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Official warning against the killing of civillians...
thankyougrandma
Posts: 1,182
It took a Quebecer to say it, and the world should also be listening to Jacques Chirac, by far the best leader in this crisis, and to the LEBANON PM, who's calling for help...
Arbour warns against the killing of civilians
Top rights official sounds alarm
Fighting could amount to war crime
Jul. 20, 2006. 02:14 AM
OLIVIA WARD
STAFF REPORTER
UNITED NATIONS—The UN's top human rights official issued a strong warning yesterday that killings of innocent civilians in Lebanon and Israel could amount to war crimes.
"International humanitarian law is clear on the supreme obligation to protect civilians during hostilities," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour. "This obligation is also expressed in international criminal law, which defines war crimes and crimes against humanity."
Arbour, who left Canada's Supreme Court to take the United Nations post, is the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal who indicted Yugoslavia's former leader Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes.
The death toll in Lebanon has reached 300, and in Israel 29, since the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah took two Israeli soldiers and killed seven others in a July 12 cross-border raid, and Israel responded with waves of bombings. The differences in casualty figures have sparked criticism of Israel for a "disproportionate" response.
In the first week of an escalating war, some 500,000 Lebanese have fled Israeli bombing of Beirut and southern Lebanon, the Lebanese government says, as Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel cause mounting casualties.
"Indiscriminate shelling of cities constitutes a foreseeable and unacceptable targeting of civilians," Arbour said in Geneva. "Similarly, the bombardment of sites with alleged military significance, but resulting invariably in the killing of innocent civilians, is unjustifiable."
The United States has condemned Hezbollah for indiscriminate killing of civilians but maintains Israel is only targeting "terrorist infrastructure." Israel says stopping the assault on Lebanon would leave Hezbollah's capacity to strike Israeli cities intact.
"Proportionality is not compared to the event, but to the threat, and the threat is bigger and wider than the captured soldiers," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told The New York Times.
But Arbour warned that "international law demands accountability," saying, "the scale of the killings in the region, and their predictability, could engage the personal criminal responsibility of those involved, particularly those in a position of command and control."
Arbour said "a large and steadily increasing number of persons have been forcibly displaced. The most basic human rights of the population are at risk or are being violated, including their rights to life, health and food."
She called unrestricted and secure passage for all humanitarian access, "a matter of priority."
Yesterday, a UNICEF and World Health Organization statement stressed that the "civilian deaths include dozens of children, with many more injured. The psychological impact is serious, as people, including children, have witnessed the death or injury of loved ones and destruction of their homes and communities."
"Unobstructed access for humanitarian assistance is critical to stave off needless death and suffering," the UN agencies said.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton rejected calls for a pause in the hostilities, asking, "How do you get a ceasefire with a terrorist organization?"
UN deputy secretary-general Mark Malloch Brown said, "Innocent civilians are being killed, and that is just not right. These are not people who are party to this conflict, and the Secretary General will go on appealing for an end to this violence.
Arbour warns against the killing of civilians
Top rights official sounds alarm
Fighting could amount to war crime
Jul. 20, 2006. 02:14 AM
OLIVIA WARD
STAFF REPORTER
UNITED NATIONS—The UN's top human rights official issued a strong warning yesterday that killings of innocent civilians in Lebanon and Israel could amount to war crimes.
"International humanitarian law is clear on the supreme obligation to protect civilians during hostilities," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour. "This obligation is also expressed in international criminal law, which defines war crimes and crimes against humanity."
Arbour, who left Canada's Supreme Court to take the United Nations post, is the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal who indicted Yugoslavia's former leader Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes.
The death toll in Lebanon has reached 300, and in Israel 29, since the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah took two Israeli soldiers and killed seven others in a July 12 cross-border raid, and Israel responded with waves of bombings. The differences in casualty figures have sparked criticism of Israel for a "disproportionate" response.
In the first week of an escalating war, some 500,000 Lebanese have fled Israeli bombing of Beirut and southern Lebanon, the Lebanese government says, as Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel cause mounting casualties.
"Indiscriminate shelling of cities constitutes a foreseeable and unacceptable targeting of civilians," Arbour said in Geneva. "Similarly, the bombardment of sites with alleged military significance, but resulting invariably in the killing of innocent civilians, is unjustifiable."
The United States has condemned Hezbollah for indiscriminate killing of civilians but maintains Israel is only targeting "terrorist infrastructure." Israel says stopping the assault on Lebanon would leave Hezbollah's capacity to strike Israeli cities intact.
"Proportionality is not compared to the event, but to the threat, and the threat is bigger and wider than the captured soldiers," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told The New York Times.
But Arbour warned that "international law demands accountability," saying, "the scale of the killings in the region, and their predictability, could engage the personal criminal responsibility of those involved, particularly those in a position of command and control."
Arbour said "a large and steadily increasing number of persons have been forcibly displaced. The most basic human rights of the population are at risk or are being violated, including their rights to life, health and food."
She called unrestricted and secure passage for all humanitarian access, "a matter of priority."
Yesterday, a UNICEF and World Health Organization statement stressed that the "civilian deaths include dozens of children, with many more injured. The psychological impact is serious, as people, including children, have witnessed the death or injury of loved ones and destruction of their homes and communities."
"Unobstructed access for humanitarian assistance is critical to stave off needless death and suffering," the UN agencies said.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton rejected calls for a pause in the hostilities, asking, "How do you get a ceasefire with a terrorist organization?"
UN deputy secretary-general Mark Malloch Brown said, "Innocent civilians are being killed, and that is just not right. These are not people who are party to this conflict, and the Secretary General will go on appealing for an end to this violence.
"L'homme est né libre, et partout il est dans les fers"
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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Comments
you think the whole world know? not sure about that, our own Prime Minister seem to disagree with you...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
well ... he's an ahole ... he has adopted US policy which is - we don't care ...
That's because he's a puppet.
the bad idea or me befallen by it?
hehe, i know we share our disgust, but what i mean is now that the United Nations civil right chief have spoke and said some people could face justice, it might bring some light for some who still say it is justified and measured, including Stephen Harper, after all she was the most important Canadian judge/juror before leaving for the UN...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Obviously but i have no doubt that his opinion is share by many. By now he should be managing the crisis from his office, in his capital, and he should be answering the press questions, cause his minister are being toasted by the simple morning news girl who's usually talking about culture and insignificant event at this time of the day (7h30), she just blasted Laurence Cannon who's just being destroyed everywhere he speaks in the media as of now... (in quebec at least)...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The real question is this: Is there a better way? I think we are in a situation where there are no good options, only bad choices worse choices.
Everyone who can get arrested will be judge if i'm correct, including the Israeli Prime Minister if he don't take action to protect civillians, including Lebanese and Israel civillian. Now spare me your bias twist, i can understand where it comes from since there absolutly nobody who seem to criticize the killing of civillians in the USA medias (well i catch some ABC and CNN news, it was so horrible), the blame goes all to the Hezbollah, too bad you're missing a huge part of what's happening, but in the end yes, Hezbollah will be judge for war crimes against humanity, same as Israel pm, if they're arrested.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
As much as people from both the sides that kill civilians in areas where there are no israeli military targets (see your city) and no lebanesi military targets (not all the civilians killed in lebanon were killed because they had rocket launchers in their houses/quarters)
www.amnesty.org.uk
I think that the priority right now is the stopping of civillians casualties, whatever it means...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Yeah I seen a 10 minute peice discussing the crisis in Hafia...then nothing from Lebanon...I was shocked...CBC showed reports from both sides of the border at least.....
I was only stating that since it seems that all the blame for civilians being killed is being placed on Israel on this board. Part of the reason that the Lebanese civilians in the south are being killed is because of the Hezbollah road blocks that are trapping what the terrorists see as their "cover." I am not saying that is the only reason as I stated in response to one of your posts that this is overkill by the Israeli army.
They can ignore this of course, if it can just bring attention and bring a nation like Canada to ask for the immediate stop of civillians massacre (to join France) and establish some discussion ground, it would be a start. Then if they (both side involved) still don't comply to international rules, then international community should take action, and if the Israel PM want to be able to get out of his country without getting arrested, he better comply to what the rules are. Anyway i guess you're right in the end, it change nothing, but i believe it's clearing up one ambiguity that those civilians death are indeed war crimes and crime against humanity...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
www.amnesty.org.uk
Would you support action to stop civillian casualties even if that meant MORE civillians would die in the long term?
I think the blame goes in proportion with the number of crimes commited, i mean by the number of civillians killed. But in the end, the situation is bad for everyone, which is why i posted this article, to make sure that everyone (including americans who will discredit this) know that war crimes are being commited, so it's by no mean justified or "measured" by Israel AND Hezbollah. But Hezbollah get their share of blame, i'm not worried about anyone being in love with them right now, while i see many who support without reserves, the Israel bombings, so that's why you might see me as biased, believe me i'm not...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Of course no, but i don't know what you're refering to, please explain...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
As long as Hizbollah is allowed to exist within Lebanon, there will never be peace in that region.
So the goal is to kick Hizbollah out of Lebanon. We may disagree here, but I don't think that could ever be done without force. Well, I take that back - I do think it is possible to accomplish that goal without military force, but I think it would take generational turnover, and is too risky a strategy at this point.
Anyhow, if Israel finishes this off once and for all - (kick Hizbollah out) then we will have a chance at peace. So in my view, what Israel is doing - is actually preventing the deaths of innocent Israeli's AND Lebonese by attempting to take out Hizbollah once and for all.
I wish they could do it without civillians getting killed, but that's just not possible.
I agree that Hezbollah must disappear and these cowards targetting civillians zone must be arrested or at least target the millitary, it's not like they don't have any military targets in Israel. I don't know how to stop that, i like what Chirac says, but nobody's listening unless it's the USA President talking.
That being said, Israel must do the same thing, havent you seen how they bombed some plubing digger in the christian neighboorhood? Either they get their shit straight and do it accordingly to international human rights conventions (signed by the USA and Canada btw), or just don't do it and try to find another way, right now it is wrong to kill civillians and they're not just "colateral" damages, they're targetting civillians zone even if they have nothing to do with Hezbollah, they're killing LEBANESE civillians. The part where we disagree might be that you consider Israel killing as co-lateral damages and necessary, while i think it's war crimes, well not that i think, it is war crimes. The problem might be the Israeli intel who seem to be so bad and their military who seem to be so unaccurate, but that's the responsability that they have, by attacking a nation, to make sure that these attacks are accurate and civillians are not targetted. Even if Hezbollah are hiding in civillians zone, it is NOT justify to kill civillians, a life worth the same for everyone and it's never justify to kill civillians, even if it's by mistake, errors, or intentional.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Any word on war crimes in Sudan?
All politics. All of it.
Israel is being ridiculous in bombing Beirut I agree, it's just funny how the UN picks and chooses what to worry about.
Wow, Rwanda situation is still under investigation and it's not as clear of a situation, they know what happened but have no guilty part since there's no cooperation and most of the peoples involved are dead, you clearly should try to get inform on that matter, it's all there, well documented. But in the end Rwanda was a pure fucked up and madness that could have been prevented or stopped, anyway who cares...
Sudan crimes are also under investigation and they have already (Louise Arbour involved) figure out what is happening and how it is still allowed to continue, some people might have to respond if they are ever arrested, the Sudanese govt. have responsability, just as the Israel govt. have, again it's all there and it's nothing new. If they believe they need to investigate Israel and their govt., they will and they'll come up with a report, such a report exist for Sudan and Rwanda... and Milosevic (funny how you forget to mention that part)...
I laugh at you for laughing at the U.N. civil right department. I wasn't expecting any less than discredit by americans, it's obvious, even from the moderate ones... sorry for the generalisation, but it's always this way around here...
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Yeah thats part of the problem...the other part that needs to be included is that Israel has essentially cut all the main roads off to Beruit...so that adds even more difficulty...
they are all puppets now-a-days it seems. I just feel sick to my stomach about the hell in the middle east. From what we (the USA) have done, to what is currently going on. And the sickest thing is I think Bush is loving the fact that this is happening now, it's taking the spot light off of him and his stupid war that he wanted to have on his resume.
Agreed.