Jim Kouri
Kofi Annan again blasts Israel
By Jim Kouri
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan Saturday blasted Israel for what he characterized as a violation of ceasefire in Lebanon saying that he's "deeply concerned on the issue."
In a press statement released at the UN Headquarters in New York, Annan said: "All such violations of Security Council resolution 1701 endanger the peace in the region that was reached after much talk and time."
He also called all parties to strictly follow the ceasefire agreement and avoid any type of military action. However, US military analysts believe it is the UN that is failing to follow the ceasefire agreement by it's failure to call for Hezbollah to disarm.
The United Nations Security Council's Resolution 1701, which took effect on August 14, demanded the ceasefire between Hezbollah guerrilla and Israeli troops. It also authorized the increase in existing forces of 2,000 UN observers to 15,000 peacekeeping troops.
But the Israeli government is concerned over the failure of the United Nations to continue a push to disarm Hezbollah, something that was supposed to happen following a similar UN resolution passed in 2000.
Behind the scenes there are also concerns over the French role in peacekeeping at the Lebanon-Israel border. Many observers believe the French are anti-Semitic and will favor the radical Muslims including the terrorists groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
Israel made no secret of the fact that it sent a commando unit deep into Lebanese territory to disrupt Syrian and Iranian efforts to resupply Hezbollah. One Israel Defense Forces officer was killed in the operation and another two were wounded.
The Israeli military reportedly were airlifted by helicopter to a position just outside the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek early Saturday morning. The soldiers initially identified themselves as the Lebanese Army after being intercepted by suspicious guerrilla gunmen. At least three Hezbollah fighters were killed in an intense battle.
The terrorist group later claimed it had foiled the IDF operation, but Israel said its troops had successfully completed their mission before being flown out of the area nearly an hour after arriving.
Israeli spokesman Mark Regev later told AP that the covert attack was initiated in response to a violation of the ceasefire that Jerusalem approved the operation.
"The UN Security Council resolution on Lebanon is very explicit: It says that Hezbollah cannot use the ceasefire to rearm, to receive more missiles and more rockets from Syria and Iran. That was happening, and Israel acted to prevent that from happening," Regev explained.
Regev warned that more IDF raids would be forthcoming if the smuggling of arms into Lebanon was not halted either by the Lebanese or the deployment of a promised 15,000-strong multi-national force.
Sources in the Prime Minister's Office told Ynet that "the operation was necessary" to deter Hezbollah from replenishing its stockpile of Iranian-made medium and long-range missiles, most of which were either used or destroyed by the Israelis over the past month.
Meanwhile, France has deployed about 200 troops to the war-ravaged region. This deployment of troops had been waiting off the coast to enter the country. Israel eventually gave them permission to land and begin their mission in Lebanon.
More troops are expected to arrive in Lebanon as part of the newly reinvigorated UN mission in the south in the coming days. The UN will act as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel is demanding that either the Lebanese army or the UN peacekeepers disarm Hezbollah, but so far no one appears know how this will be accomplished without armed conflict between Hezbollah and the UN-Lebanese troops.
UN Resolution 1559, which was passed when Israel withdrew their troops from southern Lebanon in 2000, called for the disarming of Hezbollah, which was never even attempted. The Israelis fear that Resolution 1701 will meet the same fate. Some say it is the Israeli government who should be blasting Kofi Annan and his UN cohorts rather than Annan criticizing the Jewish state.
© Jim Kouri
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan Saturday blasted Israel for what he characterized as a violation of ceasefire in Lebanon saying that he's "deeply concerned on the issue."
In a press statement released at the UN Headquarters in New York, Annan said: "All such violations of Security Council resolution 1701 endanger the peace in the region that was reached after much talk and time."
He also called all parties to strictly follow the ceasefire agreement and avoid any type of military action. However, US military analysts believe it is the UN that is failing to follow the ceasefire agreement by it's failure to call for Hezbollah to disarm.
The United Nations Security Council's Resolution 1701, which took effect on August 14, demanded the ceasefire between Hezbollah guerrilla and Israeli troops. It also authorized the increase in existing forces of 2,000 UN observers to 15,000 peacekeeping troops.
But the Israeli government is concerned over the failure of the United Nations to continue a push to disarm Hezbollah, something that was supposed to happen following a similar UN resolution passed in 2000.
Behind the scenes there are also concerns over the French role in peacekeeping at the Lebanon-Israel border. Many observers believe the French are anti-Semitic and will favor the radical Muslims including the terrorists groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
Israel made no secret of the fact that it sent a commando unit deep into Lebanese territory to disrupt Syrian and Iranian efforts to resupply Hezbollah. One Israel Defense Forces officer was killed in the operation and another two were wounded.
The Israeli military reportedly were airlifted by helicopter to a position just outside the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek early Saturday morning. The soldiers initially identified themselves as the Lebanese Army after being intercepted by suspicious guerrilla gunmen. At least three Hezbollah fighters were killed in an intense battle.
The terrorist group later claimed it had foiled the IDF operation, but Israel said its troops had successfully completed their mission before being flown out of the area nearly an hour after arriving.
Israeli spokesman Mark Regev later told AP that the covert attack was initiated in response to a violation of the ceasefire that Jerusalem approved the operation.
"The UN Security Council resolution on Lebanon is very explicit: It says that Hezbollah cannot use the ceasefire to rearm, to receive more missiles and more rockets from Syria and Iran. That was happening, and Israel acted to prevent that from happening," Regev explained.
Regev warned that more IDF raids would be forthcoming if the smuggling of arms into Lebanon was not halted either by the Lebanese or the deployment of a promised 15,000-strong multi-national force.
Sources in the Prime Minister's Office told Ynet that "the operation was necessary" to deter Hezbollah from replenishing its stockpile of Iranian-made medium and long-range missiles, most of which were either used or destroyed by the Israelis over the past month.
Meanwhile, France has deployed about 200 troops to the war-ravaged region. This deployment of troops had been waiting off the coast to enter the country. Israel eventually gave them permission to land and begin their mission in Lebanon.
More troops are expected to arrive in Lebanon as part of the newly reinvigorated UN mission in the south in the coming days. The UN will act as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel is demanding that either the Lebanese army or the UN peacekeepers disarm Hezbollah, but so far no one appears know how this will be accomplished without armed conflict between Hezbollah and the UN-Lebanese troops.
UN Resolution 1559, which was passed when Israel withdrew their troops from southern Lebanon in 2000, called for the disarming of Hezbollah, which was never even attempted. The Israelis fear that Resolution 1701 will meet the same fate. Some say it is the Israeli government who should be blasting Kofi Annan and his UN cohorts rather than Annan criticizing the Jewish state.
© Jim Kouri
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