United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls for immediate ceasefire

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Jul 20 2006

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0600uk/tm_objectid=17420577%26method=full%26siteid=50082%26headline=annan%2dcalls%2dfor%2dimmediate%2dceasefire-name_page.html

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for an immediate halt to the escalating conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia.

But he said "there are serious obstacles to reaching a ceasefire or even to diminishing the violence quickly."

Annan said Hezbollah's actions in launching rockets into Israel and abducting Israeli soldiers "hold an entire nation hostage" and set back prospects for Middle East peace.

"While Hezbollah's actions are deplorable, and Israel has a right to defend itself, the excessive use of force is to be condemned," he said. Israel must make "a far greater and more credible effort ... to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure," he said.

In a report to the UN Security Council based on the visit of a three-member UN team to the region and his own contacts, Annan said: "Almost every day brings a new escalation in fighting and the number of people affected by the conflict could likely double from the current estimate of about 500,000 to 1 million."

[Deja Q]

1. Only now?!!

It's been about a week now since the toddlers ran out of milk and decided to pick on each other again out of abject boredom...

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2. Bolton called Annan's assessment "wrong."

US Bolton: Israel Force Vs Hezbollah Not Excessive -

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Countering an assessment by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Thursday that Israel isn't going too far in its military efforts against Lebanon's Hezbollah militia.

"I don't think that the use of force by Israel is excessive," Bolton said in an interview on MSNBC.

Earlier Thursday, Annan called for an immediate halt to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, and he condemned what he called Israel's "excessive use of force" and collective punishment of the Lebanese people.

Bolton called Annan's assessment "wrong."

He said it is "important to understand that the Israeli operation is not conducted against the government of Lebanon or the people of Lebanon." Rather, Hezbollah is the target, he said.

"What we want to see is the sustained cessation of hostilities as part of new foundation for peace in the region - and that means supporting the fragile democracy in Lebanon," he said.

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/cgi/NGoto/152063641?

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3. The UN tried

to formally condemn Israel last week, but the US vetoed it. To make matters worse on Tuesday(?) the US basically said Israel had 7 days to destroy as much of Lebanon as they could and then maybe seek cease-fire.

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4. Lebanon welcomes Annan's address; Israel is "disturbed

Speaking to reporters after the UN Security Council (UNSC) special session on Lebanon, Lebanese Special Envoy Nohad Mahmoud said "We listened today to the voice of reason" and Annan's address was, preliminarily, positively received, noting that some of Annan's comments have to be explained later.

On his part, Israel's Permanent Representative Dan Gillerman was disturbed by Annan's address because it did not include a number of issues. He said "I am more disturbed by what was not said rather than what has been said," adding that "terror is the root cause of what is happening in Lebanon, terror is taking that country hostage and made it a victim and made its own people the victim of terror. Without addressing terror, the whole issue could not be addressed." "The two words that represent the core of the issue and has not been addressed are Syria and Iran," he noted.

He added "Anyone who asked for the ceasefire must mention the core of the cause and without addressing terror, there will be no cessation of hostilities.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=888730