Annan To Strengthen UNFIL's ROE

Reports suggest UN Sec. Gen. Kofi Annan would like to strengthen the rules of engagement for the UNFIL force in Southern Lebanon:

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to recommend Monday that the rules of engagement of the enhanced UNIFIL force to be deployed in Lebanon include opening fire on Hizbullah where necessary, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

While UN Security Council Resolution 1701 mandated an enhanced UNIFIL force to help the Lebanese Army deploy south and along the border with Syria, it did not spell out the operational procedures of this force.

This might explain the reluctance of France to delegate real troops to the effort. I doubt they want their army engaged in shooting at Hezbollah. In theory, Annan's suggestion is a good one, actually enabling a UN force to do something constructive for a change, as opposed to operating child prostitution schemes.

Will it work? I'm not optimistic. The ROE are irrelevant if the force is going to turn a blind eye to Hezbollah, or perhaps be strategically deployed so as to avoid any significant confrontation. The UN as currently comprised isn't going to seriously empower any force to fire upon Hezbollah on behalf of Israel. It goes against the grain of everything the UN has become. Which isn't much, unfortunately.

I doubt this nonsense is anything more than political window dressing. Annan couldn't get troops with amorphous ROEs. I doubt this will inspire many nations to join in, unless they do so to ensure Hezbollah isn't seriously confronted.

Comments

[old trooper]

No mandate to authorize Ch. VII ROE and still no Res. 1559 enforcement makes the UN look more like it`s predesessor, the old League of Nations,which became irrelevent and useless in the 30`s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations

"The League lacked an armed force of its own and so depended on the Great Powers to enforce its resolutions, keep to economic sanctions which the League ordered, or provide an Army, when needed, for the League to use. However, they were often very reluctant to do so.

After a number of notable successes and some early failures in the 1920s, the League ultimately proved incapable of preventing aggression by the Axis Powers in the 1930s. The onset of the Second World War made it clear that the League had failed in its primary purpose—to avoid any future world war. The United Nations replaced it after World War II and inherited a number of agencies and organizations founded by the League."

When there is obviously no political solution, one of two events result, armed intervention or appeasement. It appears that the UN will take the path of appeasement as it has in the past 20 years.

[rwilymz]

20? been longer than that since the UN's been effective.

...as anything other than being the ticket-taker at the turnstile of the "combatant entrance" for the theater of war.

I have severe doubts that any UN force in Lebanon will disarm Hezbollah *or* curtail Iranian or Syrian arms shipments to same. But I also doubt that this is what Israel really wants.

It's tactically much easier to fight a war where you're familiar with the surroundings and terrain -- and that'd be southern Lebanon. It's tactically much easier to fight a war when you know the supply routes your enemy is using -- and if Israel is smart, that'd also be southern Lebanon.

Only so many way into and out of southern Lebanon. Few enough to plant observation and monitoring. To invade and pull back so that the enemy can re-occupy is to set up the next war on familiar battlegrounds. Assuming that they now have intel on how Hezbollah is supplied ... the next round will be tactical advantage to Israel.

Peace, n., A period of cheating between two periods of fighting. - A Bierce.

[Phoenix]

"Peace, n., A period of cheating between two periods of fighting. - A Bierce."

Thanks for that, Rwilmyz. I'd read it years ago. Love Ambrose Bierce.

Interesting how everyone is saying what 'they have to say' in this tenuous time of peace. In all civilized hearts, I believe there is a wish that Israel will take care of this once and for all with the mastery for survival it is capable of using. I firmly believe Bush and Israel 'know' this is what it will come to. Chances are we are deployed beneath the seas in all the right places as we speak....

[splashtc]

I can see all the sunnis signing up to work for UNFIL.

[old trooper]

BTW...when the UN chose to do nothing at all no appeasement was necessary. Like the murder & mayhem in Cambodia in the mid 70`s as well as the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

For Israel to take the actions necessary to eliminate immediate threats, the Bekaa Valley must be #1 on the target list.

http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/fr/fr011121_1_n.shtml

If the Americans continue their 'war against terrorism' what might be the next stop?

"According to Middle East sources, it might be the Bekaa Valley, half way between Beirut and Damascus, the capitals of Lebanon and Syria. The valley is well-known or cultivating hashish and for serving as a training ground for anti-Israeli and anti-American militia fighters and terrorists. The Bekaa valley is in Lebanese territory but controlled by drug barons and the Syrian army, which took over parts of it in 1976.

For the past 20 years the Bekaa valley has been the military base for Hizbullah, the 'Party of God' and leading Islamist organisation in Lebanon. Hizbullah built training camps there, using the valley to prepare for attacks on the occupying Israeli force in south Lebanon. It eventually forced the Israelis to withdraw in 2000."

With the Bekaa 'sanitized', not 'occupied', the Vatican Guard could be an adequate peace keeping force. They are neither Muslim or Jewish. LOL

[Phoenix]

And they have such spectacular uniforms................. ha ha ha

Their rods and staffs shall comfort.....

I don't know about the tights and hats, though...

[old trooper]

I have never been whacked about by any bloke wearing tights and swinging a halberd but having dodged a few rpg`s and more than a few bursts of AK 47 rounds, halberds and pikes would seem very personal by comparison.

[K]

Mixed feelings about troops for UNIFIL - Lebanon. I cannot imagine how anyone can respect the French government for their duplicity in this matter.

Karl Rove stole my mind reading machine so I can only look at the news - and Chirac seems to stand alone as the least decent of world leaders, Kofi has the crown for least effective.

And that is why I have the mixed feelings - should a nation like Italy make a significant contribution of troops knowing that Kofi will be directing them? Knowing that Chirac and France will be praised for any good news while others carry the load and perhaps die?

[Carol Herman]

Hello, reality. As Condi still appears indifferent to being raped by the french; I'd like to give you the real skinny.

The french are putting in ENGINEERS, to get a leg up on the contracts coming out soon, to "rebuild" lebanon. WIth Uncle Sugar's money.

Now that you know, you can watch the table, better. Since the rules of the game are underhanded, anyway. AND, EVERYBODY SHOULD GO TO LITTLE GREEN FOOTBALLS. Spend a half hour watching the Google Catch of the Czech documentary, taken over a 6-month period INSIDE a Czech mosque. With secret cameras. You won't feel the same, afterwards.

[rwilymz]

"The french are putting in ENGINEERS, to get a leg up on the contracts coming out..."

So they want to profit from others' wars. Means they haven't completely turned their backs on capitalism after all.

More power to them.

[Phoenix]

"...As Condi still appears indifferent to being raped by the french;"

Yeah? So you know this for the 'real skinny'? Secret cameras, no doubt, behind the scenes?

[rwilymz]

I'd pay to see it