Post by Novi Pazar on Aug 7, 2008 22:29:07 GMT -5
Britain critical of UN report on the March violence in Kosovska Mitrovica
Britain criticized a United Nations probe into the March 17 storming of a courthouse by Unmik and NATO troops in Kosovska Mitrovica that concluded that commanders had ignored cautionary advice from New York.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Thursday, August 07, 2008
The decision to storm a court in Kosovska Mitrovica north and evict Serb demonstrators - ordered by former Unmik chief Joachim Ruecker and his US deputy Larry Rossin - resulted in clashes in which one Unmik policeman was killed and 150 people were injured.
The report by a UN investigative team concluded the decision by Ruecker and Rossin was "unwise".
London and Washington were disappointed by the results of the UN probe.
"While we do support an investigation, we don't believe that all the facts were properly aired in this case," British Deputy U.N. Ambassador Karen Pierce said after a UN Security Council briefing.
The report "does not sufficiently take into account the situation on the ground," Pierce said, adding "demonstrators had access to long-barreled weapons, to petrol bombs, to grenades".
Meanwhile, Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin blasted as 'unwarranted' a decision to use force against Serb protesters.
He accused the UNMIK leadership of rushing into 'that provocative decision'. 'It was important to raise this issue with the Secretary General and ask him to consider some measure of personal responsiblity, disciplinary measures against those people that were running UNMIK at that point', Churkin said.
He expressed regret that an internal UN report on the incident was not released to council members.
The issue will be handed over to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who will make a statement.
Britain criticized a United Nations probe into the March 17 storming of a courthouse by Unmik and NATO troops in Kosovska Mitrovica that concluded that commanders had ignored cautionary advice from New York.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Thursday, August 07, 2008
The decision to storm a court in Kosovska Mitrovica north and evict Serb demonstrators - ordered by former Unmik chief Joachim Ruecker and his US deputy Larry Rossin - resulted in clashes in which one Unmik policeman was killed and 150 people were injured.
The report by a UN investigative team concluded the decision by Ruecker and Rossin was "unwise".
London and Washington were disappointed by the results of the UN probe.
"While we do support an investigation, we don't believe that all the facts were properly aired in this case," British Deputy U.N. Ambassador Karen Pierce said after a UN Security Council briefing.
The report "does not sufficiently take into account the situation on the ground," Pierce said, adding "demonstrators had access to long-barreled weapons, to petrol bombs, to grenades".
Meanwhile, Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin blasted as 'unwarranted' a decision to use force against Serb protesters.
He accused the UNMIK leadership of rushing into 'that provocative decision'. 'It was important to raise this issue with the Secretary General and ask him to consider some measure of personal responsiblity, disciplinary measures against those people that were running UNMIK at that point', Churkin said.
He expressed regret that an internal UN report on the incident was not released to council members.
The issue will be handed over to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who will make a statement.