July 27, 2006

UN told Israel 10 times that artillery attacks were near its observers But, you know.
posted by Wolof 18 years ago
  • The dead observers were a Finn, an Austrian, a Canadian and a Chinese. But, you know.
  • and from earlier (july 12th) in this abhorrent and tragic episode:
    Selon la police libanaise, les deux soldats ont été capturés en territoire libanais, dans la région de Aïta al-Chaab près de la frontière, alors que la télévision israélienne a indiqué qu'ils avaient été capturés en territoire israélien.
    my translation:
    according to the lebanese police, the two soldiers were captured in lebanese territory, in the region of Aita al-Chaab near the border, whereas israeli television has indicated that they were captured in israeli territory.
  • Ouais, ta traduction est exacte.
  • I expect Congress will now pass a resolution calling on the UN to apologise for getting in the way.
  • Gee thanks, world!
  • Although I am anything but widely travelled, I have been to Beirut. It was lovely, if a bit fucked up from the last lot of fighting, and the people were very friendly and glad to see 'tourists' back and spending. All the TV reporters look like they're broadcasting from near where we stayed. Sometimes you can even see the bats flying around the high-rises in the background when they broadcast in the evening. Very sad to see it getting fucked over again.
  • My sister, a Canadian, was evacuated from Beruit yesterday. She spent 20 hours on the deck of a ferry, along with 450 other people. The listed capacity of the ferry was 150 people. The were taken to Turkey, and are housed in a stadium until flights out, in the next two days. Everyone got a three minute phone call, are worn out, and relieved.
  • Your stories much better than mine. I only had bats, you had a whole Canadian sister thing going on. And a ferry.
  • story's, obv.
  • Just wait 'till all this shit gets even more out-of-control. I have finally gotten word from two of my friends in Lebanon who I wasn't able to get in touch with when this all began. They are both physically well, but seem spiritually devoid...
  • glad to read waxy's sis and milky's friends are okay. very sad for lebanon.
  • Israel has a history of blowing up independent observers. I wonder what they have done that they didn't want the world to see?
  • Good news about the Sis, EarWax! I know we needed some.
  • PM Harper was on the radio this morning, wondering what the heck UN observers were doing in a war zone anyway (partial quote blaming the victims found here) -- parroting the line of the Israeli Consul from the day before. (I love how the new guy stands up for Canada.) Also, pro-Israel rally held in T.O., raising 6 mil in 15 minutes, featuring live satellite hookup with a village near the Lebanese border and interminable blowhard Lewis MacKenzie -- a marked change from the bare-bones affair of the Lebanese rally the other day. As well, the rally took volunteers for civilian duty with the IDF.
  • I hate my country. I hate what we have come to stand for. I hate what we support. I hate the people that run it, Dem or Rep. I want to move far away, but I am poor single and with child. Anyone want to subsidize my move to Venezuela?
  • glamajamma: can we go halfs on that? at last we found an issue the Democrats are worse on than the Republicans.
  • For people with family there, you have my prayers that they get out safely. For Israel: wtf? For the UN: why are there observers? Could we not put those people to better use in a safer way? I guess I just don't understand the UN.
  • Background of the UNIFIL I think the observers have served an important role in the region.
  • I'm staying out of these threads, but wanted to point out to roryk that I'm not inclined to believe either the Israeli or Lebanese television reports - why wouldn't the Lebanese want people to think that the soldiers were in Lebanese territory? And why wouldn't the Israelis want people to think the soldiers were in Israeli territory? If you're going to choose to believe one or the other, feel free, but don't think that "television reports" from one of the biased parties is actual proof.
  • And for "television reports" obviously I meant police statements for the Lebanese but managed to miss an entire sentence while typing. But the point remains that believing any interested party without some sort of proper, physical proof is daft.
  • Hezbollah were using the post as cover. Here is an excerpt from one of the now dead observers "What I can tell you is this, we have on a daily basis had numerous occasions where our position has come under direct or indirect fire from both (Israeli) artillery and aerial bombing. "The closest artillery has landed within 2 meters (sic) of our position and the closest 1000 lb aerial bomb has landed 100 meters (sic) from our patrol base. This has not been deliberate targeting, but rather due to tactical necessity." (My bolding)
  • I do not know if this is true or not, but the source here is very very dodgy.
  • Yeah, WND is not my idea of a great news source either. If you watch news.google.com, it's filtering into the other media outlets. Is this better? If it were true would it put a different complexion on things for you?
  • UN officials said that the monitors made ten phone calls to the Israeli army between 1.20pm on Tuesday — when an Israeli aircraft dropped a bomb 300 metres from the patrol base — and about 7.20pm, when the building was destroyed. They said "Don't hit us, man!" 10 times! Look, in no way do I think this was deliberate. Senior UN officials and foreign diplomats [...] also said that Israeli forces fired on rescue vehicles sent to recover the bodies. Hmmm. (That link is here, btw, just in case it looks like I am doing some jiggery pokery with the square brackets.)
  • Say what you like about the IDF, but those boys sure are a good shot.
  • Only because they had a X to mark the spot.
  • > point out to roryk that I'm not inclined to believe either the Israeli or Lebanese television reports please note that i'm not telling anyone what to believe. the french report is interesting to me because up 'til this week i'd understood and accepted that the attack and kidnapping involved an incursion into israeli territory. the lebanese police position casts doubt on this, so i thought i'd share the story. with all that's happened since, it's perhaps moot where the initiating event occurred.
  • Anyway, once the observers are out of the way the IDF can get on with the serious business of inflicting collective punishment upon a defenseless civilian population. Then again, it's not like massacres like this have no historical precedent. Men of peace indeed...