Security Council Deplores Lebanese Deaths
31 July 2006
Bolton renews call for lasting solution to Middle East violence
United Nations -- The Security Council expressed "extreme shock and distress" over the killing of dozens of civilians in Qana, Lebanon, July 30 and called for an end to the violence in the region.
The council said it "strongly deplores this loss of innocent lives and the killing of civilians in the present conflict," in a presidential statement adopted at an emergency meeting. It also pledged to begin work "without any further delay to adopt a resolution" that will lead to a "lasting settlement of the crisis" drawing upon current diplomatic efforts.
The presidential statement reflects the unanimous agreement of all 15 council members.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said that it was important for the council "to address the loss of civilian lives, which is tragic."
The statement also "helps provide a good platform for the conclusion" of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's trip to the region, he said. (See related article.)
The United States objected to the council's call for a truce as requested by Secretary-General Kofi Annan earlier in the day because, Bolton said, "we don't think that simply returning to business as usual is a way to bring about a lasting solution."
"This is a very delicate matter that requires careful deliberation," the ambassador said. "Rather than jump to conclusions about a cease-fire, we felt it was important to let that play out and to do what was important today, which was address the tragic loss of civilian life."
The council's statement talks about a sustained and lasting cease-fire, which is language from the declaration issued in Rome earlier in the week, Bolton pointed out. That, he said, is "an important marker" for the Security Council's continuing efforts.
The United States objected to language in the initial draft of the statement that drew conclusions about the incident and seemed to preempt the political solution that Rice is pursuing, Bolton said.
"The question of whether it was an accident is obviously something that will be investigated. That's what the government of Israel concludes, and, I think, in that case it's a tragic consequence of an unavoidable accident of war," the ambassador said.
The statement, which was read by Council President Jean-Marc de La Sabliere of France said, "The Security Council expresses its concern at the threat of escalation of violence with further grave consequences for the humanitarian situation, calls for an end to violence, and underscores the urgency of securing a lasting, permanent, and sustainable cease-fire."
The council also asked the secretary-general to investigate the circumstances of the incident and report back in one week.
For further information, see Middle East and North Africa.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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