At
UN,
While Few
Openly Defend
NATO Bombing
of Libya TV,
They Say Await
Probe to See
if Journos
Killed - No
Follow Up?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 9 --
After the UN Security
Council on
Tuesday
discussed
NATO's bombing
of Libya state
television,
Inner City
Press
asked Council
members for
their views.
Russia's
Permanent
Representative
Vitaly Churkin
said he had
raised the
matter, along
with the
bombing of
radar at
Tripoli
airport, oil
and other
infrastructure.
When
Brazil's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
came out,
Inner City
Press her for
Brazil's
position on
NATO bombing
the Libyan
state TV
station. "We
are opposed to
it," she said.
The
Chinese
position
includes
points to
conventions
and a previous
Council
resolution,
1738, against
targeting
journalists or
media
personnel.
It
appears that
NATO's defense
now is that
while it
targeted the
TV station
because
it incited
harm to
civilians, its
bombing did
not as
reported
killed
any
journalists.
But
should media,
even the
physical
facilities of
broadcasting,
be targeted?
One
Western
spokesperson
said that NATO
is now saying
that it was
not targeting
the TV
station, but
rather a
"parabolic"
satellite
dish.
McKinney
on Libya TV:
bad TV, but
criminal TV?
NATO bombs not
shown
When
UK Deputy
Permanent
Representative
Philip Parham
told Inner
City Press
that
NATO is
investigating
the incident,
Inner City
Press asked if
that
meant NATO is
backing away
from its
defense of
targeting a TV
station. I'm
not suggesting
they are
backing away
from that, DPR
Parham said,
adding they
are
investigating
what happened.
This
seems to mean
that NATO will
dispute any
report that
any civilian,
particularly a
journalist or
media worker
as defined in
Resolution
1738, was
injured
-- but will
stand by its
right to bomb
any
broadcaster or
media
engaged either
in hate speech
(Rwanda-style)
or even
inciting the
harming of
civilians,
seemingly a
lower
standard.
We'll see.
* * *
On
Libya,
Amid Questions
of Bombing TV
Station, Ban
Thinks It's
Protecting
Civilians
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 9,
updated -- The
Security
Council turned
to Libya in a
closed
door session
Tuesday
morning, when
China and
other members
criticized
NATO's bombing
of state
television
there,
purportedly
under the
authorization
of Council
resolution
1973.
Since
under that
resolution UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon was
given a
"coordinating"
role, Inner
City Press
Tuesday at
noon asked
Ban's acting
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq
what Ban
thought of
NATO's
bombing of
Libyan TV.
Haq
replied in
part that Ban
"believes that
resolution
1973 has been
used properly
in order to
protect
civilians in
Libya.".
But,
as was being
asked in the
Council's
closed door
consultations,
how does
bombing a
TV station, in
violation of
conventions,
protect
civilians?
Haq
said the
Secretariat
would "need
further
details about
what the
operations
that were
conducted
involved." But
these
operations
took place
days ago, and
have been
reported on.
What was that,
about Ban
coordinating
and even
providing
safeguards on
actions under
Resolution
1973?
Haq
said, it is
being
discussed in
the Council.
But what about
Ban's role, if
not
leadership?
Watch this
site.
Footnote:
Inner
City Press
asked a well
placed source
in the
Council's
consultation
if any member
had invoked
Radio Mille
Collines in
Rwanda
as a precedent
for bombing
Libya TV. Cote
d'Ivoire's
Ouattara
recently cited
the station in
connection
with the probe
of a
pro-Gbagbo
journalist.
We'll see.
Update
of 12:50 pm --
Inner City
Press asked
Brazil's
Deputy
Permanent
Representaive
what Brazil
thinks of
NATO's bombing
of the Libya
TV station.
"We do not
approve," she
said.
Update
of 1:21 pm --
Inner City
Press asked
the Deputy
Perm Reps of
Lebanon and
then Germany
for their
countries'
views on
NATO's bombing
of Libyan TV.
Lebanon's
DPR said her
country
supporters
freedom of the
press, notes
that
Resolution
1973 is for
the protection
of civilians;
she got
information
today and will
be seeking
more.
Germany's
DPR said
Germany will
wait for
NATO's
investigation,
that his
country is a
member of NATO
but not of the
coalition. He
noted that at
times media
can incite
violence
against
civilians.
So
again we ask:
did anyone
explicitly
cite Radio
Mille Collines
of Rwanda?
Update
of 1:38 pm --
Inner City
Press kept
asking about
NATO's bombing
of Libyan TV.
Bosnia's Perm
Rep said
waiting for
more
information,
so no comment.
Inner City
Press asked
Council
president for
August Hardeep
Singh Puri
about the
Libya
discussion and
the TV
bombing. He
said it was in
consultations,
that UNESCO's
(back-dated)
statement was
brought up,
and that he
would leave it
there for now.
He reiterated
India's
overall
position,
abstaining on
Resolution
1973.
Russia's
Vitaly Churkin
told Inner
City Press he
has raised it,
as well as
bombing of
radar at the
Tripoli
airport, oil
and other
installations.
He too
references the
NATO
investigation.
But how will
its results be
reported to
the Security
Council?
We will
continue on
this - watch
this site.
, 
