YouSaid · the spoken record

Salam

lines on the record: 964
first: 2007-07-19
most recent: 2017-10-18
sittings or episodes: 144
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Lebanon is making many sacrifices for its freedom. They are only matched by our determination and by the Council's determination, through the International Commission, to find out the truth, to find out who plotted, participated in and perpetrated such crimes. There are many sacrifices that Lebanon is making for its freedom. They are only matched by our insistence, and the Council's, on setting up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon with an international character to ensure that there will be no impunity for the perpetrators. Our search for truth has never been for the sake of revenge. We have sought the truth in order to help our people heal the wounds caused by this series of terrorist attacks. We are on a path that you, Mr.”
2008-04-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5863 (2008) · source
“Thus the number of crimes for which the International Commission is providing technical assistance to the Lebanese authorities in their investigation has reached 20. They are all acts of terrorism aimed at destabilizing Lebanon through the targeting of free thinkers and politicians, as well as leaders of both the military and security establishments. On top of this, many innocent people in the safe havens of their homes and places of work have been targeted. That series of cowardly, terrorist attacks has resulted in the deaths of 61 people and the wounding of no less than 494 others. We must also recall here that the cowardly hand of terrorism has also reached out targeted elements of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in southern Lebanon, as well as members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Lebanon.”
2008-04-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5863 (2008) · source
“Mr. Salam (Lebanon) (spoke in Arabic): Allow me at the outset, on behalf of Lebanon, to congratulate you, Mr. President, and your friendly country on assuming the presidency of the Security Council this month. Let me also express our sincerest appreciation to the delegation of the Russian Federation for its presidency of the Council last month. We meet today to discuss the tenth report of the International Independent Investigation Commission on the crime of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and his companions. Since the last report of the Commission, two new crimes have been perpetrated, the first targeting General Francois al-Hajj and the second, Major Wissam Eid. They were both martyred, along with a new number of civilian victims.”
2008-04-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5863 (2008) · source
“Finally, today, 25 March, a new President for Lebanon should have been elected. While the presidential elections have once more been postponed, we cannot but stress the importance for the stability and security of my country of these elections being held as soon as possible in accordance with the terms of the Constitution and pursuant to the Arab Initiative.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“I would also like to inform the Council that Lebanese authorities are maintaining a high level of vigilance against illegal movements of arms and material. In this context, my Government reiterates that the control of Lebanon's northern and eastern borders remains a shared responsibility with Syria, as per resolution 1701 (2006). As to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon regarding the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the terrorist acts related to it, we would like to express our appreciation for the sustained efforts of the Secretary-General for its establishment. We also acknowledge the generous contributions made by Member States towards its funding, and we reiterate our strong conviction that this Tribunal will be a key judicial instrument in putting an end to impunity.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“On the question of Lebanese detainees in Israeli prisons, we reiterate that those detentions are a breach of the basic rules of international law and that the prisoners should be released immediately and 08-28224 unconditionally. As for the Israeli soldiers abducted on 12 July 2006, the Lebanese Government reiterates that it has no knowledge of their status or whereabouts and remains ready to cooperate with the Secretary-General. We also reaffirm that the internationally recognized borders of Lebanon in the south are as referred to in the 1949 Armistice Agreement, and as reiterated in operative paragraph 5 of resolution 1701 (2006). We continue to welcome UNIFIL assistance in marking the Blue Line.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“We reiterate here our support of the proposal that UNIFIL take over, on an interim basis, the administrative and humanitarian responsibilities on the Lebanese side of Ghajar, once the Israeli army has fully withdrawn. The continued Israeli occupation of the Shab'a Farms remains a major threat to the security and stability of south Lebanon and constitutes a violation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978). On this issue, we urge the Secretary-General to start a long-due diplomatic process, based on our suggestion in the seven-point plan, that this area be placed under provisional United Nations custodianship after the withdrawal of the Israeli occupying forces and until the border demarcation between Lebanon and Syria become possible.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“17) As to cluster bombs - the deadly legacy of Israel in the south, which kill and maim children, civilians mine-clearance experts, in addition to contaminating agricultural fields - the situation regrettably remains unchanged in spite of repeated calls on behalf of the international community. Israel claims to have submitted information on strike data, but the Secretary- General in his report qualified them as being "of very limited value". (Ibid., para. 74) Regarding the northern part of Ghajar, the Secretary-General considered that its continued occupation by Israel "constitutes a continuing violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, resolution 1701 (2006) and the Blue Line" (ibid., para. 70).”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“08-28224 Israel, however, has yet to abide by its own obligations under that resolution. As a matter of fact, the Secretary-General in his latest report on the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006), noted that "UNIFIL has observed and reported a significant number of Israeli air violations of Lebanese airspace by aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles on an almost daily basis. On 17 February UNIFIL recorded 36 air violations" And he rightly concluded that "All Israeli overflights of Lebanon's territory constitute violations of Lebanese sovereignty and of resolution 1701 (2006)." (S/2008/135, para.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Turning to Lebanon, in particular to its south, it is essential to move from the precarious situation of the cessation of hostilities to that of a permanent ceasefire. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) recently observed the thirtieth anniversary of its presence in Lebanon, a presence initially caused by the massive Israeli invasion of 1978 and which has continued because of repeated Israeli aggressions that culminated in the summer 2006 war leading to Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). While we express our deep gratitude to UNIFIL and praise its remarkable performance and close cooperation with the Lebanese armed forces, we reiterate on this occasion that Lebanon remains entirely committed to the full implementation of resolution 1701 (2006) and abides by its obligations under it.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“However, could anyone, in good faith, reasonably imagine that the Palestinians could fully conform to such expectations while Israel continues to subject Gaza to an immoral siege and its civilian population to a deliberate policy of collective punishment? This is not to mention the daily raids and incursions it carries out in both Gaza and the West Bank. These realities, no matter how painful, should not allow despair to prevail. The process initiated by the United States at Annapolis must not be left to erode. Hence, we cannot but support the efforts to hold a second international meeting in Moscow to help achieve a comprehensive and just peace based on United Nations resolutions, the terms of reference of the Madri Peace Conference, the principle of land for peace and the provisions of the Arab Peace Initiative.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“On this matter, we cannot but commend Mr. Robert Serry, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, who, in his briefing to this body on 26 February, reiterated the principle that continued settlement activity is illegal anywhere in the occupied territory and is an obstacle to peace. He underlined the fact that settlement activity is "among the biggest factors undermining confidence in the Annapolis process and prospects for a viable Palestinian State". (S/PV.5846, p. 3) We do not intend to disregard the fact that the Road Map in its same Phase 1 calls upon the Palestinians "for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to end armed activity and all acts of violence against Israelis anywhere".”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“All present here know that it calls upon Israel to "immediately dismantle settlement outposts erected since March 2001" and "to freeze all settlement activity (including natural growth ...)". But what has happened since Annapolis? In December 2007, Israel disclosed a plan to build 307 houses in the occupied territories, in Abu Ghuneim Mountain, a vicinity of East Jerusalem which it calls Har Homa. That decision came only a few days after the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, at Annapolis. On 12 February 2008, Israel announced plans to build more than 1100 apartments in occupied East Jerusalem. On 17 March the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, left no room for doubt about his Government's intentions, stating that Israel would not stop building on occupied land in and around Jerusalem.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Mr. President, for your wise stewardship of the Council during this month of March and to extend my deepest appreciation to the Permanent Representative of Panama for his skilful leadership of the Council during the previous month. I also wish to thank the Secretary-General for his important introductory remarks and Mr. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, for his statement. Once again, it underscored the tremendous challenges that lie ahead. At the Annapolis Conference, all parties committed themselves anew to the Road Map, with the goal of reaching an agreement on statehood for the Palestinian people before the end of the current year. And what does Phase 1 of the Road Map, which was endorsed by this Council, call for?”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“None of those terrorist attacks has shaken the Lebanese from their commitment to the independence, unity and freedom of their country. The attacks will not undermine our resolve to renew national consensus or halt the march towards international justice that we have undertaken together. That is why I commend the efforts of the Secretary-General to take the steps necessary to establish a special international tribunal on the assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri and his companions in order to prevent the criminals from pursuing their terrorist activity and thereby to strengthen peace and stability in Lebanon.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“In late 2007, a terrorist attack led to the assassination of General Francois el-Hajj, who was an eminent figure in Lebanon who had vanquished terrorism in the Palestinian refugee camps. The Council fully condemned that attack. 2008 began with another phase of terrorist attacks, and civilians were killed in an attack targeting a diplomatic car in January 2008. Those attacks also targeted the internal security institutions, killing Captain Wissam Eid of the intelligence services, as well as a number of civilians. The Security Council condemned that crime in its statement yesterday. Attacks have also sought to destabilize southern Lebanon and to terrorize the international forces and their members. The most recent such attack targeted the Dutch unit.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“That same initiative was reiterated by the Arab ministers at their meeting held on 28 January. Allow me to draw attention to the fact that the continuation of the political crisis once again raises the threat of more Violent acts, as we saw last weekend with the death of eight citizens. Those unfortunate incidents, after which we announced special measures, are now being investigated by the judicial authorities. This Council is not unaware that terrorist operations have continued for the past three years. Such attacks weaken the stability, independence, sovereignty and security of Lebanon. They are aimed at eminent figures in the political, media and security areas and at constitutional, security and civilian institutions.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“We call for a reconsideration of the proposal by the Lebanese Government, within the framework of the several proposals it had submitted that advocate putting the farms under a temporary United Nations mandate. Since 24 November 2007, there has been no presidential election in my country. That is a source of concern for the international community and our brothers. In fact, this Council adopted, on 11 December, a presidential statement expressing its concern with respect to the postponing of presidential elections. The Lebanese Government has supported the comprehensive plan worked out by the meeting of the League of Arab State ministers, held in Cairo on 5 and 6 January 2008, in order to facilitate immediate elections, in accordance with which General Suleiman would be the consensus President of Lebanon.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“We welcome the appointment by the Secretary- General of a representative to play a facilitator role in the issue of the two kidnapped Israeli soldiers, but Israel still refuses to resolve the issue of the Lebanese detained in its prisons for decades in very trying conditions. We call once again for their immediate release. With respect to the Shebaa farms, despite the fact that we applaud the provisional geographic demarcation contained in the regular report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006), we believe that that should be part of a diplomatic process in which all States and stakeholders must be involved in order to bring about a complete Israeli withdrawal. In the meantime, the identity of those farms needs to be determined once and for all.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“However, Israel continues to Violate that resolution by continually Violating, on a daily basis, the sovereignty of Lebanon. Last year, those Violations totalled 872. There were 711 air violations, 32 sea violations and 128 land Violations. The latest incursion took place in 2008, when Israelis went 200 metres into Lebanese territory, bypassing the Green Line and detaining a Lebanese citizen for one day. Israel continues to refuse to provide landmine maps. It dropped cluster bombs over southern Lebanon in the last war and refuses to provide maps showing their location.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“From this standpoint, my country, Lebanon, insists that the issue of refugees should be resolved on the basis of General Assembly resolution 194 (III). We reiterate our call for that repatriation, which is necessary. If it is not carried out, that will jeopardize the national identity of those Palestinians. Israel's behaviour in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza, reminds us of the recent atrocious images of the war that Israel perpetrated against Lebanon in 2006, in which they systematically destroyed infrastructure and deliberately targeted civilians. The Lebanese Government has undertaken to implement the provisions of resolution 1701 (2006) adopted by this Council after the war of 2006. The goal is to restore security and stability in southern Lebanon.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“The blockade at the crossing points has not been lifted, nor are Palestinian institutions allowed to work in occupied territories. Those are confidence-building measures that would make it possible to deal with the question of final status. The Annapolis participants came to an agreement on that, that is, borders, Jerusalem, security and refugees. That was all based on the baseline document of Madrid, the relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, announced in Beirut by the Arab heads of State in 2002, and was confirmed at the Riyadh summit in 2007. That initiative calls for a comprehensive peace based on an Israeli withdrawal from all occupied territories in 2007, particularly the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan and the remaining occupied Lebanese territories.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“Hungry, unhealthy, angry communities do not make good partners for peace." It is necessary today to normalize living conditions in Gaza and the West Bank, not only to put an end to the suffering of the people, but also to ensure that the comprehensive peace process that should have continued in the wake of the Annapolis conference has its credibility restored. That credibility was tainted and obstructed by the policy of fait accompli imposed by Israel, which is relying on the use of force and completely flouting international law and the relevant resolutions. The settlements have not been frozen, despite the inclusion of that measure in the initial commitment undertaken under the Quartet's Road Map, and the separation wall is still being built.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“1) People are still watching this Council to verify that it is able to meet the challenge, that there is a lifting of the blockade and that crossings are opened to allow civilians to cross them immediately. Despite frustrations with respect to the Council's shortcomings in dealing with the substance of the Israeli-Arab conflict, many still place trust in this body and believe in its role in maintaining international peace and security. No one is disappointed if peace remains the ultimate goal. The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Ms. Karen Koning AbuZayd, said in an article published in The Guardian on 23 January 2008: "There has never been a more urgent need for the international community to act to restore normality in Gaza.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“Mr. Salam (Lebanon) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, allow me to thank you, Mr. President, for steering the work of the Council during this month. Allow me to thank also Mr. Pascoe for his instructive and important briefing. One week ago, this Council considered the ongoing crisis in Gaza stemming from the siege imposed by Israel. During that week, many voices were raised to denounce the collective punishment imposed by Israel on Palestinian civilians. More importantly, the resolution that you referred to, Sir, adopted by the Human Rights Council last week in Geneva, called for: "international action to put an immediate end to the grave violations committed by the occupying Power, Israel, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory". (A/HR C/S-6/L.”
2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source
“The duty of the international community is to save the Gaza Strip and its population immediately from all forms of collective punishment imposed by Israel. That is the only option. That is a decision we must take if we are to fulfil the hope of achieving just and comprehensive peace in the region, instead of burying it piece by piece with every child buried.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Let us recall that more than two thirds of the population of the Gaza Strip - around 70 per cent - is comprised of refugees with no clear address in their own land, save those of the refugee camps of Jabalia, Shati, Nuseirat, Deir el-Balah, Maghazi, Khan Younis, Rafah and Bureij. All are addresses targeted by Israel, just as the terrorist organizations Haganah, the Stern Gang and the Irgun targeted the original addresses of the camps in southern Palestine in 1948 with massacres and campaigns of intimidations to force residents to flee Palestine. Those addresses are today part of Israel, as are Asdood, Fallujah, Yasoor, Kalkabbah, Beer Al- Saba'a and hundreds of other villages and towns. The crimes are continuing to escalate. We will not pose the question: Until when?”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Some might say that Israel has ended its occupation of the Gaza Strip. This is true: Israel has withdrawn its forces from the Gaza Strip and dismantled its settlements there. But it has kept its stranglehold on the arteries of life in the Strip. It controls the land, sea and airspace of the Gaza Strip, and controls the daily life of its population. Thus, Gaza can clearly and unambiguously be described as the largest prison in the world. It is true that Israel's crimes in Gaza did not start with the siege. These are continuing, escalating crimes against the population of the Gaza Strip. The majority of the population are the victims of a policy of displacement and expulsion which coincided with the establishment of the State of Israel.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“In any case, it is a right that does not permit the excessive or disproportionate use of force - which is what is taking place in Gaza today. It is no coincidence that Mr. John Dugard, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, in a statement he issued on 18 January from the United Nations Office at Geneva, stated that 08-21448 "Recent action violates the strict prohibition on collective punishment contained in the Fourth Geneva Convention. It also violates one of the basic principles of international humanitarian law that military action must distinguish between military targets and civilian targets... Those responsible for such cowardly action are guilty of serious war crimes and should be prosecuted and punished for their crimes".”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“"Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited." The same rules are set forth in article 50 of The Hague Rules of War and Occupation of 1907. Furthermore, in its explanation of aspects of article 33, the International Committee of the Red Cross condemned collective punishment because it punishes both the guilty and the innocent equally and because it contradicts all humanitarian concepts and notions of justice. There are some who might say that Israel has the right to defend itself or some justification for the crimes it commits. But this right to self-defence, which is established by international norms and conventions, in particular the Charter of the United Nations, is a right that cannot be used as a pretext to wage war or exact revenge against innocent civilians.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Yesterday, the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, said, "We are trying to hit only those involved in terrorism, but also signalling to the population in Gaza that it cannot be free from responsibility for the situation". This policy constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, in particular the regime for the protection of civilians enshrined in the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. Specifically, article 33 of the Convention explicitly states that "No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. "Pillage is prohibited.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“It is unacceptable to the human conscience to see scores of people dying because they cannot find enough bread to eat, or because they are too ill or unable to find cars to move them to hospitals - or because if they are moved, the hospitals do not have the capacity to provide proper treatment. Even those who have been killed are not spared punishment. The situation is so bad that the spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Mr. Christopher Gunness, has said that the Palestinians cannot even find the cement to make graves for the dead. 08-21448 This is the policy of collective punishment practised by Israel against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip through a clear decision. Israel threatens to continue this policy despite the announcement of a partial lifting of the siege.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“And killing is only one part of the last two years of continuous and escalating punishment involving siege, isolation, starvation and impoverishment, none of which makes a distinction between those who are armed and those who are civilians, or between the old and the young, or between the healthy and the sick. Once Israel had worn Gaza down with its strangulating siege, by which it restricted the mobility of individuals and goods, it declared Gaza a "hostile entity" and prohibited the delivery of fuel, gas, medical supplies and food to the territory. In so doing, Israel plunged Gaza into darkness, and brought it to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, despite the warnings of this Organization.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“I will start by listing the names of some of the "terrorists" whom Israel has killed in the Gaza Strip: Amir al-Yaziji, 8 years old; Sara Sliman Abu Ghazaal, 8 years old; Mahmoud Moussa Abu Ghazaal, 8 years old; Fady Mansour Al-kafarna, 10 years old. This is not an exhaustive list of those killed, but merely a few killed during the last several days and months of the latest Israeli aggression in Gaza. They have now joined the roster of "terrorists" who have been killed by Israel. They have joined Aiya Al-Asdar, 8 years old; Mohammad Amin, 6 years old; Nasr Allah Abu Salima, 5 years old; and many others. That is indeed but a sample of the victims of the punishment imposed by Israel on the population of the Gaza Strip on the pretext that the regime there is hostile to it.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Mr. Salam (Lebanon) (spoke in Arabic): Allow me, at the outset, to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council this month. It is my hope that your wisdom and experience will inspire the Council to live up to its great responsibilities. I would like also to express our appreciation to the Italian delegation for its presidency of the Council last month. Allow me also to extend my thanks to Mr. Pascoe for his comprehensive briefing. I 6 stress also that the Lebanese delegation endorses the statement made by the representative of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Group of Arab States.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The Council has thus entrusted the Secretary-General with the task of taking all necessary measures to ensure that the requisite conditions are in place for the Tribunal to start its work soon so that justice is done and so that these terrorist criminals receive the punishment that they deserve.”
2007-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5790 (2007) · source
“We are approaching the third anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his colleagues, and we also recall the assassination of other martyrs who had sought to consolidate the independence of Lebanon and defend its freedoms. We wish to express our appreciation to the Council, which was able resolutely to shoulder its responsibilities by establishing the International Independent Investigation Commission. The Council also exercised its responsibility by listening carefully to the periodic reports that were submitted and by developing the Statute of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.”
2007-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5790 (2007) · source
“As his mandate comes to an end, I wish to express to Commissioner Brammertz the gratitude of the Lebanese Government for the work accomplished by the Commission and to wish him every success in the future. We are certain that the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia will benefit from his profound practical and legal expertise. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General for his decision to appoint Mr. Daniel Bellemare as the successor to Commissioner Brammertz and as Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon when it assumes its functions. We also applaud the response of the Security Council to this new appointment.”
2007-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5790 (2007) · source
“This process includes the preparation of documents, data files and elements of evidence, as well as the formulation of a draft strategy for establishing a witness protection programme, updating information and setting up plans for the liquidation of the Commission's assets in accordance with United Nations procedures. Fifthly - and perhaps this is the most serious point - the Commission has established that the evidence it has gathered concerning the assassination of Rafik Hariri and other incidents, including the recent assassination of Lebanese Member of Parliament Antoine Ghanem, show that the perpetrators or teams of perpetrators are still able to move rapidly in Beirut and still have wide-ranging and well- developed operational capabilities. These groups have also been able to draw on the expertise of specialized teams and resources.”
2007-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5790 (2007) · source
“Thirdly, conclusions have been reached proving the hypothesis that there were operational links between the presumed perpetrators of the crime and the bombings and terrorist acts that followed the assassination. The Commission has provided support to the Lebanese authorities, enabling them to investigate those links. Fourthly, the Commission has made progress in transferring its work to the Office of the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, in accordance with the recommendations of the Secretary-General and resolution 1757 (2007).”
2007-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5790 (2007) · source
“First, the Commission has been able to narrow the scope of its investigation through more specific preliminary conclusions regarding the circumstances surrounding the crime, including the identities of additional individuals concerned. Secondly, there is more specific clarification of the presumed motives for the assassination, which can be linked to Prime Minister Hariri's political activities in the run-up to the elections and in the months and years before the assassination. These factors include the adoption of resolution 1559 (2004); the extension of the term of President Emile Lahoud; the electoral law reform; and the political status of Mr. Hariri prior to the parliamentary elections of 2005.”
2007-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5790 (2007) · source
“All of that has helped to create an atmosphere of trust among the States involved in the investigation with a View to promoting the necessary cooperation. We wish to thank Mr. Brammertz and his team for their two years of work, during which they built on previous accomplishments, providing a solid legal foundation for an extremely important legal investigation requested by the international community to address organized terrorist acts and repeated political crimes targeting Lebanon and its elites, whether they be Government ministers, deputies, intellectuals or defenders of free expression. Chief among them, of course, was Rafik Hariri, whose assassination was an attempt to undermine the country's stability and the safety of its people. We wish to stress the following five points contained in the report.”
2007-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5790 (2007) · source
“Brammertz is leaving us after two years of service, during which he bore witness to bomb attacks, political assassinations, destructive Israeli aggressions and attempts to intimidate the international forces operating in southern Lebanon. We listened very attentively to the briefing given by Mr. Brammertz on the outcomes of the work of the Commission. Before addressing the briefing's content, we should like to congratulate this honest investigator and serious-minded jurist for his earnest, methodical, studious, solid and consistent work, which have demonstrated his professionalism, as well as for the adoption of various action plans, the submission of evidence and the assembling of the best specialized expertise.”
2007-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5790 (2007) · source
“Mr. Salam (Lebanon) (spoke in Arabic): The delegation of Lebanon, Sir, would like to congratulate you and your delegation on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the current month. I should also like to thank the Permanent Representative of Indonesia and his team for their efforts in presiding over the Council last month. We are now considering the last report to be submitted by Serge Brammertz in his capacity as Commissioner of the International Independent Investigation Commission, charged with investigating the assassination of Rafik Hariri, former Prime Minister of Lebanon, and his companions. Mr.”
2007-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5790 (2007) · source
“Moreover, these by-elections represented the democratic answer to the terrorist killings, and the fact that the opposition candidate won one of the two contested seats is the latest proof of the vitality of Lebanon's democracy in our part of the world and a source of pride to my Government. We also hope that the upcoming presidential election will bear additional witness to my country's entrenched democracy.”
2007-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5736 (2007) · source
“May I ask you as well to note that in the midst of this fight, my Government took the initiative to address the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian refugees who had to leave the camp and that it hopes that, with the aid of the international community, the reconstruction of the camp and the return of its inhabitants will not take long to materialize. Let me also mention that in my country on 5 August by-elections in Beirut and the Matn district were held to replace two assassinated members of parliament. The good news here lies in the fact that despite the fierce political campaign that accompanied those by-elections and the tight race between the contending candidates, the process went smoothly and without one single serious act of violence being reported.”
2007-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5736 (2007) · source
“Moreover, on behalf of every Lebanese man and woman who was killed, maimed, disfigured or injured by a cluster bomb, on behalf of every Lebanese child who was playing outside his home and never came back and on behalf of every Lebanese child who is threatened by the possibility of not coming back home, my Government pledges before you that it shall not spare any effort to reach an international ban on cluster bombs, so that those most ugly weapons become things of the past. This pledge is not the only good news from Lebanon I wish to put before you today. I would also like to assure you of the unwavering determination of my Government and its army to put an end to the terrorist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Bared camp and not allow it to continue threatening the stability of my country.”
2007-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5736 (2007) · source
“Moreover, Israel's persistent refusal to give the United Nations the maps that indicate where it dropped the cluster bombs is an additional flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, since the remaining unexploded bomblets represent a continuous threat to the safety and security of the Lebanese civilian population. My Government is determined to clean Lebanon of Israel's cluster bombs and put an end to the sufferings they cause to my countrymen in southern Lebanon.”
2007-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5736 (2007) · source
“The 2006 annual report of the United Nations Mine Action Service clearly specifies that over one million have not exploded and have thus become tantamount to anti- personnel land mines, easily capable of claiming more lives and victims. By the end of last June, more than 233 Lebanese civilians had fallen victims to Israeli cluster bombs, many of whom were children. Israel's decision to drop those cluster bombs in the first place constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, since such munitions are by nature non-discriminatory and may cause unnecessary suffering to the civilian population.”
2007-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5736 (2007) · source
“The continued Israeli occupation of the Sheb'a farms constitutes a violation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978), which had in 1978 called upon Israel to "withdraw forthwith its forces from all Lebanese territory". While we praise the progress achieved by the senior cartographer appointed to determine the territorial definition of the farms, we believe that a political process must also start, based on my Government's proposal in its seven-point plan to put this area under the interim jurisdiction of the United Nations. During the Israeli aggression on Lebanon last summer, the Israeli army deliberately pounded southern Lebanon with millions of cluster bombs.”
2007-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5736 (2007) · source