• Submitted by: manso
• International
• 05 / 14 / 2011

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Thursday 12 May 2011. by Tom Mellen. Cuba's top UN envoy tore into Western countries on Wednesday for justifying bombing raids on developing countries by claiming they save civilian lives.

At a UN security council meeting Cuban permanent representative Pedro Nunez Mosquera criticised the implementation of resolution 1973, which approved a "no-fly zone" over Libya in a bid to protect civilians.

Mr Nunez said that it did not authorise the bombing of cities and populated areas.

Such attacks "only bring more deaths of innocent civilians, destroy schools, homes and hospitals and increase suffering of the civilian population," he observed.

Mr Nunez also criticised the UN for failing to condemn the rising number of victims of Nato air strikes against Libya, saying that the deaths of innocent people at the hands of foreign troops is "outrageous."

He described respect for the sovereignty of states as a "cornerstone" in international relations which "in no way can be disregarded or undermined."

And the diplomat challenged the UN to "fully play its role" in order to "assist and protect the millions of people in need all over the world, especially in underdeveloped countries."

The Libyan government claims that the Nato bombing campaign has killed hundreds of civilians but this has not been independently confirmed.

After a Nato air strike on a residential district of Tripoli killed the youngest son of Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi and three of his grandchildren in April, Nato commander Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard said: "All Nato's targets are military in nature and have been clearly linked to the regime's systematic attacks on the Libyan population and populated areas."

Source: www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/104564