Posted on 08/28/2006 7:50:30 PM PDT by nickcarraway
War In The Middle East: U.N. peacekeepers may have done more than just look the other way as Hezbollah created its armed state within a state. The blue helmets may have served as Hezbollah's military intelligence.
Real-time battlefield intelligence is a keystone of 21st century warfare, especially when you're up against a terrorist enemy that has had six years to construct hardened underground bunkers and tunnels from which to fight while not having to obey the rules of war.
The situation gets complicated and your task becomes harder when that real-time intelligence is being provided to that enemy, Hezbollah, by uniformed observers who are supposed to be neutral: the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Writing in the Sept. 4 issue of The Weekly Standard, Lori Lowenthal Marcus reviewed the UNIFIL postings on its Web site (un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil) during Hezbollah's war with Israel. She documented how UNIFIL listed Israeli positions and troop movements on a regular basis, sometimes within 30 minutes of their deployment.
UNIFIL has observed much but done little since Israel withdrew totally from Lebanon in 2000, except to interfere in Israel's ability to defend itself.
As Dore Gold, former Israeli ambassador to the U.N., noted recently: "Hezbollah would launch military attacks 50 meters from a UNIFIL outpost, Israel would shoot back and UNIFIL would protest against the Israeli response. Now it has been caught actively aiding Israel's attackers."
Marcus' review of UNIFIL's Web postings show that it was daily revealing the towns Israeli soldiers had moved into, the positions from which they were firing, and when and how they had entered Lebanon. These postings described the nature of their weaponry and materiel, and the locations of Israeli Defense Force safety structures mere hours after their construction.
One such posting, dated July 25, read:
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
LOL
If there was such a thing. That is.
BTW, you weren't behaving like one of the bullies, and I should not have implied you were.
But you were ready to jump on their bandwagon pretty quickly.
Maybe that poster will be engaged by the debates going on here and learn from it.
Not everyone comes to FR with total knowledge of all the right and wrong in the world.
Not everyone comes to FR with exactly the same opinions as (for instance) you.
Not everyone on FR is an instant, perfect, TROLL spotter, such as (for instance) you.
TROLLS are a problem, sometimes, other times they are fun to play with. The most destructive TROLLS string on the most ardent FR (hardcore conservatives) posters, getting them to act just like those we criticize. (Like, DU)
I would not like to see FR become like DU. That is what prompted my reaction to your snap judgment.
I did read the post prior to yours where 'troll' was stated.
I just didn't think it was justified.
I also read your latest post where you were a much better 'host' or ambassador for Free Republic.
In that, you have given the new poster 'a fair shake'.
Thank you.
"Self aknowledgement of numerous homonym word replacements, mispellings and puncuation errors above."
Can I steal that? I need a new tagline.
Yea I guess so. At least you will quit partying in the past...
I'm going to start calling everyone a troll. Even Jim.
I wonder if I can make suc an obvious joke that I woun't get zotted.
That 'spying' comment would "typically" be posted BY a DU troll. And as such, someone is going to (98% of the time) hit the abuse button.
If he's a troll, he'll out himself.
I didn't think you did anything terrible.
I mean, you notice he got what he wanted. We sit around and argue and he is where? Poof, off in troll land.
I forget - why, exactly, was UNSCOM there in the first place, hmmm ?
As to reforming the UN, I agree - it should be sent to a reformatory - preferably in Sudan.
The Beast on the East River: The U.N. Threat to America's Sovereignty and Security
http://www.amazon.com/-Beast-on-East-River-/dp/1595550534/sr=8-1/qid=1156878354/ref=sr_1_1/103-6306824-5482233?ie=UTF8
No, not in troll land, but at night school.
No, not in troll land, but at night school.
And yes, I did want you to argue, but not about whether anyone had done something awful by calling me a troll (which I know understand) or a DU (which I don't). I wanted to inject a bit of debate and hear some opinions from you fine people. I assumed this was a debate page, where debate takes place.
To clear up another point, I was not expressing veiled anti-americanism, or anti anything for that matter. The US, as well as all other countries employs spies in order to spy, and I wasn't expressing a judgement about it I was just highlighting that if Hizbollah misuses information from the UN, then so do many others.
I am not an American, but a Dane, however that still qualifies me for membership of the human race and (thanks to many thousands of American, British, Canadian, Australian, etc., lives) I have the right to express myself. I am extremely impressed with the American example and consider the way of life to be an inspiration and something that (almost) every human being desires for them selves and their families. But one of the most precious attributes of your republic is democracy, and democracy starts with free speech. I fear that shouting down dissent is one of the reasons that US conservatives (from Cheney and Rumsfield down) have recieved an undeserved bad name in the wider world.
So you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings, but I reserve the right to state my opinion whenever and wherever I choose. I don't expect you to listen or even, really, respect it, just that you respect that I can.
Now I've got that off my chest, feel free to call the MODS or whomever controls opinions on this site.
Surely if the U.N. is not functioning properly the first response should be to reform it. Maybe we could start with scrapping the vetoes, giving it less tasks or providing it with more money.
If we insist on reform we're bullies. The U.S. should use the veto more often, especially after promising France that it won't. Less task is the only one I agree with. The U.N. should be given no tasks at all and also no money.
About the only thing the UN is good for is a forum for debate
And even that is questionable. The U.N. is nothing more than an executive committee for 3rd world interests. The U.S. should be just as uncooperative as China and Russia. The U.S. should promise France of cooperation at every opportunity and then do the opposite as France does.
The U.S. should immediately announce that it will be building a Nuke facility in Chechnya and Taiwan and selling advanced weaponry and see how they like it. Throw their own BS right back at them and throw wrenches into UN operations and votes at every opportunity.
As they scream and yell promise that we'll be more cooperative when China France and Russia do the same.
The world hates us anyway so let's REALLY show them what we could be.
We live in a digital age. Any world leader could stream a thousand ambassasors on the web at any time.
Agree, there should be no need in a modern world for in person meetings in one building in the entire world. For crying out loud stop funding the U.N. The organization is contrary to U.S. interests and, in fact, works against the U.N. charter itself.
Just stop funding it and let the world scream. It no longer matters in my view. The U.N. is so far gone that it isn't worth fixing.
Agreed.
Go away douschebag!
Okay easy does it. Give him time to implode. We could be wrong. He could just be irritating rather than evil.
I'm highly suspicious based on some other posts though.
You are so freakin fake. FREEP Mail me and let me know how many times you have already been banned.
You are acting like you are all new to this board and you use several features that people don't pick up on until they have been posting for quite a while.
If/when the war starts again anything with a blue hat should be the #1 target!!!
Sadly to say, a Reuters truck and, now the Red Cross, may
be suspect in allowing themselves to be used by Hezbulloh.I had no idea there were so many Rachel Corries over thererunning amok. All of whom should be neutral.
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