Rules of Engagement for Relief Agencies, Too--UN protecting Palestinian and Hezbollah terrorists

JINSA ^ | September 28, 2006

[Ooh-Ah]

JINSA Report #607

The keys to successful international peacekeeping are a) a peace to keep and b) Rules of Engagement (ROE) for the peacekeepers when peace fails. Neither exists for the emerging expanded UNIFIL force in Southern Lebanon. On the other hand, the nature of the conversation between the IDF, UNIFIL and representatives of the Lebanese Army is interesting. Actually, the mere FACT of the conversation is interesting.

As is the fact that UNIFIL will have an officer stationed with Israel’s Northern Command to “coordinate” with the IDF, and the IDF will have representatives with UNIFIL in Lebanon. The previous UNIFIL force refused discussions with Israel.

The latest IDF-UN meeting follows a Jerusalem Post interview in which UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini said UNIFIL would not engage Hezbollah even if Hezbollah were attacking Israel. The IDF was outraged, and, oddly, in what appeared to be support of the Israeli position, Kofi Annan’s spokesman said, “It is clear UNIFIL has the authority to intervene if the Lebanese Army is not in a position to do so, when there are violations of the resolution.” Pellegrini called his post-interview meeting with the IDF “constructive.”

Constructive, too is an Associated Press report of Lebanese helicopters for the first time patrolling the Lebanon-Syria border. A senior Lebanese military official said, “This has to do with the Lebanese Army taking up responsibility for controlling its own borders. We intend to prevent any kind of smuggling operations using all the means we have.” It follows what appears to be the first death of a Lebanese soldier trying to stop a convoy moving from Syria into Lebanon bound for Hezbollah.

Slowly, slowly, there may be a consensus building that the Government of Lebanon must exercise sovereignty the length of the country. Maybe.

BUT - JINSA has reported for years on the armed Palestinian presence in southern Lebanon as a destabilizing factor and an ally of Hezbollah and Syria. New reports indicate that Hezbollah has been moving rockets and launchers, plus other military equipment from the remains of its southern Lebanese bunkers into Palestinian refugee camps. Most important, according to those reports, Hezbollah operatives have begun digging new command and control bunkers inside the camps. Destruction of the bunkers was one of the chief accomplishments of the IDF in Lebanon; their restoration elsewhere would be a blow to Israeli security and evolving Lebanese sovereignty.

The Lebanese government cannot and does not enter camps belonging to UNRWA – the UNITED NATIONS Relief Works Agency; they are extraterritorial.

So, on the one hand, Israel is attempting to create a working relationship with a UN body charged with keeping the peace in southern Lebanon for the benefit of both countries but, on the other, a UN body is acting as safe harbor for Palestinian and Hezbollah terrorists. As UNIFIL determines its ROE, the international community - and in particular the United States which is the primary source of funds for UNRWA - must demand ROE for relief agencies as well. 

Feedback:  info@jinsa.org

[Finop]

"Rules of Engagement for Relief Agencies, Too--UN protecting Palestinian and Hezbollah terrorists" Why wouldn't they? They're related!

[wastedyears]

Blow 'em up and get done with it.

[marron]

If Israel needs to go in after Hezbollah, with Unifil blocking the way, they may need to just go in through Syria.

Hezbollah and Syria are partners in any case. When Round Two starts, there is no point in focusing all one's energy on the proxy. Skip south Lebanon and take down Assad.

[Ooh-Ah]

ping

[pawdoggie]

What Israel needs is a heavy bomber. Take a commercial heavy lift airliner design (e.g. a 747). Militarize it, and adapt it to carry a B-52 style bomb load. Obviously the IAF would have to achieve air supremacy (not hard to do) before they used this ersatz Stratofortress, defensive ECM suites and advanced avionics would not be necessary. Now you have the ideal retaliatory weapon for the next Hezzie, Hamas or Al Qaeda outrage (and since most of it would be, or be made to look like, an indigenous design, the Arabs, the UN, or some US Congressional Democrat could not claim that the IAF was "misusing US-supplied technology"). I can assure you that one or two bombs runs by two or three of these aircraft over Southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley or Gaza will be sufficient to cause a cessation of hostilities.

[SJackson]

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