UN Sec. Council can't agree on condemnation of Israel for Yassassination
Israel accused the United Nations on Tuesday of hypocrisy for convening a debate over the assassination of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and not condemning Palestinian suicide bombings of its civilians.
The 15-member Security Council held a debate on Monday's killing of Yassin by Israel after Arab ambassadors and the United States failed to agree on a statement criticizing Israel.
"Not one resolution, not one presidential statement has been adopted by this Council to specifically denounce the deliberate massacre of our innocent civilians," Israel's UN ambassador Danny Gillerman said in a speech to the council.
Gillerman said Yassin had helped direct or inspire 425 attacks that killed 377 Israelis and wounded 2,076 in the past three and a half years.
He said the council was coming to the defense of "a godfather of terrorism ... it is the ultimate hypocrisy."
The Palestinian observer to the United Nations, Nasser al-Kidwa, opened the debate by asking the council to condemn Monday's killing of Yassin outside a Gaza mosque.
"We strongly condemn this new Israeli crime and hold the occupying power and the Israeli leadership legally and politically responsible for this crime and ... the consequences that this crime entails," al-Kidwa said.
[What's the meaning of this? Are the Paleos asking for the UN to look the other way when they retaliate? Unreal.--Jen]
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the killing. Other countries also condemned the assassination and many said it was an extrajudicial slaying that broke international law.
[Again, I must tell you, there ain't no such animal as "international law." And if you get real persistent, I'll have to call President Bush's lawyer and he'll tell you the same thing.--J.T.]
But diplomats were unable to reach a compromise between the United States and Algeria, representing Arab nations, on a Security Council statement.
[Actually, Algeria isn't on the S.C. to "represent" Arab nations, anymore than the United States is on it to represent Christian nations. Algeria should be representing Algeria, not the Arab League.]
If a council vote on the measure is vetoed by the United States, the Arab group can present the same resolution to the 191-member UN General Assembly, where there are no vetoes and resolutions vetoed in the council have been passed before.
[Yeah, most of them against Israel for defending herself also. I'm sure this is what will happen so that all the 3rd world thugs and Socialist toadies can make a big show of solidarity with their "Palestinian" brothers and one against poor little Israel. Bustards!]
The U.S. said any text had to both be balanced and criticize Hamas, which is bent on the destruction of Israel.
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, John Negroponte, said Yassin's assassination did not help the peace process.
"We are deeply troubled by this action by the government of Israel," Negroponte told reporters. "We didn't think it contributed to the peace process and had the effect of escalating tensions.
[Well, Amb. Negroponte, we can't publicly condone murder, even that of Israel's "Bin Laden," although we can smirk a bit, can't we?]
U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday Israel had the right to defend itself against Hamas but urged the Israeli government to keep "the consequences in mind."
Yes, it's the usual, ineffective bluster from the UN.
I am way past tired of those bureaucratic phonies, thieves and accessories to mass murder (most of the time of their own people)!
