The US opposes the Lebanese government’s compensation case in the International Court of Justice, which demands Israeli compensation for 25 years of damage caused by military attacks on civilians and vital installations, reported the Daily Star newspaper on Thursday.
Citing well-informed sources, the daily said that Washington had raised the issue through its diplomats, not only with Lebanese leaders, but also through other unofficial channels preparing the case.
The diplomats indicated that filing such a case would at present not help bring about “pacification,” but spread “intransigence.”
According to the sources, “this explains Lebanon’s delay in submitting its case, although the related files are ready.”
One source expressed surprise at the “hesitation” in defending Lebanon’s rights despite the considerable human and material losses caused by Israeli attacks, said the paper.
He also wondered why UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had not responded to Beirut’s complaint regarding Israel’s alleged use of depleted uranium in its attacks on sites in the south and other regions.
Lebanon had asked the UN to send experts to the south to investigate, but Annan postponed a UN response to the request pending results from commissioned reports on the health hazards posed by depleted uranium, the paper said.
The source recalled that Speaker Nabih Berri had hinted he would not hesitate to form a special parliamentary committee to look into the matter if current investigations failed to achieve “tangible results.” – Albawaba.com
