United Nations at odds regarding jenin dilemma
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 5/4/2002

Following UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's decision to disband the UN fact-finding mission to Jenin, the Security Council is at a loss as what to do next.

Heated Arguments erupted between council members, some condemning Israel's actions in Jenin, others stating that condemnations are not strong enough, reported Friday Palestine Chronicle on its website.

A letter drafted Thursday stated the council "deplores" Israel's refusal to comply with the fact-finding mission.

Late Thursday, the council abandoned the draft after Arab diplomats demanded even stronger language against Israel.

Palestinian representative Nasser Al-Kidwa said the draft letter did not reflect the gravity of the situation created when Israel, a U.N. member state, refused to cooperate with Annan.

Israel is refusing to cooperate with the United Nations attempt to investigate the attack on Jenin, claiming that the UN would find Israel solely at fault for the killing. Kofi Annan claims that there is nothing he can do, as Israel will not comply.

Annan said Wednesday he regrets aborting the fact-finding mission, because "the long shadow cast by recent events in the Jenin refugee camp will remain." He also said conditions in the Jenin camp are changing day by day, making it more and more difficult to establish with any certainty what happened there.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Zanoun: 2150 Palestinians killed, 36,000 wounded during Intifada   (5/3/2002)
  UN is awaiting formal reply on Jenin, Annan says   (5/1/2002)
  Guardian report: Israel breached the Geneva conventions   (4/24/2002)
  US continues to block effective use of international law to expell Israel from Palestinian areas   (4/12/2002)

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