Government team does not dispute Israeli version of bombing of UN post

Air raid not seen as deliberate

print this

A group of Finnish experts investigating the Israeli air raid that destroyed a United Nations outpost in South Lebanon in July killing four UN observers, including one Finn, sees no reason to question Israel’s account of the events.
      The Finnish government team submitted its report on the events at Khiam to Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) on Friday.
      Israel has expressed its regrets for the raid, in which Finnish Navy Lieutenant Jarno Mäkinen was killed. According to the Israeli explanation, errors committed by its defence forces were to blame for the events.
      The UN base had been in the same location since the 1970s.
     
The Finnish investigation saw no evidence that Israel would have deliberately attacked the UN. According to the report, new forces arriving in the area were not given sufficiently detailed information on the locations of UN positions. This was ascribed to errors in the chain of command, and among liaison officers.
      The report also found that the Israeli Defence Forces should have been more meticulous in ascertaining the targets of their fire when they were informed through UN channels that peacekeepers were in danger.
     
The Finnish report was based on information from reports by the UN and Israel. The UN report was partly based on Israel’s description of events, and the UN was not allowed to interview personnel on the tactical level of the Israeli armed forces.
      "The reports are logical, but not comprehensive", says the chair of the working group, Irma Ertman.
      The group tried to get a more comprehensive view of the events by putting questions to Israel and the UN which they did not answer.
      Unanswered questions included why Israeli did not stop firing on the UN base even though the matter was reported to the Israeli Defence Forces. Israel fired on the Khiam area almost without pause on the day that the UN post was destroyed.
      Helsingin Sanomat has learned that Israel was asked more than ten times to stop firing on the UN base.
     
Israel and the UN have not officially said why the questions were not answered. Prime Minister Vanhanen does not believe that answers will be forthcoming to the remaining open questions. If new information comes, the working group will continue its investigation. Otherwise, the matter is seen to be closed.
      Vanhanen says that Finland has told Israel that it must show more respect and cooperation toward the UN.
     
It is unlikely that anyone will face criminal charges over the deaths of the UN observers. Israel is nevertheless responsible for the material and human damage inflicted on the base.
      The other military observers who were killed were from Canada, Austria, and China. Austria is not drafting a report, nor has China said that it would do so. In Canada, work on a report is still underway.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Israeli forces shelled Khiam practically incessantly (1.11.2006)
  Shelling sent UN observers constantly running for cover in Khiam (1.11.2006)
  UN issues report on deadly Israeli attack on observation post (2.10.2006)
  Training commences for Finnish peacekeepers bound for Lebanon (28.9.2006)
  Israel gives oral account of attack on United Nations base in Lebanon (15.9.2006)
  European poll: Many Finns unwilling to take sides on Lebanon conflict (29.8.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat