Posted on 07/26/2006 8:03:42 PM PDT by spyone
HOPEWELL CAPE, N.B. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Israel’s deadly attack on a UN observation post in Lebanon, which claimed the life of a Canadian soldier, was a “terrible tragedy” and he doubts whether the bombing was deliberate. Harper, speaking to reporters after a funding announcement in eastern New Brunswick, said the Canadian military would consult with the UN and the Israeli government to find out what happened.
The prime minister also said he wants to know why the post was still manned even though it was in the middle of an obvious war zone.
Three other peacekeepers — from Austria, China and Finland — were killed when a bomb hit their post during a prolonged bombardment in the town Khiyam, near the eastern end
(Excerpt) Read more at thestar.com ...
The prime minister also said he wants to know why the post was still manned even though it was in the middle of an obvious war zone.
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Maybe it was kept manned, 'deliberately'. :)
" why the post was still manned... ?"
Ya think? heh... /s
Good question. I hope he presses the Sex-trade general of the UN Kofi Anus for an answer!!
It's about time someone asked that question
There was no reason Kofi should have kept them there
Wow, the Queen has actual power in Canada? Cool.
What a dream to hear such common sense coming from Canada these days.
?spotting for their friends and neighbors - the hezzies???
Why was the post even on that handy hill looking down on the Israeli border? Weren't they supposed to be watching the hezzies?
I wondered about the placement of that lookout post and why there were UN people still there even before it was taken out
smell fish?
The prime minister also said he wants to know why the post was still manned even though it was in the middle of an obvious war zone.
I posted a similar question this morning.
Report: U.N. observers' calls unheeded ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1672756/posts
Did it ever cross their mind or their commanders that maybe it was time to get out of there?
Oh Canada:
*******Two figures of Canadian leadership came forward today in opposition to Kofi Annan's assertion that Israel deliberately targeted a UNIFIL position, resulting in four deaths, including one Canadian soldier. PM Stephen Harper told reporters that he thought the attack had been a mistake, and retired Major General Lewis MacKenzie told CBC that the Canadian soldier who was killed in the attack complained that Hezbollah exploited their position as a shield:
“I certainly doubt that to be the case given that the government of Israel has been co-operating with us in our evacuation efforts and our attempts to move Canadian citizens out of Lebanon and also trying to keep our own troops that are on the ground involved in the evacuation out of harm's way,” Mr. Harper said.
“I seriously doubt that but we obviously want to get information.”
He said Ottawa now wants to know why the UN post was attacked and why it remained occupied during “what is now more or less a war.”
Meanwhile, Gen. MacKenzie gave a radio interview which gave a little more clarity to the situation on the ground near UNIFIL (via It Shines For All and a number of CQ readers):
"...the tragic loss of a soldier yesterday who I happen to know and I think probably is from my Regiment. We've received e-mails from him a few days ago and he described the fact that he was taking within - in one case -- three meters of his position "for tactical necessity - not being targeted". Now that's veiled speech in the military and what he was telling us was Hizbullah fighters were all over his position and the IDF were (sic) targeting them and that's a favorite trick by people who don't have representation in the UN. They use the UN as shields knowing that they can't be punished for it."
Retired Canadian Major General Lewis MacKenzie interviewed on CBC Toronto radio 26 July 2006
The interview can be heard at this link. Oddly, the CBC itself didn't bother to include that information in its own reporting on the story. Meanwhile, Kofi Annan said he "accepted" the explanation of Ehud Olmert that the attack had been an error and not a deliberate strike at the UN. Given this development, one wonders why he would have jumped to his conclusions so quickly.
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Thanks for that post.
How the UN gets its own killed needlessly.
Most Insightful.
Someone noted that one of the observers was Chinese...
And then reminded that when we bombed the Chinese embassy it was found to have been tracking the efficiency of our tactics and accuracy rates of our guided missles...Intel gathering.
In fact, not only does Kofi Annan want the UNIFIL troops to remain in place, but he has called for the UNIFIL troops to remain for an additional month after their mandate expires: http://www.un.org/radio/story.asp?NewsID=4888 .
My theory is that Kofi Annan is on Hezbollah's side, and he wants the UNIFIL troops to stay in the danger zone in order to act as human shields for Hezbollah. However, I think that there is an even-more sinister explanation.
Conventional wisdom as of July 25, when the above-referenced article was published, had it that within a week or two Israel would have to agree to a ceasefire. If UNIFIL were to leave Lebanon while Israeli troops still were advancing in Lebanon, then Israel might discover stashes of katyushas secreted in UNIFIL bases and other evidence that would expose UNIFIL's perfidious collaboration with the Hezbollah terrorists. On the other hand, if UNIFIL were to stay in place until Israel's movement is eliminated, then these secrets may remain hidden from Israel and the US indefinitely.
As usual, it's not the crime, it's the cover-up. In this case, the cover-up may be responsible for the deaths of the four UN victims.
This is the only justification that I can think of for Kofi Annan's decision to keep the UNIFIL troops in harm's way now and for the next month.
I saw a special on her last year. She's briefed constantly on current events and emergencies. People that were giving opinions thought she was pretty savvy. It said she had no real power but was still listened to and her advice was taken seriously.
Quite a mindblowing theory. This would be the end of the UN if it were proven true. The USA does have a score to settle with Kofi..maybe this is it. Perhaps Stephen Harper knows the real story.
I think I'll post it as a vanity and let the FReepers knock it down.
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