No great surprise that the UNIFIL forces are essentially standing around or hiding at night. God knows they don't have any mandate to actually stop Hezbollah from rearming.
Israel isn't acting the nicest either, though I'm certain that since the reports are related to French complaints, the reality of the situation is that the Israeli pilot didn't see their white flag.
But then, certain Lebanese Clerics are of the opinion that UNIFIL should arm Lebanon with anti-aircraft missiles. Though I'm certain he really meant that they should give them to Hezbollah.
Why is it that this really doesn't appear to be getting any better? Oh, that's right, the UN is involved.
About 9,500 UN soldiers and at least 12,000 Lebanese soldiers are stationed in southern Lebanon, and still the region is a beehive of terrorist activity. So if UN and Lebanese soldiers aren’t curbing Hezbollah’s activities, what are they doing?How very pathetic.
The answer: very little!
Spiegel Online reports (emphasis ours):“We just stand around,” complain Spanish Marines from the nearby “Isla de Leon” base who are on patrol in Piranha armored cars. The two vehicles stop every 20 minutes and the soldiers hang around on the street. “We can tell you exactly what we’re doing here,” they say. “We are here just to be here.”
Read UN Resolution 1701, and it becomes obvious why UN troops are inactive. Beyond being soft-spoken, toothless and painfully vague, the resolution provides no clear and definite course of action should Hezbollah decide to return to its pre-war status as a fully armed, battle-ready terrorist organization. Thus, Hezbollah is arming right in front of 9,500 UN soldiers, yet the mandate under which the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (unifil) operates fails to stipulate that UN troops should use force to stop these activities.
On paper, UN Resolution 1701 says Hezbollah should not be allowed to rearm. The reality of the situation, though, is that it does absolutely zilch to dissuade the Iranian-sponsored group from restocking its shelves.
The resolution is clear on one matter though, that is, unifil forces are not to act independently in their responsibilities in southern Lebanon, rather, they are to submit to and provide assistance to the Lebanese government and military. Though such a deal seems reasonable—after all, it is Lebanon’s territory that UN forces are working in—there is one major problem: The Lebanese government and military has a soft spot for Hezbollah and a history of failing to deal forcefully with the terrorist group in its midst.
Arutz Sheva recently noted how Hezbollah terrorists are more prone to roaming freely and conducting their activities at night because unifil does not patrol the streets after dark. Spanish unifil official Richard Ortax admitted that nightly patrols are not conducted by UN troops “because of the danger involved.” These soldiers went to Lebanon prepared for confrontation. They are well-trained and equipped with some of the best technology and weaponry available, not to mention that they outnumber Hezbollah fighters almost 2 to 1—yet it’s too dangerous for them to participate in nightly patrols?There you go. I'm betting that there are loads of UN bureaucrats in the best hotels they can find organizing the UN's interests.
This is as embarrassing as it is ridiculous!
Israel isn't acting the nicest either, though I'm certain that since the reports are related to French complaints, the reality of the situation is that the Israeli pilot didn't see their white flag.
On Oct. 31, Israeli F-15 fighter planes nose-dived repeatedly over French peacekeepers' positions in southern Lebanon, French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told lawmakers Wednesday night.Not exactly the ideal way to have air power over troops that are allegedly there to keep the peace. Funny that these reports have gotten far more press than the continuing rearming of Hezbollah.The planes were "in attack position," a spokesman for the French general staff, Capt. Christophe Prazuck, told reporters. French troops responded by readying an anti-aircraft missile and were seconds away from firing, he said.
"Our troops barely avoided a catastrophe," Alliot-Marie told parliament. "Our troops find themselves in a position where they have to fire in legitimate self- defense."
But then, certain Lebanese Clerics are of the opinion that UNIFIL should arm Lebanon with anti-aircraft missiles. Though I'm certain he really meant that they should give them to Hezbollah.
Lebanon's top Shiite cleric has called on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to provide the Lebanese army with weapons to stop Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace, the Daily Star reported on Friday."Israel is still violating our skies without taking UNIFIL's role into consideration," Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, one of the world's top Shiite Muslim clerics, was quoted as saying.
"UNIFIL should provide the army with surface-to-air missiles so it will be able to prevent any Israeli violation of Lebanon's airspace," he said.
Fadlallah also expressed opposition to foreign interference in Lebanon's affairs, which he warned might create conflicts in the country and complicate relations among the Lebanese.
"We do not accept any international or regional tutelage," the cleric said.
Well, maybe UNIFIL should completely leave if the Lebanese don't want their assistance. Then Israel can go back to pounding the hell out of Hezbollah as it tries to rearm.
Why is it that this really doesn't appear to be getting any better? Oh, that's right, the UN is involved.
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