Tuesday, August 15, 2006
I'm not usually big on petitions, but this looks like a good one.
A Call to the UN to Provide Reparations for the Hezbollah War
To: United Nations
The Hezbollah War was brought on by a terrorist organization that hijacked the sovereign state of Lebanon, a member of the United Nations. Hezbollah, with the assistance of Iran and Syria, defied Security Council Resolution 1559 which, among other things, “Calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias”.
Hezbollah launched this war against Israel, a democratic and sovereign state, and a member of the United Nations. Hezbollah is neither a state nor an official body belonging to one. Lebanon was to some degree an accomplice to its own loss of sovereignty by failing to act to protect it and failing to return to the Security Council for help. The UN Security Council failed to discharge its obligation. It allowed Hezbollah to entrench itself in Southern Lebanon and to spread its terror to the people of Lebanon.
Both Israel and Lebanon have suffered great loss of life as well as widespread physical damage as a result of this war started by Hezbollah. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the world community, which stood aside while Hezbollah armed and trained for war, to provide reparations for the damage and destruction brought on by the aggression which sprang from Lebanese territory. We therefore call upon that community to bear the cost of rebuilding Israel in addition to Lebanon. Israel, which had withdrawn from Lebanon some years ago, was forced to engage in a defensive war to save the lives of its citizens. We further call upon the world community, through the United Nations, to seek indemnification for the damages from Iran and Syria the controllers of Hezbollah.
Aah, bit of a dubious claim there.
Also: what about the power stations, airports, bridges, roads that were destroyed by the Israeli military? Is Israel going to pay for those?
ChillWinston, you hypocritical OCCUPIER of Aborigine land in the "Land Down Under",
The Satanic Republic of iran should pay for the damage to Lebanon due to the actions of its proxy Hezbullah.
Excellent. Signed.
Looks like they're getting a good response.
Yeah right, let the US pur in millions to help these folks who are sympathizers with the terrorists, the resolution as it is Lebanon will soon be a total state of Hezz, ie Iranian, and we want our taxpayer money to fund that? But Condi Rice said at the moment thsi is "our" utmost priority, "humanitatrian aide"....such fools the US has become..I used to suuport this administrartion but after this UN resoultion my support is gone. Bush may be sincere but he is sincerely wrong, one can be both. The teaching of the Koran is opposed to a "democratic" style of government and these people (muslims) have been killing each other for centuries, and Bush thinks letting them vote will change this ? He does not understand the mindset of the muslim world, they do not think or respond like the western culture and they will not become western by dipping thier fingers in purple ink, far from it they want tthe downfall of western culture, that would be Islam 101, Bush is still in preschool.
bondservant and chill:
The petition is clearly asking Hezbollah (or its sponsor state(s) Syria/Iran) to pay for damages on both sides of the border because they were the clear instigators.
The concern I have with this petition is that it will, as the above two responses ably demonstrate, bring forward other counterclaims for compensation, no matter how spurious and vexatious.
I cite the example of a senior Egyptian judge a few years back who proposed claiming compensation from the global Jewish community for the Egyptian gold the Israelites fled with when they followed Moses to the Promised Land. (I guess Sharia doesn't have a Statute of Limitations, and the learned judge never contemplated a counterclaim for slave labourors' descendants.)
It seems that the UN failed to enforce 1551 therefore they are at fault. They should advance the funds and then get them back from the criminal Iranian regime and the despotic Syrian regime.