See Kofi speak

See Kofi.

20 July 2006 – Renewing his urgent appeal for an end to the civilian carnage in Lebanon and northern Israel and condemning both that country’s use of excessive force as well as Hizbollah’s recklessness, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today proposed elements for a political framework aimed at achieving a lasting solution to the conflict.

See Kofi speak.

“Both the deliberate targeting by Hizbollah of Israeli population centres with hundreds of indiscriminate weapons and Israel’s disproportionate use of force and collective punishment of the Lebanese people must stop,” Mr. Annan told the Security Council upon his return to UN Headquarters today.

Speak, Kofi, speak.

Painting a grim picture of the widespread devastation, he noted that already, over 300 Lebanese have been killed and more than 600 wounded – mainly civilians, about one third of them children. “Much of the infrastructure in Beirut and around the country has been destroyed,” he said. “Lebanon remains under an Israeli military blockade, imposed by sea and air.”

Speak, Kofi, speak.

At the same time, he observed that the Israeli people, “who had hoped that Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon… would bring security along their northern border, find themselves under constant Hezbollah rocket attacks, which every day reach further into Israeli territory.” To date 28 Israelis have been killed and over 200 wounded.

See Kofi in 2005. Speak, Kofi, speak.

Question: During the Summit, do you have any plans to meet with the Lebanese President, along with Mr. Roed-Larsen, to discuss the implementation of resolution 1559, namely, on Hezbollah disarmament, on the demarcation of the Lebanese border between Syria and Lebanon and between Lebanon and Israel, and also the initialization of diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon?

The Secretary-General: I hope to meet President Lahoud. But I think when it comes to 1559, let us be clear here: a large part of the mandate has been fulfilled. The key elements of the mandate were to ensure that Syrian military redeployed out of Lebanon; that has been done. That the security apparatus is withdrawn; and they have done that. And that free and fair elections were organized; and that has also happened. As to the issue of disarmament of the militia, this is something that we are discussing with the Lebanese, it is the Lebanese Government that will have to do it. We are discussing it with them and they will have to determine when and how to do it.

With regard to relations between Syria and Lebanon, we have encouraged them to normalize their relations and establish normal relations, that is, as between two friendly States. On the question of the border, we have also encouraged formal demarcation of the border. As to your question on the Israeli-Lebanese border, you will recall that in the year 2000, Israel withdrew from the Lebanese territory, and we -– the UN –- drew the Blue Line and confirmed to the Security Council that Israel has complied with resolution 425 and has withdrawn from the Lebanese border. There is a contested strip -– the Shaba’a Farms -– which according to Israel and our record is Syrian. But the Lebanese claim it. And this is where we have a bit of conflict. And that is an issue that I hope will be resolved in the future.

Speak, Kofi, speak.

The international community remains steadfast in its determination to ensure that outside actors end all interference in the domestic affairs of Lebanon, and invites all parties within Lebanon to commit themselves to peaceful political reform and regional stability, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1559. We call on all regional States to respect fully the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon and the sole authority of the Government of Lebanon throughout its territory.

Speak, Kofi, speak:

SG: The dismantling of Palestinian militia in Lebanon does come under resolution 1559 (2004). But this is something that the Lebanese authorities will have to handle. And of course we have discussed this issue with them, and they will do it their way, in time, and organize themselves to do that. The other aspects of resolution 1559 (2004) that we have implemented we’ve discussed here in this House and in this room.

As to the signing of a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel, that is a matter that the two countries will have to discuss. I’m not sure that on the Lebanese side they are ready to do that, as long as they believe that Shaba’a Farms is still under contention. And I think, in time, that may happen. But I don’t see it in the cards today.

See Kofi in 2000. Speak, Kofi, speak:

Q: Al-Hayat: President Assad said that the Shebaa Farms are Lebanese territories. Is it enough to say that Israel has to withdraw from this area?

SG: I think we have to base ourselves on the documents and the report to the Security Council and the exchange of letters I had with the two governments Lebanon and Israel, that led to the withdrawal of Israelis from the South. And I think in the report and in the understandings with the governments we indicated that Shebaa Farms for our purposes was in Syria and that it was covered by UNDOF not by UNIFIL. This does not exclude whatever arrangements Lebanon and Syria will make in the future as to the status of that particular territory. Now the withdrawal is done we’ve been grateful that it has been relatively quiet except for some stone-throwing that we are trying to bring under control. We are now trying to work with international donors to raise money for the reconstruction of the South, to develop the economy of the South and I hope the international community will give and give generously for this essential task because the people of the South need to be given the hope, the expectation that they can live peaceful and prosperous lives and I will continue to work with the Government of Lebanon for that.

See Kofi speak. Words, words, words. See nothing happen.

Speak, Kofi, speak.

The Secretary-General emphasized that only the simultaneous implementation of the different elements of the package he put forward will allow for the transformation of any cessation of hostilities into a durable ceasefire. “When this is achieved, the international community will need to develop a framework for the final delineation of the borders of Lebanon and a decisive revival of the Middle East peace process,” he said.

See nothing happen.

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9 Responses to See Kofi speak

  1. Jay Tea says:

    Notice how he had the numbers on the Lebanese casualties, but the reporter had to fill in the details on the Israelis? It’s like Kofi doesn’t care enough to either get that information, or doesn’t care enough to remember it.

    J.

  2. That’s at least a Kofi Bingo.

  3. Richard Challis says:

    Meryl, you don’t seem to have read that release from Kofi Annan properly. That strike by the IDF killed innocent bystanders including children – those are the people whose relatives he was sending condolences to.

  4. Chaim says:

    Is it possible to hate Kofi more than we hate Hezbollah? Cause I think I do. They are just filthy animals, he is supposed to be a unbiased figure.

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  6. Ken Hahn says:

    It puzzles me. How can anyone listen to Kofi’s comments, read about Oil-for-Food or try to follow the exploits of “peace keepers” and still offer any support to the UN. Kofi is not an exception. He truly represents the dictators’ club that runs the place.

    I have asked many times and I will again. Please give me one example of a UN accomplishment. Try not to use WHO which has done nothing that could not have been done better by the health ministry of any civilized country, refugee services which seems to be a combination of bribery, corruption and “entertainment” for the UN personel there or disaster relief which is best illustrated by the UN’s meetings in five star hotels during the tsunami aftermath while bitching about US stingyness as the US had a real effort underway to help victims on the ground.

    The UN is the final pipedream of the depression era one-worlders. It has never accomplished anything positive. It has, for over sixty years, served as a transfer agency for US money to thugs. It has done nothing to keep the peace. It has done nothing to promote human dignity or liberty. It has prevented conditions that would start the process that would lead to Israel having secure borders without a ready made terrorist threat from the misery of the “refugee camps”.

    The problem is not Kofi.

  7. Tim says:

    Uberbureaucrat, thy name is Kofi.

    Woof!

  8. Hillel (Sabba) Markowitz says:

    Possibly one of the reaons that the Arabs do not pay attention to him is that Arabic is related to Aramaic. In Aramaic (the language of the Talmud) each word of his name has a meaning

    Kofi – monkey
    Anan – I am or we are depending on context.

    It is hard to take seriously somone named I am a monkey.

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