| LIBANON
![](http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/factbook/maps/le-150.jpg) For
a larger Map click - Israeli military won't press charges against officers who used cluster bombs in Lebanon - 25.12. 2007 - by
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News
After a year-long
investigation, the Israeli military
announced Monday that it will not press charges against any soldiers or
officers for the widespread use of cluster bombs during the Israeli
invasion of Lebanon in the summer of 2006. Cluster bombs are considered an 'illegal
weapon' under
international law, as they inevitably harm civilians. The bombs are
actually
made up of hundreds of 'bomblets', which break apart on impact,
spreading
bomblets which explode over an area of several kilometers. Despite the
fact
that the weapon is banned, the Israeli military has called the use of
these
bombs a "concrete military necessity" in the invasion of Lebanon. Lebanese
officials and international human rights groups and heads of state have
accused Israel of engaging in war crimes during the state's invasion of
Lebanon, including the use of banned weapons such as cluster bombs.
Over 1200 Lebanese people
were killed during the month-long Israeli invasion, less than 200 of
whom were
actually engaged in fighting. That means that approximately 85% of the
Lebanese
casualties were civilians. In contrast, 159 Israelis were killed by
Lebanese
fighters during the invasion, 40 of whom were civilians. That means
that
approximately 25% of the Israelis killed were civilians. During
the war, the Israeli military used so much force against the Lebanese
people
that the well-equipped Israeli military began to run out of weaponry,
and
appealed to its ally, the USA, for more. The US government quickly
shipped over
thousands more cluster bombs, which were immediately used by the
Israeli
military in Lebanon. The US State Department later came out with a
statement
that the cluster bombs sent by the US to Israel were likely misused to
target
civilians.
The
Lebanese government and the United Nations have estimated that a
million
unexploded 'bomblets' from cluster bombs remain on the ground in
Lebanon.
The
Israeli attack on the UN peacekeeping outpost at Khiyam - 10 July 2007:
Via the The Angry
Arab News Service,
Timor Göksel is interviewed
by Linda Butler on his experiences as a peacekeeper in south Lebanon,
and his theory for the Israeli attack on the UN peacekeeping
outpost at
Khiyam, an attack which resulted in the death of four UN
peacekeepers.Read the whole interview: “MR. UNIFIL” REFLECTS ON A QUARTER CENTURY
OF PEACEKEEPING IN SOUTH LEBANON AN INTERVIEW WITH TIMUR G¨OKSEL. Published in: Journal of
Palestine
Studies Vol. XXXVI, No. 3 (Spring 2007), pp. 50–77 ISSN: 0377-919X;
electronic ISSN: 1533-8614. 2007 by the Institute for
Palestine Studies. (Abstract) Israeli Prof. Gerald Steinberg,
Arab
Affairs Expert said in an Interview on 20 July 2006 to IBA
in Jerusalem that
everything is proceeding according to schedule. "This was mapped
out and very carefully thought out. It has been two or
three years
already as a three week campaign. In fact most
military expert people
who have been involved with the planning had expected
a lot more
missile firing, long range missiles perhaps to Tel
Aviv a lot more
damage. .. The critical is this week..." LISTEN
AND WATCH THE WHOLE INTERVIEW: after 4 minutes of the
first Mosaic News Report at: http://ia301111.us.archive.org/2/items/Mosaic20060720/Mosaic20060720_64kb.mov http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article14109.htm
(Uncensored News Reports From Across The Middle East:) ![](http://www.uni-graz.at/yvonne.schmidt/New05.gif) UNIFIL: United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon - Mandate according
to Security Council
resolutions
425
(1978) and 426
(1978) of 19 March 1978, and according
to Security Council
resolution
1701
(2006) of 11 August 2006,
UNIFIL, in
addition to carrying out its mandate under resolutions 425 and
426 +
UNIFIL MAP The Hariri tribunal: A fait accompli?
By Nisrine Abiad & Victor Kattan, Electronic Lebanon, 11/06/2007 "On
30 May 2007, the UN Security Council narrowly passed a resolution by a
10-0 majority to establish an ad hoc international criminal tribunal to
investigate and try the suspects of the February 2005 assassination of
former Lebanese premier and businessman Rafiq Hariri. China, Russia, Indonesia, Qatar
and South Africa abstained from the vote, arguing that given the deep
rift in Lebanese society, the tribunal could have negative consequences.
They particularly objected to the reference to Chapter VII of the UN
Charter, which gives the Council the power to enforce its decisions. We
can only welcome the advent of a new era in the Middle East, in which
the perpetrators of international crimes can be held to account for
their actions. The establishment of the tribunal is a victory for
justice and accountability. It aims at narrowing the impunity gap
through international means when the domestic accountability mechanism,
namely the judicial system of Lebanon, is incapable of undertaking this
task.The decision of the
Security Council, despite its shortcomings, constitutes at least a
sanction of sufficient credibility which could influence, if not deter,
the calculations of criminals who are unfortunately prevalent in
Lebanon. It is, however, somewhat paradoxical that the
very tribunal which is being established to punish violent behaviour
and to promote the rule of law may actually risk generating further
instability in Lebanon, at least in the short term. The establishment
of the tribunal for Lebanon as conceived in resolution
1757 also suffers from many legal and political
imperfections..." READ MORE
>> Security
Council Resolution 1757 (2007). Adopted by the Security
Council at its 5685th meeting, on. 30 May 2007. "The
Security Council,. Recalling all its previous relevant resolutions, in
particular resolutions 1595 (2005) of 7 April 2005, 1636 (2005) of 31
October 2005, 1644 (2005) of 15 December 2005, 1664 (2006) of 29 March
2006 and 1748 (2007) of 27 March 2007,...1. Decides, acting under Chapter VII of the
Charter of the United Nations,...3. Requests the
Secretary-General, in coordination, when appropriate, with the
Government of Lebanon, to undertake the steps and measures necessary to establish the Special Tribunal
in a timely manner and to report to the Council within 90 days and
thereafter periodically on the implementation of this resolution;..." - Top Israeli army official tells schoolchildren he knew Lebanon war would not free abducted troops - April 25, 2007 - by Polly Bangoriad - International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC Editorial Group
Israeli media sources reported
on Wednesday that The
GOC Northern Command Major General Gadi Eisenkott admitted that Israel
embarked on the Second Lebanon War last year knowing that the conflict
would not
return the two Israeli soldiers whose kidnap by Hezbollah sparked the
hostilities. Speaking
at a school near Tel Aviv, the General commented that "After a couple
of
hours it became clear that we would not get the kidnapped soldiers back
through
military means." He said that the Israeli armed forces had planned on a
4-6 day conflict, but that the situation had changed and the war
actually
lasted for more than a month. He
stated that the primary objective of the war was to attack Hezbollah,
launch a
massive strike on Hezbollah targets, and return the territory in which
the
group was operating to Lebanese sovereignty. Eisenkott
also said that on July 12, there were several 'successful operations'
in the
Gaza Strip, including an assault on Hamas' military infrastructure.
This is the
same day that Israeli army reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser
were
seized by Hezbollah, during a patrol on the Israeli side of the border
with
Lebanon. After
talking for just 10 minutes, Eisenkott's lecture was stopped by members
of his
staff and representatives of the Israeli army Spokesman's office, and
members
of the media were told to leave. It appears that his comments had not
been
approved by Israeli army Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi. Belgian Defense Minister: Israel must pay to
clear cluster bombs in Lebanon-By Cnaan Liphshiz - Haaretz -
17 April 2007 Belgium's
Defense Minister said last week that he would act to extract payment
from Israel for the removal of cluster bomb fragments that the Israel
Defense Forces fired into Lebanese territory during the Second Lebanon
War. During a meeting with representatives of Medical Aid for the Third
World (MATW), an international medical organization, Defense Minister
Andre Flahaut said the weapon was "the resort of cowards and a
violation of international law." The organization's coordinator, Dr.
Bert De Belder, told Haaretz that Flahaut was receptive to the idea
that Israel should be regarded as a polluter, and be made to pay for
the removal of the pollution so far estimated at $13 million. According
to De Belder, Flahaut said he will recommend to Prime Minister
Verhofstadt to adopt the principle. Flahaut, scheduled to visit Lebanon
this week, informed De Belder that he intended to advise the Lebanese
government to support making Israel financially accountable. De Belder
and the other members of the MATW delegation presented Flahaut with a
petition signed by 3,415 Belgian supporters, including 13 MPs from
various political factions. The MATW did not address the issue of how
the funds would be collected from Israel. "We left that up to the
Belgian government, as the removal is performed at its expense by the
Belgian contingent to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon," De
Belder said. He acknowledged that his organization dealt mainly with
humanitarian aid and not with international law, adding that it was
also "dedicated to international justice." He also said: "Our petition
was reviewed by attorney Selma Ben Khelifa, who specializes in human
rights". De Belder added he had not seen "a shred of evidence" that
Hezbollah also fired cluster bombs into Israel. Human Rights Watch
announced last October that it found 113 such instances. Oil
Spill Crisis -
Lebanese Ministry of Environment
- Situation
of Lebanese Coast after the Oil Spill Crisis caused by the July 2006 war
- UN
Resolution 61-194 Oil Slick on Lebanese Shores
- Map
Showing All Sites Surveyed - May 2007
- Map
Showing Location of Phase II Sites – May 2007
- Phase I Cleanup
Reports
- Oil Spill Update February 2007
- Four
Minutes Video of Lebanon’s Oil Spill Crisis - The
Lebanese Ministry of Environment and the World Conservation Union
(IUCN) present, with the support of the Directorate General for
Development Cooperation (DGCS) of the Italian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs the 4 minute DVD on the oil spill. (Low resolution
- High resolution)
- Environment
- The Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS)
- UNEP Report
Highlights Environmental Legacy of the Lebanon Conflict: Demolition
Waste, Damaged Water Infrastructure and Mined Agricultural Land
Legacies of the Lebanon Conflict - UNEP News Release, 23/1/07: For the complete report (pdf) click on this URL:
http://www.unep.org/pdf/Lebanon_PCOB_Report.pdf (16,9 MB !)
- UN Lebanon Post
Conflict Assessment Begins - United Nations Environment Programme (Press
Releases October 2006)
- The Crisis in Lebanon - "Achim Steiner UNEP Executive
Director, said: "There is an urgent need to assess the environmental
legacy of the recent conflict and put in place a comprehensive clean-up
of polluted and health-hazardous sites. Work
is on-going to deal with the oil spill on the Lebanese coast.
We must now look at the wider impacts as they relate to issues such as
underground and surface water supplies, coastal contamination and the
health and fertility of the land." The UNEP-led team and national
experts will be visiting and sampling sites thought to present
potential risks to human health, wildlife and the wider environment.
These include the Jiyyeh thermal power plant 28km south of Beirut which
discharged an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 tonnes of fuel oil into the
Mediterranean after being hit in mid July; Beirut International
Airport, where fuel tanks were set alight as a result of repeated
bombing; and the Maliban glass factory in the Bekaa Valley destroyed by
an air raid on 19 July."
More>>
- International
Charter "Space and Major Disasters" - Oil spill off the coast of Lebanon - "An
estimated 30,000 tonnes of oil leaked into the Mediterranean from the
Jiyeh power plant, 20 kilometers south of Beirut. The power plant was
hit by Israeli air strikes on 13 and 15 July 2006. By 29 July the
leaking oil had polluted a coastal zone some 130 kilometers long, north
and south of the Lebanese capital.
Images and/or
Image Products
Delivered under the Charter..." MORE>>
- Ölpest im Libanon:
Aktionsplan beschlossen - Greenpeace + Lebanon Oil Spill
Map von: Greenpeace
Redaktion - Piräus/Beirut, Artikel
veröffentlicht am: 18.08.2006
- Umweltkatastrophe durch Krieg - Vor Libanon liegt
nach Bombardierungen ein riesiger Ölteppich
- von Helge Holler -
Greenpeace Hamburg, Artikel
veröffentlicht am: 28.07.2006
- Israel/Hizbullah war casualties await justice
- AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE: AI Index: MDE 02/001/2007
(Public) News Service No: 131 - 12
July 2007:
A
year on from the 34-day war between Hizbullah
and Israel, its many casualties are still awaiting justice. Since last
summer, there have been no steps to prosecute the perpetrators of war
crimes and other grave human rights violations during the
conflict. Watch the following videos by Amnesty International:
http://www.amnesty.org/resources/lebanon/lebanon_player.html
http://www.amnesty.org/resources/israel_ot/israel_player.html
Jerusalem
- Ein Jahr nach dem Krieg
zwischen Israel und der Hisbollah im Libanon haben
Menschenrechtsgruppen beiden Ländern eine mangelnde Aufarbeitung
des Konflikts vorgeworfen. Die libanesische
Zivilbevölkerung sei
weiterhin durch die Überreste tausender von Israel abgeworfener
Bomben gefährdet, erklärten Amnesty
International und Human
Rights Watch am Donnerstag. Auch rügten die Organisationen den
Abschuss von mindestens 4000 Raketen durch die Hisbollah auf
israelische Städte während der fünfwöchigen Gefechte. Sie
forderten ein Waffenembargo gegen Israel und die
radikalislamische Gruppe solange eine Aufklärung der
Kriegsverbrechen auf beiden Seiten nicht sichergestellt
sei. Human Rights Watch zufolge konzentrierten sich
israelische
Untersuchungen nach dem Krieg bisher nur auf die von der eigenen
Armee begangenen Fehler. Die libanesischen Behörden seien durch
ihre starke politische Spaltung gelähmt und zeigten kaum Willen,
die Kriegsverbrechen aufzuklären. Amnesty forderte Israel auf,
Landkarten bereitzustellen, die die Ziele der eigenen
Bombardements dokumentierten. Die Hisbollah müsse ihrerseits
Informationen über die am 12 Juli 2006 verschleppten
israelischen Soldaten herausgeben, verlangte die Organisation.
(Reuters) ![](http://www.uni-graz.at/yvonne.schmidt/New05.gif) "OLMERT'S LEAKED TESTIMONY REVEALS REAL GOAL
OF SUMMER WAR" (Jonathan
Cook, Electronic Lebanon, 13 March 2007). Lebanon war had been made months in advance (THE JERUSALEM POST). (8 March 2007) Mosaic
Special Report: July 26,
2006 Insight into the Middle East
III Mosaic
Special Report: July 21,
2006 Insight into the Middle East
II Mosaic
Special Report: July 20,
2006 Insight into the Middle
East News report by Link TV:July 20,
2006 Insight into the Middle
East ![](http://www.uni-graz.at/yvonne.schmidt/New05.gif) Mosaic Special Report: July 18,
2006 Insight into the Middle
East War of improvisation - Israel
Opinion, Ynetnews.
(2 March 2007) UN official discusses latest situation in
southern Lebanon with officials in Beirut Report,
UN News, 1 March 2007 George
GALLOWAY: SPEECH
TO UK PARLIAMENT (12.
February 2007,
video 10') Top Israeli Commander Resigns Ahead Of
Lebanon War Findings - By Matthew Borghese - All Headline
News Staff Writer - - Jerusalem (16 January 2007) ![](http://www.uni-graz.at/yvonne.schmidt/New05.gif) Offering Video, Israel Answers Critics on War - New
York Times (5
December 2006) Israel/
Hizbollah/Lebanon: Avoiding Renewed Conflict -
International Crisis Group (1 November 2006) Israel admits using
phosphorus bombs during war in Lebanon. By Meron
Rappaport,
Haaretz (12 October 2006) ![](http://www.uni-graz.at/yvonne.schmidt/New05.gif) Prof. Michael Ignatieff : "...what
happened in Qana was a war crime, and I should have said that..."
Ignatieff loses Toronto co-chair over remark -
CTV.ca News Staff (11 October 2006) ![](http://www.uni-graz.at/yvonne.schmidt/New05.gif) Mysteriöse Todesursachen
- Eine Reportage aus dem Libanon. Von Alfred Hackensberger
(2. August 2006) ![](http://www.uni-graz.at/yvonne.schmidt/New05.gif) ISRAEL AND HIZBOLLAH COMMITTED MAJOR
VIOLATIONS OF HUMANITARIAN AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAW
(4.October 2006) Juristenorganisation
IALANA zum Krieg Israels gegen Libanon: Zurück zur Vernunft! - Presseerklärung vom 20.07.2006 "Der
Angriff der Israelischen Armee auf Libanon ist völkerrechtswidrig. Dazu
darf - auch vor dem Hintergrund der Verbrechen des Holocaust und der
leidvollen Geschichte Israels - niemand schweigen, heißt es in einer
öffentlichen Stellungnahme der Deutschen Sektion der
Juristenorganisation IALANA (Präsident der internationalen Vereinigung
ist der frühere Vizepräsident des Internationalen Gerichtshofs in Den
Haag Judge Christopher Weeramantry. PDF Version des Textes
ist
hier
abrufbar !
LINKS
UNIFIL: United Nations Interim Force
in Lebanon -
Lebanon
News - Breaking World Lebanon News -
The New York Times Lebanese
Ministry of Environment Electronic
Lebanon
offers commentary, analysis, human rights and
development information, and voices from on the ground.
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