As I noted here in 2006, as well as in testimony before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September 2006 (which you may read here), it is naive to expect that UNIFIL, on steroids or otherwise, will move to disarm Hezbollah. Instead, the force has developed a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The incident reported in the Haaretz article involves Hezbollah disrespecting that dictum. However, rather than confronting Hezbollah, UNIFIL responds to such incidents by restoring the rule, which is an arguably sensible policy so long as UNIFIL is not going to act as a strike force against Hezbollah. And, UNIFIL is unlikely to ever play that role, either to protect Lebanon's territory from Israel or to protect Israel from Hezbollah. What the force does best is act as a buffer force and a reporting agency. As such, it reduces the opportunity for an eruption of violence and its gives both sides an excuse not to fight.
Israel: UNIFIL is concealing information about Hezbollah - Haaretz - Israel News
Showing posts with label unifil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unifil. Show all posts
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Board of Inquiry - Bombing of UNTSO al-Khiam post, July 25, 2006
On July 25, 2006, four un-armed UNTSO observers died when their outpost at al-Khiam in southern Lebanon was bombed by the IDF. This Canadian armed forces page includes a statement about the incident and a link to the Board of Inquiry report, a "secret" report [removed in 2009]. The report has been redacted, and appendices are listed but not provided. Even so, the report [from my archive] is informative about UN peacekeeping procedures, and the July 25, 2006 incident in which the four observers were killed. The board did not find any individual responsible for the bombing, but it did blame the IDF as an institution. The report notes that in other cases incidents of "close shelling" that were reported to the IDF, the shelling ceased after it was reported. In this instance, the shelling continued, even after the IDF was told, "you are killing my men." The Board received some cooperation from the United Nations, but very little from Israel, which provided only a "non-paper" with a general explanation of events.
[Added Oct. 2011 Canadian Forces News Release {no longer available, but a somewhat different archived version is now available here, August 13, 2014} and this NGO factsheet [now found here, August 13, 2014}. The BOI report is no longer posted at the Canadian site. I did retain a copy, so you may find it here. arn]
As a former UN observer in southern Lebanon I fully appreciate the dangers of serving there. As the Canadian report indicates, however, the deaths of Major Paeta Hess-Von Kruedener and his three colleagues were avoidable. [The BOI report, which has been hidden by Canadian authorities, clearly lays the blame for the deaths on the IDF, which claimed there was an "operational error" despite being forcefully warned by the Chief of Observer Group Lebanon that Israeli shelling was endangering the lives of the UN observers. The Canadian authorities justify deleting the BOI report in order to protect the operational security of the Israeli army.]
Board of Inquiry - FOB Robinson | National Defence and the Canadian Forces: "Major Paeta Hess-Von Kruedener" [now a dead link].
[Added Oct. 2011 Canadian Forces News Release {no longer available, but a somewhat different archived version is now available here, August 13, 2014} and this NGO factsheet [now found here, August 13, 2014}. The BOI report is no longer posted at the Canadian site. I did retain a copy, so you may find it here. arn]
As a former UN observer in southern Lebanon I fully appreciate the dangers of serving there. As the Canadian report indicates, however, the deaths of Major Paeta Hess-Von Kruedener and his three colleagues were avoidable. [The BOI report, which has been hidden by Canadian authorities, clearly lays the blame for the deaths on the IDF, which claimed there was an "operational error" despite being forcefully warned by the Chief of Observer Group Lebanon that Israeli shelling was endangering the lives of the UN observers. The Canadian authorities justify deleting the BOI report in order to protect the operational security of the Israeli army.]
Board of Inquiry - FOB Robinson | National Defence and the Canadian Forces: "Major Paeta Hess-Von Kruedener" [now a dead link].
Monday, October 09, 2006
The Sixth War
Just published:
The MIT Electronic Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, special issue on "The Sixth War: Israel's Invasion of Lebanon"
[The journal is now defunct, but the complete issue is available at this site:
MIT-EJMES]
The MIT Electronic Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, special issue on "The Sixth War: Israel's Invasion of Lebanon"
[The journal is now defunct, but the complete issue is available at this site:
MIT-EJMES]
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Slippery Analysis by Ze'ev Schiff, followed by important comments by authoritative peacekeeping veterans
In this piece, Ze'ev Schiff is reflecting the anxiety of the Israeli security elite that UNIFIL will be given a larger role in implementing a ceasefire. Schiff is being quite disingenuous in his analysis. The original mandate, UN Resolution 425, did not create UNIFIL in 1978 to protect Israel. The point of the resolution was for UNIFIL to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, and to assist the Lebanese government in restoring it control over southern Lebanon after Israel invaded Lebanon.
Israel at that did not withdraw in full. Instead, it left behind a cadre of agents to work with a proxy militia headed by Sa'ad Haddad. Through a process of intimidation, political pressure and violence, the proxy militia, acting with full Israeli support, did its best to prevent UNIFIL from operating in its area. When UN peacekeepers were assassinated or attacked, as in al-Tiri or in al-Qantarah in the early 1980s, Israel was pulling the strings. I was there.
After the 1978 war, which left the PLO in place because of Israel's failure in the Litani Operation, UNIFIL was obliged to accept the reality that both the PLO and Israel were the real players in southern Lebanon.
After the 1982 war, Israel occupied about 10% of Lebanese territory and prevented UNIFIL from operating in the areas where it operated.
When Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, it was not the mission of UNIFIL to attack Hizballah, whose legitimacy was emphasized by the Lebanese government.
Resolution 1559 of 2004 does not task UNIFIL to protect Israel, contrary to Schiff's claims.
Finally, UNIFIL is the product of its constituent national parts. In other words, it can only be as effective as the national governments that contribute troops allow it to be.
A recipe for disaster - Haaretz - Israel News
These are comments by Timur Goksel, who served for a quarter century with UNIFIL, and Tom Milo, a Dutch linguist and former peacekeeper. Milo, a former colleague, offers timely reflections on the challenges faced by UNIFIL in its early years of deployment. The belligerents, including Israel, often interfered in its operation. If a new forced is deployed in southern Lebanon, either to bolster UNIFIL or as an autonomous entity, it will face many of the same problems.
Israel at that did not withdraw in full. Instead, it left behind a cadre of agents to work with a proxy militia headed by Sa'ad Haddad. Through a process of intimidation, political pressure and violence, the proxy militia, acting with full Israeli support, did its best to prevent UNIFIL from operating in its area. When UN peacekeepers were assassinated or attacked, as in al-Tiri or in al-Qantarah in the early 1980s, Israel was pulling the strings. I was there.
After the 1978 war, which left the PLO in place because of Israel's failure in the Litani Operation, UNIFIL was obliged to accept the reality that both the PLO and Israel were the real players in southern Lebanon.
After the 1982 war, Israel occupied about 10% of Lebanese territory and prevented UNIFIL from operating in the areas where it operated.
When Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, it was not the mission of UNIFIL to attack Hizballah, whose legitimacy was emphasized by the Lebanese government.
Resolution 1559 of 2004 does not task UNIFIL to protect Israel, contrary to Schiff's claims.
Finally, UNIFIL is the product of its constituent national parts. In other words, it can only be as effective as the national governments that contribute troops allow it to be.
A recipe for disaster - Haaretz - Israel News
These are comments by Timur Goksel, who served for a quarter century with UNIFIL, and Tom Milo, a Dutch linguist and former peacekeeper. Milo, a former colleague, offers timely reflections on the challenges faced by UNIFIL in its early years of deployment. The belligerents, including Israel, often interfered in its operation. If a new forced is deployed in southern Lebanon, either to bolster UNIFIL or as an autonomous entity, it will face many of the same problems.
Friday, July 28, 2006
'They just don't care' about UN force
globeandmail.com : 'They just don't care' about UN force: "The Israeli shelling that killed four United Nations peacekeepers, one of them Canadian, in south Lebanon was likely the result of recklessness rather than deliberate action, a former top member of the UNIFIL mission said yesterday.
Timur Goksel, a veteran peacekeeper who spent years acting as a liaison between the UNIFIL observer mission in south Lebanon and the Israeli army, said he was angered but unsurprised by the incident on Tuesday. He said it fit a long pattern of irresponsible behaviour by the Israelis that frequently put UN peacekeepers in the line of fire.
'The Israelis just don't care. I don't call it deliberate, that's just too harsh,' he said. 'This was totally unnecessary. There's no reason to drop this bomb on a UN base that's been there for 50 years.'"
Canadian victim had sent email discussing Hizballah activity near the outpost.
Timur Goksel, a veteran peacekeeper who spent years acting as a liaison between the UNIFIL observer mission in south Lebanon and the Israeli army, said he was angered but unsurprised by the incident on Tuesday. He said it fit a long pattern of irresponsible behaviour by the Israelis that frequently put UN peacekeepers in the line of fire.
'The Israelis just don't care. I don't call it deliberate, that's just too harsh,' he said. 'This was totally unnecessary. There's no reason to drop this bomb on a UN base that's been there for 50 years.'"
Canadian victim had sent email discussing Hizballah activity near the outpost.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
UN monitors a mistake
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Olmert: killing UN monitors a mistake
The UN general secretary, Kofi Annan, today accused the Israeli military of carrying out a sustained bombing of the UN base on the Lebanon-Israel border that culminated in the killing of four unarmed monitors.
Mr Annan said he had suggested to the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, that they carry out a joint investigation into the events that led to the shelling of the "well-established and well marked" Unifil (UN interim force in Lebanon) post in the town of Khiyam.
"I spoke to Mr Olmert and he definitely believes it was a mistake and has expressed his deep sorrow, " Mr Annan told a press conference in Rome.
"But the shelling started in the morning and went on until after 7pm. You cannot imagine the anguish of the unarmed men and women peacekeepers who were there."
The UN general secretary, Kofi Annan, today accused the Israeli military of carrying out a sustained bombing of the UN base on the Lebanon-Israel border that culminated in the killing of four unarmed monitors.
Mr Annan said he had suggested to the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, that they carry out a joint investigation into the events that led to the shelling of the "well-established and well marked" Unifil (UN interim force in Lebanon) post in the town of Khiyam.
"I spoke to Mr Olmert and he definitely believes it was a mistake and has expressed his deep sorrow, " Mr Annan told a press conference in Rome.
"But the shelling started in the morning and went on until after 7pm. You cannot imagine the anguish of the unarmed men and women peacekeepers who were there."
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