Posted on 11/01/2006 11:15:21 AM PST by SJackson
Despite the 20,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon, the United Nations admits that weapons smuggling from Syria continues unhindered. A German report finds UNIFIL does not patrol after dark.
Hizbullah terrorists are free to roam at night without fear of being identified by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), according to a report by the German paper Der Spiegel.
UNIFIL commanders were interviewed by the paper, saying their function is to "observe changes in the behavior of the local population," with Spanish UNIFIL official Richard Ortax admitting that no patrols are carried out at night “because of the danger involved.”
One junior officer told Der Spiegel he was glad that his battalion only left their camp once. "It's absurd," he said. "We landed here and set up our tent city, but since then we've only left the camp to drive around and to make sure that we're seen."
The report cites a long tradition of UNIFIL inaction, which it says allowed time for a Finnish contingent to construct a giant sauna and an Indian contingent to decorate its base with tradition Indian artwork.
The UNIFIL troops and the 14,000 Lebanese soldiers stationed in the region add up to a total of around 20,000 troops in the 18 by 31-mile region of southern Lebanon. 6,000 more troops are still expected to arrive.
The United Nations itself has admitted that Syria was still successfully smuggling arms to the Hizbullah, which neither UNIFIL nor the Lebanese army plan to stop.
Israel has maintained overflights in the region in order to monitor and discourage the smuggling, yet UNIFIL officials condemn the continued Israeli maneuvers and the Lebanese army even attempted to shoot down Israeli fighter jets on Tuesday. France and the European Union have been accusing Israel of violating Resolution 1701 with its flights over Lebanon.
The current state of affairs has led Israeli officials to speak about “rethinking the implementation of Israel’s commitments” made in the context of the UN-brokered cease-fire.
The UN Security Council “noted with regret” Tuesday that “non-Lebanese militias” in the country had not been disbanded or disarmed, an allusion to the Iranian and Syrian backed Hizbullah. The statement was termed a “presidential statement,” which is the weakest of all available Security Council actions.
Following the meeting, UN envoy to the region Terje Roed-Larsen explicitly admitted that Syria was actively smuggling weapons into Lebanon. He said that Lebanese government officials "have stated publicly and also in conversations with us that there have been arms coming across the border into Lebanon."
Roed-Larsen added that Syria does not deny the flow of weapons either, claiming only that they are not being dispatched by the Syrian government. "The consistent position of the government of Syria has been that, 'Yes, there might be arms smuggling over the border, but this is arms smuggling and the border is porous and very difficult to control,'" Roed-Larsen told reporters.
Roed-Larsen ducked UN responsibility for the smuggling, saying UN troops had not been asked by the Lebanese army to monitor the border.
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT
..................
UNIFIL has been enabling the terrorists for decades. The UN did the same thing again, got the same result.
right on
Israel gets to have the UN support and defend hizbullah, one of allahs military arms under the name of "Lebanon"? Lucky Israel!
And have to go face to face with the UN, the Hizbullah, Syria, Iran and egypt? Evidently, Lebanon has nothing to do with this.
Thats the joy of having certain vested interests driving the UN. There is no objectivity. No fairness. No equity. Only someone who wishes to support Iran and contribute to their dreams and aspirations.
Clearly ALL wish for Israels demise.
What horse$hit from the UN
UN deployments are a specie of performance art for pantomime soldiers. It is a double boon for all concerned, they get real-world theatrical experience preparing them for possible roles in HBO "Band of Brothers" military productions, and it gives them exposure to other international members of their guild, whom they might not normally ever have the chance to meet other than on the occasional movie set.
These troops should not be confused with actual soldiers, they are more on the order of Civil War Re-enactors, but with less commitment and much less firepower.
I think Tony alluded to this in today's press conference as well.
And I submit that you are right. As I said, more commmitment, more firepower. Way more moral courage. UN modus operandi is to hide out in their compounds over night, and come out in the morning to count the bodies. Confronting bad guys is not in their job description.
Beautiful pictures, by the way.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.