29.10.06

UN investigates Israel's use of 'uranium weapons' in Lebanon

By Eric Silver in Jerusalem

The United Nations Environment Programme is investigating allegations, first published in The Independent, that Israel may have used uranium-based weapons during this summer's war in Lebanon.
Twenty UN experts, working with Lebanese environmentalists, have spent two weeks assessing various samples. They are planning to report their findings in December.
Butros al-Harb, Unep's Middle East director, told a Lebanese radio interviewer at the weekend: "If uranium was used, we will find out and we will announce it. We cannot confirm anything now, but we will wait for results."

Yesterday Israel issued its most explicit denial yet. Major Avital Leibovitz, a spokeswoman for the Israel Defence Forces, said: "We deny using any weapons containing uranium." One official suggested that if the environmentalists had indeed found traces of uranium, they would have to look for a different explanation.
Chris Busby, the scientific secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, based in Brussels, reported last week that two soil samples thrown up by Israeli bombs in the south Lebanese villages of Khiam and At Tiri, centres of fierce fighting between Israel and Hizbollah, showed "elevated radiation signatures". Dr Busby warned that particles from the explosions were long-lived in the environment and could be inhaled into the lungs, causing "significant" health effects on civilians.

The Harwell laboratory for mass spectrometry in Oxfordshire confirmed the concentration of uranium isotopes in the samples, but the European experts were puzzled about what weapons Israel might have been using and why.

Mark Regev, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said: "If someone comes with a complaint, comes with a charge, we will review it." But he protested that Israel was being singled out when nobody had accused it of deploying weapons banned under international law or practice. "The sort of munitions we used in the Lebanon campaign," he said, "were almost identical to the sort of weaponry used in conflicts over the past decade by Nato countries, by Western countries. Sometimes there's a feeling that the Jewish state is being singled out for special treatment. One really has to ask why it is that the finger is being pointed at Israel."

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9 comments:

Texas Bankruptcy Nerd said...

System no. 2

Dr Victorino de la Vega said...

Hi there,

Have you seen what happened in Pakistan earlier today?

In ancient Arabic "Taleban Al 'Ulmi" litterally means "those who seek knowledge" i.e. "students"...

Parvez probably thought that after killing kindergarden kids in Karachi he too could say "mission accomplished"!

Dr V

Sophia said...

Hi Victor,

Welcome back. What happened ion Pakistan was a little gift Musharraf wanted to give to Charles.

Richard said...

I'm definitely no Royalist, Sophia, and Charles is, to say the least, a little eccentric.

However, I wonder how many outside the UK realise that Charles said (a long time ago) that when he becomes King, he will change the sovereign's motto (as shown on all our coins & elsewhere), fom the singular "Fid Def" (defender of 'the' faith) to the plural "Fids Def".

That may not sound a big deal to none-Brits, but believe me, it IS a big thing - a very big thing. The British monarch is also the head of the Church of England (Anglican/Protestant/Christian).

He's certainly priviledge and mega wealthy - and quirky - but many see his great 'tolerance' as his greatest fault/weakness. Thankfuly, many others, like myself, do not.

If we have to continue this monarchy, I can't think of a more qualified, better trained, better suited and/or better future prospect than Charles.

Texas Bankruptcy Nerd said...

Oh those sophist Jews. You're really right, Sophia - nobody these days knows the value of a solid argument.

Check out the comments on my last two posts. Brimming with logical pitfalls and deception from Tzahal's best!

From Tzahal's of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli (Trablos)...

Sophia said...

Hi Richard,

Charles's public stances on many subjects seem to be backward for many in Britain and in the world. Personally he seems to be a cold human being. But Charles's communication problems stem from a fact, he likes to speak his mind, he is no public relations hypocrite. He is strong minded in his own way and some of his positions are worthy, including his position on Faith as you rightly mention.
I believe however that the Pakistan incident has nothing to do with him but with Musharraf wanting to convince the world that he is fighting Talibans and Chrles's visit is a good opportunity for this kind of international attention.

Richard said...

* Musharraf wanting to convince the world that he is fighting Talibans and Chrles's visit is a good opportunity for this kind of international attention. *

Yep, I can quite easily go right along with that, Sophia.

Richard said...

Sophia,

In view of what I was saying earlier about Charles, how's this for a coincidence.


Prince urges religious tolerance

The Prince of Wales has called for religious tolerance and moderation in a speech during his visit to Pakistan.
He was speaking at a women's college near Islamabad after safety fears led to the cancellation of a planned trip to Peshawar close to the Afghan border.

He and the Duchess of Cornwall spent an unscheduled second day in the capital.

Charles urged his audience to "stand up against the kind of mistaken and misguided leadership that can so easily set one community against another".

The world is in desperate need of people who have moral courage, who are not afraid of standing up for truth and fairness and civilised values

Prince Charles


Death row Briton discussed

"The world is in desperate need of people who have moral courage, who are not afraid of standing up for truth and fairness and civilised values - especially at a time in the world's history when ignorance and prejudice are so prevalent and so dangerous.

"Religion has once again become a source of conflict and intolerance.

"One of the tasks of education must surely be to engender the acquisition of wisdom," he said.

"In a secular age you hear again and again the accusation that religion is the cause of so much misery and strife in the world.

"However, religion itself is not the problem. It is surely human misinterpretation of the sacred texts handed down to us that can lead to such appalling misunderstanding and hatred.

"Will you, for instance, have the moral courage to stand up against the kind of mistaken and misguided leadership that can so easily set one community against another?"


More here, from the BBC tonight.

Sophia said...

Richard,
"Will you, for instance, have the moral courage to stand up against the kind of mistaken and misguided leadership that can so easily set one community against another?"

This is Bush and Blair style leadership. May be Charles will find a true mission for his royal duty because I am sure that when he will be become king, things will not have changed too much between communities in England.

What we are seeing now in England is the breaking-down of multi culturalism.

Thanks for the link Richard.

 
Since March 29th 2006