Canadian inquiry blames "Israelis" for deaths in 2006
Source: The New York Times, 02-02-2008
OTTAWA - A Canadian military inquiry's report released Friday blames "Israeli" forces for the "tragic and preventable" deaths of a Canadian soldier and three other United Nations observers in Lebanon in July 2006.
The board of inquiry was convened because of the death of Maj. Paeta Hess-Von Kruedener, a Canadian assigned as a United Nations observer in southern Lebanon when Israel invaded the region during fighting between "Israeli" forces and Hizbullah.
A censored version of its report was made public on Friday.
While "Israel" does not deny that it killed the observers, it says the episode was unintentional.
The four observers were killed by a 1,100-pound G.P.S.-guided bomb dropped by the "Israeli" military that destroyed most of their observation post.
The Canadian inquiry found that the fatal bombing was the third in a series of attacks on the post over several hours on July 25, 2006. The first two attacks, which included artillery and aerial bombing, damaged the post and led United Nations commanders to schedule its evacuation for the following morning.
The attacks prompted increasingly strong messages from United Nations commanders to "Israeli" military liaisons asking them to stop attacking the post.
About 40 minutes before the final bomb fell, the report said, a United Nations commander told the "Israeli" military, "You are killing my people."
The report said that because the "Israeli" military offered limited cooperation with the inquiry, it could not determine exactly why the bomb was dropped. But it said "Israel" apparently ignored warnings to stop the attack.
The report said that while the "Israeli" Army "has acknowledged the receipt of the protests from the U.N. it has failed to explain why the attack was not halted."
OTTAWA - A Canadian military inquiry's report released Friday blames "Israeli" forces for the "tragic and preventable" deaths of a Canadian soldier and three other United Nations observers in Lebanon in July 2006.
The board of inquiry was convened because of the death of Maj. Paeta Hess-Von Kruedener, a Canadian assigned as a United Nations observer in southern Lebanon when Israel invaded the region during fighting between "Israeli" forces and Hizbullah.
A censored version of its report was made public on Friday.
While "Israel" does not deny that it killed the observers, it says the episode was unintentional.
The four observers were killed by a 1,100-pound G.P.S.-guided bomb dropped by the "Israeli" military that destroyed most of their observation post.
The Canadian inquiry found that the fatal bombing was the third in a series of attacks on the post over several hours on July 25, 2006. The first two attacks, which included artillery and aerial bombing, damaged the post and led United Nations commanders to schedule its evacuation for the following morning.
The attacks prompted increasingly strong messages from United Nations commanders to "Israeli" military liaisons asking them to stop attacking the post.
About 40 minutes before the final bomb fell, the report said, a United Nations commander told the "Israeli" military, "You are killing my people."
The report said that because the "Israeli" military offered limited cooperation with the inquiry, it could not determine exactly why the bomb was dropped. But it said "Israel" apparently ignored warnings to stop the attack.
The report said that while the "Israeli" Army "has acknowledged the receipt of the protests from the U.N. it has failed to explain why the attack was not halted."
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