Annan disturbed by Israel criticism and threats against UN personal

In a what some see as a pattern by Israel to label those who disagree with its policy and actions as anti semitists to shut them up, Israel is trying to intimidate UN personal in what they say or don't say.

"U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says he is disturbed by Israeli criticism of his Middle East envoy, (Terje Larsen), who blasted Israeli conduct in the devastated Palestinian refugee camp at Jenin," a Voice of America report said today.

The Israeli government considered cutting ties with Larsen after he described conditions in Jenin as "horrific beyond belief," and Israel's decision to block unrestricted search and rescue access to the camp as "morally repugnant," the VOA report said.

Yesterday, US Secretary of state Colin Powell told ABC news about the condition of the Jenin camp destroyed by Israel "It's very troubling, and I don't know what we'll find. Assistant Secretary of State Bill Burns went in for three hours on Friday, and his report to me was disturbing -- loss of life, collapsed buildings, the potential for disease."

Meantime, Annan announced the members of fact-finding team today. Martti Ahtisaari, the former President of Finland, will head a fact-finding mission mandated by the United Nations Security Council to develop accurate information regarding recent events at the Jenin refugee camp on the West Bank, Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced this morning. In addition to Mr. Ahtisaari, who served in various high-level UN posts over the course of his career, the team will comprise former UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata and Cornelio Sommaruga, former President of the International Olympic Committee, The UN said.