Israel accuses UN of collaborating with Hezbollah (Nov. 05 article)

[oberliner]

This article is from this past November. Make of it what you will.

Israel accuses UN of collaborating with Hezbollah
By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent

Israel is lobbying to have the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission in southern Lebanon reduced in size, saying that the organization collaborates with Hezbollah.

"The UN is in fact collaborating with a terrorist organization," says a political source in Jerusalem. "This is an intolerable situation, when the UN speaks at the same time of fighting terror."

In diplomatic meetings with the U.S. and France in the past weeks, a series of complaints about UNIFIL were brought up: The UN force maintains a permanent dialogue with Hezbollah, chiefly because of UNIFIL's own interest in survival; in many places along the Israel-Lebanon border, Hezbollah has posts and positions adjacent to UNIFIL positions; deployment of the force serves as an excuse for the Lebanese government not to deploy in the south, as required by UN Security Council resolutions; and UNIFIL treats the IDF as equivalent to the Hezbollah terrorist organization when reporting violations of the cease-fire.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=623427

[ixion]

1. more delusional babble from the psychotic folks in the Israeli government

IMO.

[CuteNFuzzy]

7. making excuses for murdering them now

is what this amounts to

[Bluebear]

10. .

[shain from kane]

2. "reduced in size" --Mission Accomplished n/t

[blonndee]

3. "and UNIFIL treats the IDF as equivalent to the Hezbollah terrorist

organization when reporting violations of the cease-fire."

Wouldn't a violation be a violation no matter who did it? Should one side be exempt from being held accountable to the cease-fire? What's the problem with that?

[Igel]

4. The ceasefire is not between

Hezbollah and Israel.

UNIFIL's mandate includes helping to disarm Hezbollah, not merely reporting when they use the arms in cross-border fire. Strictly speaking, every instance that Hezbollah's seen having arms is a violation that should be documented.

People confuse Hezbollah with the state of Lebanon.

[blonndee]

6. I didn't think it was.

I certainly know the difference between Hezbollah and Lebanon. I just don't see why Israel would be upset about their own violations being reported.

[Igel]

9. Because shooting at Hezbollah

probably isn't really a technical violation of the ceasefire between the Lebanese and Israeli government. Hezbollah isn't party to the ceasefire monitored by UNIFIL, I don't think.

UNIFIL is treating Hezbollah as though it were the Lebanese military, instead of a militia that it is to be helping to disarm.

[Igel]

5. It says little that a close reading of

current news reports wouldn't get you.

Including the line, "in many places along the Israel-Lebanon border, Hezbollah has posts and positions adjacent to UNIFIL positions." And yet people can't figure out why UNIFIL positions have come under at least a half-dozen attacks by IDF.

[oberliner]

8. good point nt