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Bombed in Gaza, UN is Banquished, White Phosphorous at its Door

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, January 15 -- In the wake of Israel's bombing of the UN compound in Gaza City, the European Commission demanded an investigation, while strangely UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asked only for an explanation. While local official say that Israel used white phosphorous weapons for the attack, Ban at his press conference did not mention this.

  Previously, after Israel's deadly bombing of the UNRWA school and shelter, Ban said only that this was unacceptable; well-placed UN officials from Ban's own office expressed surprise that Ban didn't say and do more. Now it has happened again. Ban, who has expressed "anguish" about the situation in Gaza, has made the UN Banquished.

  Ironically, the UN's humanitarian coordinator John Holmes has for days dodged requests for the UN to confirm or deny its knowledge of white phosphorous use by Israel in Gaza. We are not chemists, he has in essence said. Now that it has hit the UN's own compound, the litmus test is here.


UN Secretary-General waves from Tel Aviv: Banquished

  Of Ban's decision not to visit Gaza, UNRWA's John Ging unlike many UN staff interviewed by Inner City Press said that "It is not essential that he come here physically to Gaza." Some long-time UN staff recall dangerous visits in the region by Kofi Annan, and even Kurt Waldheim. It may not be essential, they say, but it would have been important.

  Footnote:  Following Inner City Press' January 13 report that the UN was blocking intra-net access to the website of the Free Gaza Movement, the next day the UN reversed course and allowed access -- without explanation, of course. Could it be like increased Internet access during last Summer's Olympics?

Click here for Inner City Press' review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate

Click here for Inner City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger

Click here from Inner City Press' December 12 debate on UN double standards

Click here for Inner City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics

Click here for Inner City Press Nov. 7 debate on the war in Congo

Watch this site, and this Oct. 2 debate, on UN, bailout, MDGs

and this October 17 debate, on Security Council and Obama and the UN.

* * *

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

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Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

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