Tuesday, August 08, 2006

How Kofi Annan and the UN do business


No surprises here...just a little something I didn't want to see slip unnoticed into the ozone, since the Main Stream Media appears to not be covering it.

As you know, after the Israeli bombing of the Hezbollah missile launching site at Qana and the subsequent Hezbo-wood production Annan, as always, puffed himself up like a blowfish to condemn the Israeli `aggression' and asked for a report on this possible `war crime'.

Well, the UN completed its report in record time.

The report, published last night by Secretary-General Annan regarding that July 30 strike by Israel on the Hezbollah controlled Lebanese village omits the leeetle fact that initial Lebanese accounts of the incident, which were repeated without question by Kofi Annan at the Security Council, included those highly inflated casualty figures we've all heard about.

Now, in yesterday's report, Annan does quote the most recent Lebanese casualty numbers...but in an interestingly open-ended way. "Thus far," it reads, "28 corpses have been found, including those of 14 children." As for the initial accounts, all Annan says now is that the government reported at the time on "a number of casualties."

Nice one, Kofi.

On the day of the Israeli airstrike, Kofi Annan insisted that the Security Council convene for an emergency session, during which he advised it should "condemn" the Israeli attack...that's the equivalent of a presiding judge telling the jury to condemn the accused before the evidence is in. Quoting the same Lebanese government sources that have proven to be, oh, let's say a bit liberal in talking about casualties (whom of course are always all civilians) he told the council that "at least 54 people have been killed, among them at least 37 children."

In spite of his `direction', the Security Council statement that followed wasn't quite enough of an anti-Israel screed to suit Annan. He said afterwards that he would have liked a "stronger" statement than the one the council eventually issued, which neglected to condemn Israel for the supreme crime of defending themselves against attack.

Some reporter in a press conference about the report today asked why Annan hasn't called for a council meeting or a report on the deaths of 15 Israelis on Saturday, Mr. Annan's spokesman, Farhan Haq, just replied that the Qana report was ordered by the council.

I mean, how could that reporter ask such a silly question? Since when has the UN or Kofi Annan ever been concerned about dead Israelis?

2 comments:

Rosey said...

Since I have not yet done so in August '06, would this be an opportune time for me to suggest again that the UN be bulldozed into te East River and replaced by condos?

The Official Handbook of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy suggests it be replaced with a Starbucks, because the Dips do little more than have coffee and schmooze anyway...

Anonymous said...

where in the he%% have you been?
i have been calling for your support every time ff posts a comment about the un or kofi annus.
and ff has been doing that a lot lately.


my suggestion would be to turn it into high rise apartments for the aristocracy, and we'll put nazar in the penthouse with a 360 balcony. express elevator. the works.