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.''

[NC_Libertarian]

I think it's time we start up air strikes against the UN. Heck I'd prefer we bomb the UN over Afghanistan.

[TLBSHOW]

More fools come out like Robinson.

Tell me why did Bush pay the UN payment with our money?

[surfer]

Too bad we would have called off our airstrikes if Bin Laden had called off his air strikes in the first place...NO MERCY...they must be stopped before 60,000 or 600,000 innocent hard working people are killed here!

[TRY ONE]

Dear Dustin Hoffman:

Mrs. Robinson needs to be serviced (again).

Bring your tooth brush and meet her at the No Tell Motel.

[sidegunner]

[...don't forget your flak hat] I say PLEASE forget your flak hat.

[Nogbad]

Don't bomb Afghanistan, bomb the UN first!

[cahergowan]

You forgot to mention that before becoming President of Ireland she was a member of the socialist Labour Party. She tried to get elected to the Dail (Parliament) several times but never won....

[angkor]

I've forgotten. Did she talk about the Taliban in her World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

[MadIvan]

Dear Mrs. Robinson:

On behalf of the people of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: drop dead.

Regards, Ivan


LET US GO FORWARD TOGETHER

[MadIvan]

I've forgotten. Did she talk about the Taliban in her World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

The answer to your question is no. In UN terms, only white people can be racist.

Regards, Ivan

[mrustow]

Mary Robinson is the poster child for the fraud that is "humanitarianism." An enemy of America, she is calling for the bombing to stop, in order to undermine us. It's that simple. Anyone who is America's enemy, is Robinson's friend.

[DoughtyOne]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, shudup!
The United States is the offended party here.  We'll wage the war.  You sit down and rest yourself honey.

Brace yourself.  Kofi the bountiful will be tagging along shortly...

[Bikers4Bush]

Too late. We can't stop now until we get Bin Laden and as much of Al-quida as possible.

And to be honest I don't really feel sorry about those people starving when there have been reports of them burning our food drops in protest.

You reap what you sow.

[Petronski]

UN's Robinson Calls for Suspension of Air Strikes

US's Petronski Calls for Suspension of U.N.

[mafree]

Maybe someone else has already raised this question, but why didn't Robinson call for something to be done about the problems in Afghanistan before 9/11? Don't tell me their problems only came to light after that time.

Who needs the UN?

[yoe]

http://www.unhchr.ch/

Ms. Robinson did nothing to help the Afghan people that I can find early on. Perhaps she should have tea with OBL and 'discuss' the ways he could have helped re-build his country with schools, hospitals, libraries or universities rather than elect to further destroy it. It is and was his decision.

It seems to me the United Nations is made up of member nations who hold their people in bondage, except for the United States whom they threw out, and a few other countries, England, Germany, etc.

It remains a mystery why Osama's people didn't target the UN building...money?

[goodieD]

I've said it before and will continue to say it til I die..The UN can kiss my rear end!

[StopDemocratsDotCom]

she is another peacenik

[Sabertooth]

"Should we freep the UN? They have email (though I don't know if they read it)."

Can they read?