Lebanon, health care crisis, Q&A — Spokesman’s Office noon briefing (excerpts)

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Security Council – Lebanon

Good afternoon.  Just a short while ago, Serge Brammertz, the head of the International Independent Investigation Commission, briefed the Security Council on the considerable progress of the Commission’s investigation into the 14 February 2005 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 other people.

Presenting his latest report to the Council, Brammertz said that critical forensics work on the crime scene and the convoy vehicles has now been completed, and the modalities and circumstances of the attack are now largely understood.  In the months ahead, the Commission will focus on identifying the perpetrators of the crime, he said.

He added that, in light of the potential linkages between the Hariri investigation and 14 other cases in Lebanon, the Commission believes that a much more concerted and robust effort is needed to move those other cases forward.

And we have copies of his speech upstairs.

The Council has now ended consultations on the report, and we do understand that a draft resolution has been circulated regarding a one-year extension of the Commission.

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**WHO – Palestinian Territories

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that, because of the funding crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, health-care workers have not received salaries since March, leading to increased absenteeism.  In addition, hospitals are running out of essential drugs, and fuel shortages are hindering normal vaccination services.

WHO is, therefore, currently looking into the creation of an interim, urgent, funding mechanism to alleviate the situation.

And we do have a press release available upstairs.

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**Questions and Answers

Question:  I hope I didn’t miss anything you said earlier on this issue, but the Israelis yesterday came with a very detailed explanation of why they think their shells did not hit the family on Friday.  Human Rights Watch came with evidence to the contrary.  And in contrast to that, Secretary-General Annan said that one explanation is very odd in his view.  What did he base that on, and is there any independent, detailed analysis by the UN?

Spokesman:  First of all, if you look at the transcript of what the Secretary-General said yesterday, it was clearly … he spoke before the results of the investigation had been published.  We are obviously watching and seeing the disputed accounts of what may have happened on the beach … those from the Government of Israel, from Human Rights Watch, as you mentioned, and from the Palestinian Authority.  And we’re just watching this debate very closely at this point.

Question:  But Stéphane, he said that one explanation which the Israelis posit as the most logical possible explanation, although they don’t say clearly that that’s what happened, is odd.  What did he base that determination on?

Spokesman:  On the information at the time.  At this point, there are differing accounts of what happened, different investigations, and we’re watching this debate very closely.

Question:  There was no information at the time that said that beach mines are odd.

Spokesman:  Benny, all I can tell you is that we’re watching this debate and the investigations very closely.

Question:  One more question as a follow-up.  Annan urged the Israelis last Friday to launch an investigation.  The Israelis say that in their investigation, they have asked the Palestinian Authority to cooperate and give their side of the story to help their investigations.  The Palestinians did not do that.  They refused to do that.  Does that enter into the calculations of assessing the final results of those competing investigations?

Spokesman:  I don’t think I have any more to add than to say that we’re watching these different investigations very closely.

Question:  The Secretary-General said yesterday that he was putting in a call to President Mahmoud Abbas.  Has he?

Spokesman:  Yes, he spoke yesterday to President Abbas, who briefed him on the ongoing political dialogue within the Palestinian political spectrum.

Question:  And did he bring up anything about the Quartet or that the Quartet was fully engaged?

Spokesman:  That’s all I have on the conversation at this point, but I think the Secretary-General did tell you yesterday that he was in touch, the Quartet members at the envoy level and the principals level were in touch.

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Question:  Can you confirm that the Secretary-General is sending a special envoy to the occupied territories?

Spokesman:  He is not sending a special envoy.  No.  Those reports are erroneous.

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For information media • not an official record