006 7:08:28 PM PDT by NY Attitude (You are responsible for your safety until the arrival of Law Enforcement Officers!)
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To: Aussie Dasher
A couple of points.

1. The fighting has been going on for two weeks with Israel and Hezbollah exchanging fire over the border. Why was a UN border post still occupied?

2. If Israel was going to destroy the post why did they wait for two weeks to do it?

20 posted on 07/25/2006 7:09:13 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (999-TNS)
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