UN: Israel violating international law

[CptStern]

Israel’s deadly attack on the Lebanese village of Qana could be part of a “pattern of violations of international law” committed during the almost month-long conflict with Hizbollah, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, calling for a more comprehensive investigation into the 30 July bombardment.

“The attack on Qana should be seen in the broader context of what could be, based on preliminary information available to the United Nations, including eyewitness accounts, a pattern of violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, committed during the course of the current hostilities.”

“I have repeatedly condemned all actions that target civilians and I again call on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and, in particular, to take all necessary precautions to spare civilian life and property.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19437&Cr=leban&Cr1=

this thread is specifically about whether israel commited crimes against humanity in the bombardment of Qana which killed 56 civilians (34 of them children) not the war as a whole. Please keep your comments on Qana and the topic at hand

background info on Qana attack

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5228554.stm

 

[Black_Wolf]

isn't Collective Punishment against the Geneva Convention ?

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Well no duh.

This entire situation plays like a greatest hits of the mideast crisis.
Israel does something stupid, angry retaliation ensues and then Israel goes batshit violating international law.

The act is getting stale.

 

[CptStern]

apparantly so:

In a speech to the UN Security Council, Mr Annan also criticised Israel's "excessive use of force" in its week-long campaign in Lebanon and said that the Israeli attacks constituted "collective punishment" - a violation of the Geneva conventions on war crimes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,,1825183,00.html

 

[GiaOmerta]

IDF investigation
On August 2, the IDF concluded its investigation into the attack on Qana. The report was not released to the public but was presented to IDF Chief of Staff Halutz and Defense Minister Peretz. In a statement read out to the press Chief of Staff Halutz's summary of the report was given.[29] The IDF stated that the building was thought to have been empty, and "was struck at 00:25 Sunday by two bombs launched by the IAF. One of the bombs exploded and the other was apparently a dud." The statement accused Hezbollah of using human shields. The statement noted that the IDF "operated according to information that the building was not inhabited by civilians and was being used as a hiding place for terrorists." Had they known that civilians were in the building, the statement continued, "the attack would not have been carried out". The statement also noted that "the building was adjacent to areas from which rockets had been launched towards Israel" and prior to the 30 July attack "several other buildings which were part of the infrastructure for terror activity in the area were targeted."

Might be a bias view and a version of one of the many 'truths' surronding the series of events that unfolded on the 30th of July. Regardless, civilians were apparently casualities to such; 28 dead, 13 missing and various wounded.

I would like to believe Israel acted on intelligence and had the best intentions for her citizens and the non-combanant Lebanese.

It's also arguable that Hezbollah is using the civilian population as human shields.

Alot of factors play in, and the well-being of your own infrastructure outweights your opponents in war. It's sad and hopefully but unlikely both sides agree on peaceful conditions in the near future.

 

[CptStern]

that's why the UN is calling for an independent investigation.


also deliberating targeting civilian infrastructure is a violation of international law

 

[15357]

It's not of any notice if you just say that Israel is violating int. law, and I don't think the UN will invade Israel anytime soon.

 

[Icarusintel]

I see nothing coming out of this except for a condemnation, which means jack shit.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

We need to employ the Gort robots

 

[gh0st]

LOL as though the UN has any clout.

"hey you! you're... doing bad things! you.. you.. you.. SHOULD CUT IT OUT"

israel would take a huge shit all over the UN, and im glad they are because they are killing subhuman animals. even those stupid children were just terrorists in training.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Comments like that are not to be tolerated.

 

[Asknoone]

And a breath of fresh air swept the forum.

 

[Tr0n]

Oh snap!

Finally he was banned.

 

[15357]

The voice of sanity.....

 

[Sulkdodds]

israel would take a huge shit all over the UN, and im glad they are because they are killing subhuman animals. even those stupid children were just terrorists in training.

Oh, shut up.

Wait, you're banned. :upstare:

 

[Varg|Hund]

of course the terrorstate of Israel is violating international law, they have been doing so for the last 58 years..

 

[The Monkey]

It was a war crime.

 

[SAJ]

War crime, without a doubt, collective punishment and ethnic cleansing at the same time.
Disgusting.


Glad to see that ghost revealed himself as the racist neo-nazi I had come to see him as.

 

[CptStern]

gh0st that was low even for you ..meh you got what was coming to you ..and this time it's permanent ...buhbye

 

[^Ben]

Like someone said with the U.S. behind Israel sadly nothing is going to come of these crimes.

 

[Ennui]

P-P-P-P-Pi Mu RHOWNED

 

[Icarusintel]

Like someone said with the U.S. behind Israel sadly nothing is going to come of these crimes.

Nothing will come of it because the UN is weak and has no real power in the world. It's The League of Nations Part II, really.

 

[CptStern]

Nothing will come of it because the UN is weak and has no real power in the world. It's The League of Nations Part II, really.

do you even understand what the UN is? how can it be weak if it's only as strong as it'
s member states? the US undermines the UN at every turn by curring favour and strong arming nations into voting in it's favour ..the UN has been castrated by the US

 

[Icarusintel]

do you even understand what the UN is? how can it be weak if it's only as strong as it'
s member states? the US undermines the UN at every turn by curring favour and strong arming nations into voting in it's favour ..the UN has been castrated by the US

I know what the UN is and how it works. And still i say it's weak. And not just because the US has a major hand in everything it does, but also because the politics involved cripple any action it could possibly take. There are other nations in the UN besides the US, and yet they constantly look to the US to take charge and send in troops in a situation like this. They want us to take control and let our people lose their lives. They want us to use our resources solely. Other countries could easily volunteer a force and get it in place, but all the politics get in the way of action. I'm waiting for the EU to stand together and volunteer a force. They have plenty of troops sitting around not engaged in any wars, why not send them?

I'm glad the US is taking more of a sit-and-wait approach to this problem. We've done a helluva lot in terms of volunteering aid and resources to help out others. We're giving the other countries a chance to stand up and be noticed, and to take some responsibility, but it hasn;t happened yet.

 

[The Monkey]

I know what the UN is and how it works. And still i say it's weak. And not just because the US has a major hand in everything it does, but also because the politics involved cripple any action it could possibly take. There are other nations in the UN besides the US, and yet they constantly look to the US to take charge and send in troops in a situation like this. They want us to take control and let our people lose their lives. They want us to use our resources solely. Other countries could easily volunteer a force and get it in place, but all the politics get in the way of action. I'm waiting for the EU to stand together and volunteer a force. They have plenty of troops sitting around not engaged in any wars, why not send them?

I'm glad the US is taking more of a sit-and-wait approach to this problem. We've done a helluva lot in terms of volunteering aid and resources to help out others. We're giving the other countries a chance to stand up and be noticed, and to take some responsibility, but it hasn;t happened yet.

"The EU" doesn't send troops on peace-keeping missions, the countries do. And most European countries are very keep to keep the peace around the world and as a result send lots of troops.

You're right that the US take charge of more than they should in the US, but that's not because other countries want them to, it's because of their own will and that ****ing veto in the security council.

 

[Ome_Vince]

The UN is weak. Not like the UN troops in Kosovo did anything, or the UN troops in Africa, let alone Unifil who didnt do jack shit. UN troops have so many restrictions that they might aswell wonder around as tourists.
The UN is a joke, perhaps we should start removing those veto's for they dont seem to do any good either.

 

[Nemesis6]

Agreed. The U.N is nothing but a mouthpiece for dictatorships and Islamists these days. In Africa they rape civilians, in Kosovo they did nothing.

About Africa specifically - How the hell do you take the word of an organization that's responsible for people who withhold aid to poor Africans for "sexual favors". Pretty disgusting if you ask me. You know, white people are blamed for destroying/ruining Africa, but I say it's a pretty safe bet that the U.N of all people, rape the people they're supposed to protect. Peacekeepers? More like chastitybreakers.

 

[Absinthe]

Agreed. The U.N is nothing but a mouthpiece for dictatorships and Islamists these days.

Christ.

 

[DreadLord]

P-P-P-P-Pi Mu RHOWNED

QFE

 

[Black_Wolf]

Agreed. The U.N is nothing but a mouthpiece for dictatorships and Islamists these days. In Africa they rape civilians, in Kosovo they did nothing.

About Africa specifically - How the hell do you take the word of an organization that's responsible for people who withhold aid to poor Africans for "sexual favors". Pretty disgusting if you ask me. You know, white people are blamed for destroying/ruining Africa, but I say it's a pretty safe bet that the U.N of all people, rape the people they're supposed to protect. Peacekeepers? More like chastitybreakers.

Dont be stupid.

 

[Nemesis6]

Dont be stupid.

Don't be irrelevant.

 

[Absinthe]

Him accusing you of being stupid for calling the UN an Islamic mouthpiece isn't irrelevant. In fact, it's just what the situation called for.

 

[Nemesis6]

Problem is, it's true, and I have a right to say it whether it is right or not.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Actually, you have no right to free speech on these forums. Just a little heads-up.

 

[Icarusintel]

Actually, you have no right to free speech on these forums. Just a little heads-up.

Sadly that's the case everywhere in this world.

 

[Ome_Vince]

Him accusing you of being stupid for calling the UN an Islamic mouthpiece isn't irrelevant. In fact, it's just what the situation called for.

Uhm, actually thats not what he said:
"mouthpiece for dictatorships and Islamists these days"

Although i dont agree with those words, there's a difference between Islamic and Islamist.

 

[Absinthe]

A slip of tongue on my part, as I had comprehended what he originally meant.

It's ridiculous either way.

 

[Nemesis6]

Ridiculous? Remember the World Conferance Against Racism in Durban, South Africa? That's where the U.N introduced the "Zionism is Racism" resolution.

That's one of the reasons I think Islamists are using the U.N as a tool.

 

[CptStern]

how exactly are they using the UN as a tool? and in what context? In essence you're saying extremist groups are influencing the UN into saying Israel is violating international law ..it's not israel's fault it's those damn islamists making it appear as if they're violating international law...

 

[The Monkey]

EDIT: Never mind