On what possible basis can Annan make this snap assertion? The Secretary General is now claiming that the unfortunate killing of UN personnel by the Israeli Defense Forces during its maneuvers against Hezbollah terrorists were the result of "deliberate" targeting. He has called for an inquiry into what he called Israel's "apparently deliberate targeting " of the UN observer force.

In the fog of war accidents inevitably happen and that Israel has already deeply apologized for this accident. Hezbollah has a tactic of locating its forces near UNIFIL and other UN outposts (as well as civilian outposts) to discourage Israeli attacks, since Israel, unlike Hezbollhah, tries to spare the lives of innocents.

Annan seems more exercised by this accident than the truly deliberate kidnapping and killing of Israeli soldiers and the indiscriminate mass rocket attacks Israel is  being forced to endure because the UN was pusillanimous in refusing to enforce its resolutions regarding terror forces in Southern Lebanon.

Annan, as the world's chief diplomat, is charged with the responsibility of good judgment and temperate, well—considered remarks. He seems to have a penchant for violating this obligation when it comes to issues involving Israel. He also was quick to claim a few weeks ago that Israeli shelling caused the deaths of Palestinians on a Gaza beach.

He made that claim immediately after the event. Subsequent events, of course, proved him wrong. Annan does not seem capable of learning from his own mistakes. After all, his own failures led to the Rwandan genocide but that did not motivate him to act to stop the later genocide in Yugoslavia or the current one in Sudan or the anticipated one in the state of Israel.

Incidentally, the UNIFIL French commander who is backing up Annan was guilty of trying to hide UNIFIL incompetence or complicity involving the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers.

Mr. Annan, who according to diplomats was accompanied by the U.N. peacekeeping chief, Undersecretary—General Jean Marie Guehenno, as he released the statement, believes he could not promote placing an international force in southern Lebanon if he does not appear to support his troops, according to a source familiar with yesterday's statement.

Mr. Guehenno had a long dispute with Israel several years ago, when he had insisted that UNIFIL did not possess a videocassette depicting the Hezbollah kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. The cassette, videotaped by UNIFIL troops, eventually surfaced and the U.N. was forced to apologize and launch an internal investigation.

Ed Lasky   7 26 06