Published on Friday, July 28, 2006 by the Toronto Star
Canadian's Wife Wants Answers
Says deadly bombing of UN observer post was `intentional.


The wife of a Canadian soldier missing and presumed dead in an Israeli air strike on a United Nations observation post in southern Lebanon says she believes the attack was intentional. Cynthia Hess-von Kruedener made the allegation yesterday when she spoke to reporters at Canadian Forces Base Kingston.

"Why were they firing on that base?" Hess-von Kruedener demanded to know. "That wasn't the only day they were firing on that base. My information from (her husband) is weeks upon weeks they've been firing on them. "In my opinion, those were precision-guided missiles, then that was intentional," she said. The career officer had been in Lebanon for the past nine months and had three months remaining in his mission.

His wife's comments add fuel to the growing controversy over the bombing.. At the heart of it lies information that has come out over the past few days that UN observers in Lebanon phoned the Israelis at least 10 times over a six-hour period pleading for the shelling of the position to stop. When it became evident the shelling wasn't going to stop, the base commander called top UN officials in New York.

Ireland has filed an official protest over the incident as six of those specific phone warnings came from Lt.-Col. John Molloy, a senior Irish UN peacekeeper whose job was to liaise with the Israel Defence Forces.

An Israel Defence Forces spokesman denied the allegation saying "we are targeting the roads because Hezbollah uses those roads; under no circumstances do we target civilians, including the media."

For Hess-von Kruedener, an email sent to CTV last week about his mission described the dangers he faced.

According to UN officials, there have been dozens of incidents involving firing near UN posts — including nine hits on their positions.

© 2006 The Toronto Star