UN issues report on deadly Israeli attack on observation post

Government sets up investigative team to analyse findings

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The United Nations reported late last week that the Israeli Defence Forces used a 500-kilo precision bomb in its raid on a United Nations observation post in South Lebanon. Four UN observers were killed in the July raid, including one Finn.
      The report was issued by a representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan after a UN investigative team had submitted its findings on the incident to the Secretary-General. Finland was also given a copy of the confidential UN report.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre), and Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja (SDP) did not want to give any immediate comments on Friday before examining the 60-page document.
     
The UN found that Israel had taken full responsibility for the incident, and had apologised for the "operational level" mistake.
      The investigators were not able to ascertain why the attack on the UN position was not suspended in spite of repeated requests by UN officials. According to the statement, the reason was that members of the group were not given access to Israeli military commanders who would have known something of the matter.
      According to the UN, no additional action by UN personnel would have altered the final result.
     
A team of experts appointed by the Finnish government is to examine the UN paper. If the team finds it necessary, it can ask for further clarification either from the UN or from Israel.
      Finland already received an Israeli report on the incident, but the content of that document was also kept under wraps. The reason given was the view of the UN investigators that no reports should be published until the UN study was complete.
      According to news agency reports, Israel blamed the attack on a mistake in military maps.
     
On Saturday, Foreign Minister Tuomioja said that Finland would wait for the UN to draw its possible conclusions and take measures over the raid.
      "Israel has said that this very well-known UN base had been left off of the map when it was being downloaded onto a computer", Tuomioja said on a television interview programme on Saturday morning.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  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)
  Parliament groups support Lebanon peacekeeping operation (6.9.2006)
  Israel to submit report on death of Finnish UN observer this week (5.9.2006)
  Finnish peace monitor still unaccounted for in Lebanon (3.8.2006)
  Jerusalem memorial ceremony for four UN observers killed in Israeli bombing (31.7.2006)

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