Das „Greater Middle East Programm“ der USA  + Landkarte des „Greater Middle East“

LIBANON

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1. 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.
   

2. 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)

3. 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:) 

4. 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

5. 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 >>

6. 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;..."

7. 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.

8. Belgian Defense Minister: Israel must pay to clear cluster bombs in Lebanon-By Cnaan Liphshiz - Haaretz - 17 April  2007Belgium'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.

9. 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

1. 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

2. 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) 

3. "OLMERT'S LEAKED TESTIMONY REVEALS REAL GOAL OF SUMMER WAR"  (Jonathan Cook, Electronic Lebanon, 13 March 2007). 

4. Lebanon war had been made months in advance (THE JERUSALEM POST). (8 March 2007) 

5. 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 
   Mosaic Special Report: July 18, 2006 Insight into the Middle East 

6. War of improvisation - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews. (2 March 2007) 

7. UN official discusses latest situation in southern Lebanon with officials in Beirut Report, UN News, 1 March 2007

8. George GALLOWAY: SPEECH TO UK PARLIAMENT  (12. February 2007,  video 10')

9. Top Israeli Commander Resigns Ahead Of Lebanon War Findings - By Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer - - Jerusalem (16 January 2007) 

10. Offering Video, Israel Answers Critics on War - New York Times (5 December 2006)  

11. Israel/ Hizbollah/Lebanon: Avoiding Renewed Conflict -  International Crisis Group (1 November 2006) 

12. Israel admits using phosphorus bombs during war in Lebanon. By Meron Rappaport, Haaretz  (12 October 2006) 

13. 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) 

14. Mysteriöse Todesursachen - Eine Reportage aus dem Libanon. Von Alfred Hackensberger (2. August 2006) 

15. ISRAEL AND HIZBOLLAH COMMITTED MAJOR VIOLATIONS OF HUMANITARIAN AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAW (4.October 2006)

16. 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

1. UNIFIL: United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

2. Lebanon News - Breaking World Lebanon News - The New York Times

3. Lebanese Ministry of Environment

4. Electronic Lebanon offers commentary, analysis, human rights and development information, and voices from on the ground.

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