<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><a
href="http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3592764,00.html">http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3592764,00.html</a>
<br>
<b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Report: UN to demand Israel pay Lebanon $1
billion<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b>Lebanese media say Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to
instruct Israel to take responsibility for environmental damages caused by 2006
war, including oil spill following bombing of Beirut power plant <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b>Roee Nahmias<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will demand that Israel pay
Lebanon $1 billion in compensation over damages caused during the Jewish
state's 2006 war against Hizbullah, Lebanese media reported Saturday.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>According to the report, the sum, based on World Bank
appraisals, is aimed at covering the environmental and material damages caused
by the Second Lebanon War, to neighboring countries as well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The fundamental part of the compensation demanded is for the
damage caused to the Lebanese coast due to an oil spill following an Israeli
bombing of a southern Beirut power plant, which the Lebanese said had caused
"an ecological disaster."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>According to the report, Ban plans to submit a report to the
United Nations General Assembly at the end of the month, stating that damage
Israel caused to the oil reservoir polluted Lebanon's coast, and that the
pollution spread to neighboring countries, especially Syria.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Ban further notes that the UN rehabilitation plan managed to
clean some of the oil spill in several areas in northern Lebanon seashores.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The oil spill, which was defined the greatest natural
disaster in Lebanon's history, took place after Israel Air Force planes hit a
power plant and caused some 110,000 oil barrels to leak into the Mediterranean
Sea.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The report said that the UN wants Israel to compensate the
countries harmed by the oil spill and restore the environmental situation along
the Lebanon coast. The Jewish state has yet to respond to the demand, despite
messages conveyed in August 2007.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>About half a year ago, new agencies reported that the German
government granted Lebanon 4.5 million euros (about $6.4 million) to help
finance environmental projects and damage restoration activities following the
war.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>