Issue 02, Special Edition: June 2008
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For Free Distribution Not For Sale June 2008 - no.02 30years - As Safir - SpecialUNIFIL photo peacekeepers feature hoist the 1978 UN flag -2008 in Naqoura 15| June Special 1978 photo feature 1978 -2008 | Special photo feature 1978 -2008 Contents There is virtue in endurance 04 Jean-Marie Guéhenno The Origins of UNIFIL 06 Sir Brian Urquhart My greatest achievement was resolution 425 08 Ghassan Tuéni Reflections by UNIFIL’s 1st Force Commander 10 Lt. Gen. Emmanuel A. Erskine ‘Al Janoub’ A realist and a strategist 12 is published bimonthly by UNIFIL General Victor Khoury Office of Public Information In search of the missing peacekeeper 14 Publisher Editorial advisor Neeraj Singh Milos Strugar Hassan Siklawi Editor-in-Chief Photographers Neeraj Singh UNIFIL Photo Photo Feature 16 Jorge Aramburu 30 Years Senior editors Benjamin Habada Omar Aboud Hassan Siklawi Joumana Sayegh UN Photo The story of Hassan Siklawi 22 Andrea Tenenti Maher Attar Ari Gaitanis & Andrea Tenenti Roxaneh Bazergan Ryan Brown Production Eskinder Debebe Paulo Filgueiras Ramin Francis Assadi Introspection on UNIFIL 24 Mark Garten Design/Graphics Milton Grant Joachim Huetter Zeina Ezzeddine John Isaac Editorial support Yutaka Nagata Denise Abou Zeid Evan Schneider Peacekeepers who became one with the people 26 Paul Weissleder Timur Goksel We are grateful to ‘An Nahar’ and ‘As Safir’ for making available their photo archives to Al Janoub. Calamity comes in many forms; so does succour 28 Hassan Siklawi Al Janoub contact Tel. +961 1 827 020 Email [email protected] +961 1 827 068 Fax +961 1 827 016 My experience with UNIFIL 29 Brig-Gen Maher Tfaili Except where identified by the copyright symbol ©, articles in Al Janoub may be reprinted without permission on condition that two copies of the publication containing Drawing the Blue Line 30 the reprint are sent to the Editor-in-Chief of Al Janoub. Lt. Gen. Jim Sreenan The logo ‘ ’ is a calligraphic representation of the word ‘Al Janoub’ in Arabic. Holding out for the sake of peace 32 Brig-Gen Jai Prakash Nehra Colour correction and printing An enduring oasis of hope 34 Andrea Tenenti Disclaimer The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNIFIL concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city area or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the policies or positions of UNIFIL, nor does the citing of trade names or commercial processes constitute endorsement. There is virtue in endurance Although peacekeeping operations are designed to be short-lived, often their duration is dictated by extraneous factors and unforeseen adversities. UNIFIL, the “interim” force that stayed for 30 years, and counting, is an example. Strong international support in terms of human and material resources for UNIFIL in March 1978 was a testament to the international community’s quest for peace. However, UNIFIL was beset by limitations in fully carrying out its mandated tasks. For most of its existence, UNIFIL has been up against a situation where there was no real peace to keep. Early on, the main partner in the peacekeeping endeavour, the Government of Lebanon -constrained by the raging civil war, successive internal political crises and complex regional dynamics- was in no position to exert its effective authority in southern Lebanon, the restoration of which was central to resolution 425 (1978) and the success of UNIFIL. In the turbulent decades that followed, the multitude of armed groups in the area, coupled with Israeli control -directly or by proxy- over large parts of southern Lebanon prevented the deployment of UNIFIL across the whole of its designated area of responsibility. While Israel withdrew its forces in 2000, political and diplomatic efforts were unable to resolve the outstanding issues that could bring sustainable peace on the ground. In that context, the proven impartiality of UN peacekeepers was an important counterpoint Mr. Guehenno studies a map of UNIFIL’s area of operations during a flight from Beirut to the cross-cutting cleavages and divisions to Naqoura 29 August 2006 in Lebanon during those trying times. The Following the Israeli invasion of southern resilience of peacekeepers complemented Lebanon in early 1978, the UN Security Council that of the local population as they found overcame Cold War antagonisms prevalent at common cause in survival against heavy odds. the time and established UNIFIL in an attempt The resolve of the peacekeepers to act firmly to ‘hold the fort’ on this vital front. But, the and fairly in unfavourable conditions and their intended rampart of international peace and good relations with local communities ensured security, surrounded as it was by bastions of grassroots support for UNIFIL’s mission and defiant armed groups bearing no allegiance to helped impart a degree of normality to civilian the peacekeeping mandate if not openly hostile life. And so this Force, with ‘interim’ in its name, to it, was hard to build, let alone hold. stayed; and alongside it stayed the people of Jun. 08 Jun. Issue 02 4 5 Foreword southern Lebanon in symbiotic co-existence. Lebanon’s Government with needs assessments Notwithstanding the elusive peace, UNIFIL, and other urgent tasks, particularly in the through its mere presence on the ground, humanitarian response, ranging from early coupled with its humanitarian services, recovery efforts to providing assistance to the helped alleviate the security concerns of the estimated one million Lebanese who were communities and contribute to more conducive displaced by the conflict. living conditions for the people of southern Under resolution 1701 (2006), UNIFIL deployed Lebanon. Moreover, UNIFIL remained as the its largest force. All parties committed to only credible and impartial witness to events the cessation of hostilities and to UNIFIL’s in southern Lebanon, observing and reporting role and deployment in southern Lebanon. objectively on the developments and thus The international commitment to UNIFIL serving as a deterrent to potential spoilers. was manifested in UNIFIL’s much enhanced In this course, UNIFIL earned the respect of strength and equipment, and its robust rules the parties on both sides of the divide. of engagement. Moreover, the decision by Over the years, UNIFIL has held its ground, all Lebanese parties to deploy the Lebanese refusing to give way to intimidation and even Armed Forces to the Blue Line served to further direct attacks. To date, there have been more the extension of the control of the Government than 280 UN peacekeeping fatalities in Lebanon. of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory. Thus, It has been a heavy price to pay in casualties the physical presence of the Lebanese Armed but in the process, thousands of civilian lives Forces on the ground in southern Lebanon, have been saved. There is virtue in resilience alongside UNIFIL, greatly contributed to against violence; there is credit in perseverance establishing a new strategic military and security in pursuit of the common good. environment in UNIFIL’s area of operations. UNIFIL’s dogged endurance represents the In cooperation with the Lebanese Armed strong commitment of the United Nations to Forces, UNIFIL has succeeded in stabilising Lebanon and the Lebanese people. UNIFIL’s the situation and ensuring respect for the action during the 2006 conflict serves as a case cessation of hostilities. As a result of this strong in point. During the conflict, UNIFIL continued to peacekeeping partnership, the past two years occupy all of its positions and played an active have been the calmest period in southern and constructive role under its mandate, at great Lebanon since the inception of UNIFIL. The risk and despite being severely impeded by commitment of UNIFIL to support the Lebanese ongoing hostilities. The UN Secretary-General Armed Forces and the people of southern repeatedly called for the immediate cessation Lebanon remains steadfast. of hostilities and urgent action by the Security However, resolution 1701 (2006) entails more Council, highlighting the grave humanitarian than the deployment of UNIFIL. Most notably, it is consequences of delay in stopping the hostilities. about achieving a permanent ceasefire and long- Throughout the conflict, he maintained regular term solution to the conflict. Such issues are part contact with the Prime Ministers of Lebanon and of a political process and, as such, are beyond of Israel, as well as other relevant actors and the remit of UNIFIL. That being said, the success concerned parties, and dispatched a number of UNIFIL is ultimately dependent on the political of high-level missions to the region. context. A peacekeeping operation is to support Following the cessation of hostilities and the diplomatic efforts to reach a political solution; it adoption of Security Council resolution 1701 cannot be the substitute for a political solution. (2006), the Secretary-General continued his For a sustainable long-term solution in Lebanon, intensive diplomatic engagement. His efforts the underlying causes of the many conflicts in contributed to securing the commitments of a the region must be addressed. Until we achieve number of troop-contributing countries to help a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the stabilize the situation as part of UNIFIL, and to Middle East, any one of these conflicts has the lifting the full aerial and sea blockade Israel had potential to erupt and engulf the entire region. imposed on Lebanon. UNIFIL creates an opportunity for peace, but In addition, the United Nations assisted that opportunity has to be seized. Jean-Marie Guéhenno Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations The Origins of UNIFIL In the early 1970’s, after the Black September showdown with the Jordanian army, Fatah, the mainstream element of the PLO, moved into Lebanon. The situation in Lebanon South of the Litani River steadily deteriorated into a guerilla war between factions and villages, the Christian militia under Major Saad Haddad and supported by Israel on the one side, and the PLO and various Muslim factions on the other.