Hizballah Was Using UN Post as Shield (Updated)

UN May Have Lied About Hizballah Activities

The Ottawa Citizen reports that an email from one of the United Nations observers killed by Israeli bombs told of Hizballah terrorists deliberately setting up firing positions near the UN post in order to use it as a shield. This directly contradicts UN statements that they observed no Hizballah activity in the area:

"What I can tell you is this," he wrote in an e-mail to CTV dated July 18. "We have on a daily basis had numerous occasions where our position has come under direct or indirect fire from both (Israeli) artillery and aerial bombing.

"The closest artillery has landed within 2 meters (sic) of our position and the closest 1000 lb aerial bomb has landed 100 meters (sic) from our patrol base. This has not been deliberate targeting, but rather due to tactical necessity."

Those words, particularly the last sentence, are not-so-veiled language indicating Israeli strikes were aimed at Hezbollah targets near the post, said Maj.-Gen. MacKenzie.

"What that means is, in plain English, 'We've got Hezbollah fighters running around in our positions, taking our positions here and then using us for shields and then engaging the (Israeli Defence Forces)," he said.

That would mean Hezbollah was purposely setting up near the UN post, he added. It's a tactic Maj.-Gen. MacKenzie, who was the first UN commander in Sarajevo during the Bosnia civil war, said he's seen in past international missions: Aside from UN posts, fighters would set up near hospitals, mosques and orphanages.

Of course, if the UN lied about Hizballah activity, that's small potatoes compared to nepotism, aid-skimming, and child rapes.

Update: Looks like this story is cracking open. Following up a tip from John at Stop the ACLU, Darth Misha of The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler examines a story in The New York Sun discussing the major discrepancies raised by the email.