UN on
Children &
War Cites
French
Sangaris,
Lists Free
Syrian Army
& Somali Army
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
8 -- After UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon
decided not to
list Israel or
Hamas in the
annex of his
Children and
Armed Conflict
report, most
questions to
the UN
concerned that
issue,
statements
below. Inner
City Press
reports on
that, but also
on this, in
the report
at Paragraph
44 but also
not in the
Annex:
"44.
The United
Nations
interviewed
several boys
following
allegations of
repeated acts
of sexual
violence by
elements of
'Operation
Sangaris' in
and around
M’Poko IDP
camp, Bangui,
between
December 2013
and May 2014.
Their national
authorities
have opened an
investigation
that is
ongoing. The
victims have
been provided
with necessary
assistance by
the United
Nations and
local
partners. It
is of the
utmost
importance
that the
perpetrators
be held
accountable."
It
is notable
that even the
paragraph
doesn't
mentioned that
the "Operation
Sangaris" is a
force of France,
the (former?)
colonial
power. Also,
if Anders
Kompass has
not leaked the
report, would
the UN ever
had included
this
paragraph?
Also notable
is the
continued inclusion
in the Annex
not only of
the Somali
National Army,
but also of
the "Free
Syrian Army" -
which the US
stands
prepared to
"train and
equip." Does
this now
comply with US
law? This has
yet not been
inquired into
- watch this
site.
Riyad Mansour,
Permanent
Observer of
the State of
Palestine to
the United
Nations,
issued a
statement that
“we deeply
regret the
Secretary-Generals
decision to
exclude Israel
from the list
of parties who
commit grave
violations
against
children in
armed
conflict. This
decision
strikingly
contradicts
the UN's own
evidence and
the set
criteria on
this matter.
It is without
doubt that
Israel, the
occupying
Power,
flagrantly,
systematically
and grossly
commits human
rights
violations
against
Palestinian
children
constituting
grave
violations
that qualify
it for such a
listing in the
annex to the
Annual Report
on Children
and Armed
Conflict.. The
UN's inaction,
submitting to
the inordinate
pressures
exerted, sends
a most
regrettable
signal that
the same
criteria do
not apply in
all situations
for all
children,
undermining
the
credibility of
the UN system
as a whole and
the CAAC
mechanism in
specific.”
The “pressure
exerted”
included the
United States,
which also got
Ban to cancel
the Yemen
talks that had
been slated
for May 11,
click here
for that Inner
City Press
exclusive.
Likewise,
despite a UN
Dispute
Tribunal
ruling that UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous asked
for CAR rape
whistleblower
Anders Kompass
to resign,
nothing has
been done with
regard to
Ladsous, the
four Frenchman
in a row atop
UN
Peacekeeping.
It is not only
on CAAC that
Ban gives in
to inordinate
pressure.
Israel's Ron
Prosor put out
a statement
that “the UN
Secretary
General was
right not to
submit to the
dictates of
the terrorist
organizations
and the Arab
states, in his
decision not
to include
Israel in this
shameful list,
together with
organizations
like ISIS, Al
Qaeda and the
Taliban.
However, the
UN still has a
long way to
go. Instead of
releasing
thousands of
reports and
lists against
Israel, the UN
must
unequivocally
condemn the
terrorist
organizations
that operate
in the Gaza
Strip. I call
on the
Secretary
General to put
an end to the
destruction
these
organizations
cause the
people of
Gaza, when
they obstruct
humanitarian
aid, fire from
civilian
population
centers and
use innocents
as human
shields. Only
after these
organizations
are recognized
as terrorist
organizations
and condemned,
can we promote
real
solutions.”
Ban's
spokesman
Dujarric,
before Inner
City Press
asked him
about the
French
Sangaris force
in CAR, told
reporters to
not worry so
much about the
list. Really?
Others,
reporting on
this, did not
mention the
French forces'
sexual abuse.
We'll have
more on this.
Back
on June 1 In
the run up to
Ban's decision
on whether to
include Israel
in the UN's
list of those
abusing
children in
armed
conflict,
Inner City
Press asked
Pierre
Krähenbühl,
the
Commissioner
General of the
United Nations
Relief and
Works Agency
for Palestine
Refugees in
the Near East,
UNRWA, for his
view.
Krahenbuhl
diplomatically
said he'd have
no comment
until after
the decision
is made.
And
now?
, 
