UN's Robinson Calls for Suspension of Air Strikes

Reuters ^ | Friday October 12 7:39 AM ET | Reuters

[mdittmar]

DUBLIN (Reuters) - United Nations (news - web sites) Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson called on Friday for a suspension of air strikes against Afghanistan (news - web sites) in order to provide aid to civilians before the onset of winter.

Speaking on Irish state radio, she said the situation for civilians in Afghanistan was ``desperate.''

``This is the real wish of the humanitarian agencies...the desperate urgency now is to use this window until about the 15th or 16th of November when the winter snows will prevent access and the people will freeze and starve to death because they will have neither food nor shelter,'' she said.

``We must have a pause in order to enable huge humanitarian access and to allow a number of Afghans to come across the borders,'' she said.

The United States carried out a fifth wave of air strikes overnight in an assault against the hardline Taliban for its refusal to surrender Saudi-born Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), the prime suspect in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Robinson, a former president of Ireland, said there was an opportunity to save many lives, but time was of the essence.

``All I can say is there is a desperate situation for hundreds of thousands -- perhaps up to two million -- of the Afghan civilian population who desperately need food,'' she said.

``It is absolutely wrong that 6,000 people were killed in the terrible events of September 11 but equally we must have regard for the population in Afghanistan,'' she added.

Robinson said it was also important that military attacks be confined to targets that did not put civilians at risk.

Asked whether she was happy that this was the case at present, she said: ``It's very hard to tell, we don't have much access.''

[cgbg]

Maybe she should ask the terrorists to stop bombing New York City.

I am sure that was just an oversight. :-(

[Kate22]

It was an act of terrorism. This may be called a 'war' but in the true sense a war is fought against a country. I notice Bush and Blair referring to this increasingly as a 'campaign' for this very reason.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Kofi Anon won the Nobel Appeasement Prize. So fitting he gets the same award Clinton gets. I hope the next conservative offered that tainted award refuses to get something that honors Clinton.

[b4its2late]

What's that you say Mrs. Robinson?

[j_k_l]

"...the desperate urgency now..."

The desperate urgency now is to kill these b@st@rds before they kill you. Wake up! Destroying these people is the only humanitarian cause that is worth the effort. Yes killing terrorist IS a humanitarian act. The difference is it is not just a "feel good" thing to do, it has positive, lasting implications.

[Looking4Truth]

It is absolutely wrong that 6,000 people were killed in the terrible events of September 11 but equally we must have regard for the population in Afghanistan,'' she added.

Too little, too late. Screw the UN.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"...we have U.N backing to defend ourselves..."

LOL. Don't count on it. The UN hates the US. It's a dog that bites the hand that feeds it. We need to kick them out of our house and ship them to Sudan.

[dfrussell]

Ms. Robinson would be well advised to spend more of her time working on solutions to the problems in the north of her own country.

[Lumberjack]

If I understand correctly, the Afghan civilians are burning the food we are dropping to try and help them. They are supposedly a mouse's breath away from famine, yet burn humanintarian aid. Further, they have had every opportunity of rising against these madmen in the Taliban, and have chosen not to do so. Since they are burning our gifts of food, obviously they are not as hungry as we are being led to believe. Even if they are burning it on principle, that implies that they are with the Taliban in spirit. That being the case, they are not without guilt.

Sorry gang, but when WWII started, we didn't immediately start airdropping food and assistance to the "poor Japanese and oppressed Germans" who "had no choice" in regards to the government that led them. We defeated the armies of the enemies and then worried about aiding the civilian populations.

Note to Liberals: The Marshall Plan can only go into effect *AFTER* the war is won, not before. Please make a note of it.

[KeepTheEdge]

Tell the UN to pay their millions of dollars in parking tickets, to demonstrate their obedience to the laws the rest of us obey, before we listen to their, 'Call for suspension'...

Nothing but hypocrites.

[SternTrek]

Wasn't she in Riverdance?

[ScreamingFist]

"Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson called on Friday for a suspension of air strikes against Afghanistan (news - web sites) in order to provide aid to civilians before the onset of winter."

Message to Robinson unit, get a clue. They were starving before the airstrikes began. Only a change in the afgan government will stop the strikes, and the starving of the afgan people.

[mdittmar]

Just sent a very polite email,(NOT!)with the Flag and Eagle background.

Freep this MS.!

[Brookhaven]

Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson

There's the problem. She doesn't know the difference between "humand rights" and "feeling sorry for soemone".

I feel sorry for the people of Afganistan, but there is no right to be fed, no right to be comfortable, no right to have a war suspended so your needs can be taken care of.

I also feel sorry for the victims of terrorist. By stopping the war now, we will allow the terrorist to reorganize and potentialy create more terrorist victims.

[Nuke'm Glowing]

The UN. Who cares. I wish they'd leave our shores.

[Ratatoskr]

Stupid cow. Airstrikes are necessary to make it safe to drive into Afghanistan for the substantial aid needed in the cities. Airstrikes are especially necessary to make it safe to fly aid into remoter people in the mountains.

Has she not heard that UN workers are being beaten to a pulp in Afghanistan? That some aid workers are in prison? Does she think if we paused bombing, she could waltz in unmolested and hand out rice?

[Fixit]

So, Mary Robinson objects.

Tell me, how many divisions does she command?

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

Mrs Robinson - This is Jim's sister, no? I knew this site was controlled by the UN.