ATFL Laments Cluster Bomb Death of Belgian UNIFIL Soldier in Lebanon |
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By: American Task Force for Lebanon Posted: 2008-09-11 00:47:37 |
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The American Task Force for Lebanon (http://www.atfl.org) laments the death of a Belgian United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeper in Lebanon last week. ATFL extends its regrets to the Government and people of Belgium and its condolences to the soldier's family.
The soldier was killed in the line of duty while clearing unexploded ordnance Israel left behind when it fired deadly cluster bombs into Lebanon during the 2006 summer war. The United Nations estimates that about 40 percent of the one million cluster bomb sub-munitions Israel fired into Lebanon during the war failed to explode. In the 27 June 2008 Seventh Report of the UN Secretary-General on the implementation of Security General Resolution 1701, the Secretary-General states thus far incidents involving unexploded ordnance -- including cluster munitions -- resulted in 27 civilian fatalities and 231 civilian injuries. Mine-clearance incidents have resulted in 13 mine-clearance fatalities and 38 injuries. This tragedy may have been avoided if Israel had turned over to the United Nations the technical strike data for the locations where it fired cluster bombs into Lebanon. The 27 June 2008 UN Report states that "there has been no progress in terms of receiving from Israel precise technical strike data...This issue has been raised... on a number of occasions by the UNIFIL Force Commander." Dr. George Cody, ATFL Executive Director, said "Israel continues to ignore repeated requests from the United Nations and the Bush administration to turn over the technical strike data. UNIFIL peacekeepers and civilians in Lebanon deserve the right to move freely without fear of being killed or maimed by cluster bombs." For further information contact Dr. George Cody at 202-223-9333 |
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