On what possible basis can Annan make this snap assertion? The Secretary General is now claiming that the unfortunate killing of UN personnel by the Israeli Defense Forces during its maneuvers against Hezbollah terrorists were the result of "deliberate" targeting. He has called for an inquiry into what he called Israel's "apparently deliberate targeting " of the UN observer force. In the fog of war accidents inevitably happen and that Israel has already deeply apologized for this accident. Hezbollah has a tactic of locating its forces near UNIFIL and other UN outposts (as well as civilian outposts) to discourage Israeli attacks, since Israel, unlike Hezbollhah, tries to spare the lives of innocents. Annan seems more exercised by this accident than the truly deliberate kidnapping and killing of Israeli soldiers and the indiscriminate mass rocket attacks Israel is  being forced to endure because the UN was pusillanimous in refusing to enforce its resolutions regarding...(Read Full Post)