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24 September 2014
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War in Lebanon - insiders discuss what really happened


Edward Stourton uncovers what really happened during the Israeli-Lebanon conflict last year in The Summer War In Lebanon on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4.

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Hundreds of civilians were killed and thousands were made homeless during the wave of bombings in Lebanon and rocket attacks on Northern Israel last year.

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Ed Stourton has spent the last six months talking to the key players for the two-part programme at 8.02pm on Tuesday 3 and 10 April 2007.

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Stourton asks if the United States deliberately gave Israel the diplomatic space to continue a war.

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"What's wrong with that?" says John Bolton, then US Ambassador to the United Nations.

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From the Israeli camp, Danny Ayalon, former Israeli Ambassador in Washington adds: "I do not recall anybody exercising or asking us to exercise caution."

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Several of the key players interviewed claim that many Arab leaders wanted Israel to 'finish the job'.

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Terje Roed Larsen, UN Special Envoy, says: "There were many not - how should I put it - resistant to the thought that the Israelis should thoroughly defeat Hezbollah, who... increasingly by Arab states were seen as an Iranian proxy."

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The then US Ambassador says explains his attitude to calls for a ceasefire at the start of the conflict.

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John Bolton: "Look, it's just in the water in New York to call for a ceasefire without regard to the political consequences. I thought that was dangerous and misguided. I thought it then and I think it now."

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Ed Stourton presses Bolton on the stance of the US: "You know the criticism that was made of the American position at that time which was essentially that you were simply letting the Israelis have their head to achieve their aims their aims and that's why you wouldn't call for a ceasefire. Was there any truth in that?"

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John Bolton: "What was wrong with that?"

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Ed Stourton: "That was the American position?"

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John Bolton: "Well they had been attacked. They were responding."

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Ed Stourton: "Your former UN colleague the Syrian Ambassador said to us that America was deliberately frustrating diplomatic attempts during those last two weeks of July precisely so Israel could have its head. From what you just said that's a fair analysis of what was happening."

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John Bolton: "I was damn proud of what we did."

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Ed Stourton: "So it is a fair analysis of what happened."

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John Bolton: "I think it's a fair analysis that we felt that Israel was entitled to exercise the right of self defence..."

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The investigation also reveals the growing animosity between the Secretary General of the United Nations and the US.

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"He was an interested bystander," says John Bolton."He commented but I don't think he had any major diplomatic effect on the outcome."

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There was also a stand up row between France's Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

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"How do you know that?" asks FM Philippe Douste-Blazy. "It was behind closed doors."

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Also, in the programme, the UN's Emergency Relief Co-ordinator Jan Egeland calls for the Israelis to be held accountable for attacks on civilian areas in Lebanon.

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He says: "What I saw is, yes, Israel clearly disproportionately hit civilian targets, civilian infrastructure, which is in violation of humanitarian law, so yes somebody should be held accountable."

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Written and Presented by Ed Stourton. Produced by Mark Savage.

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The Summer War In Lebanon, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4, 8.02pm Tuesday 3 and 10 April

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Category: News; Radio 4
Date: 22.03.2007
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