Justus For All

The New York Sun

An apparent discrepancy in the portrayal of events surrounding the deaths of four unarmed U.N. observers in Lebanon threatens to unravel Secretary-General Annan’s initial accusation that Israel “deliberately” targeted the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.A Canadian U.N. observer, one of four killed at a UNIFIL position near the southern Lebanese town of Khiyam on Tuesday, sent an e-mail to his former commander, a Canadian retired major-general, Lewis MacKenzie, in which he wrote that Hezbollah fighters were “all over” the U.N. position, Mr. MacKenzie said. Hezbollah troops, not the United Nations, were Israel’s target, the deceased observer wrote.

I am of course unsurprised by this development.  It seemed unlikely to me that Annan could have obtained credible information to warrant the claim that he made.  Even with pretty credible information, it was a very serious accusation he made and he should have checked and double checked before engaging in hasty action.

It is hard to do anything other than write this up to an anti-Israel bias.  This is especially true when one considers that the U.N. forces in question were there for the express purpose of ensuring that Hezbollah disarmed.  We can see how well they accomplished their goal by the rockets that have been raining down on Israel.

Kofi Annan has been disasterous for the U.N. not only has he failed to do anything positive to increase that body’s credibility or make it a more legitimate force of international politics, he has consistantly chosen courses that have eroded the legitimacy and moral authority of the U.N.  For this of course he has won a Nobel Peace prize.

Oh, and John Bolton is the ‘bully’ rather than Annan.  Strange way of looking at it I think.