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

4 5 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. 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 maintainedregular 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. The evident intention of the PLO to use southern Lebanon as a base for hit-and-run attacks on Israel evoked Israeli Sir Brian Urquhart air reprisals. In an effort to monitor this explosive Israel regarded this situation as situation and any violations of the Armistice unacceptable, and there could be little doubt that it would retaliate strongly on Demarcation Line that was the de facto Israel/ the ground if a proportionate pretext Lebanon border, the United Nations, in 1972, occurred. Such an incident happened on March 11, 1978, when a PLO raiding set up UN Observer posts along the border. party landed north of Tel Aviv and commandeered an Israeli bus on the main North-South highway. In the subsequent shoot-out with Israeli forces, thirty-seven - UN Photo Israeli passengers died. On the night of 14/15 March Israeli forces crossed the border and occupied Lebanon south of the Litani, except for the Tyre pocket where PLO resistance was strong. On March 17 Lebanon brought the Israeli invasion to the Security Council, where wider considerations began to shape the Council’s reaction. The Camp David negotiations, which the United States was sponsoring between Egypt and Israel, had reached a critical stage. If the Council took no action on Lebanon, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt could not be expected to continue negotiations with Israel when Israel had just invaded yet another Arab country. The United States was therefore pressing hard for urgent action in the Security Council, and specifically for a UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. In the Secretariat in New York - I was then Under Secretary-General for Special Political The begining: An aerial view of UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, 1978 Affairs, in charge of, among other things,

6 7 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. - UN Photo

Security Council meets on 3 May 1978 to adopt resolution 427 authorizing increase in the strength of UNIFIL from 4000 to 6000. Council President Ruben Carpio-Castillo from Venezuela (centre) addressing the meeting. At left is Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim and behind him (2nd row) is USG Brian Urquhart. peacekeeping- we had been studying the essential features that were lacking in situation in Southern Lebanon for some its original set-up.) The Security Council In March 1978, southern time. It appeared to be singularly unsuitable went ahead and, in Resolution 425, for a peacekeeping force. A mixed established the new force with a mandate Lebanon constituted guerilla conflict was raging there in terrain to confirm Israeli withdrawal; to restore what might well become particularly favorable to irregular forces and international peace and security; and hostile to conventional ones. In southern to assist the Lebanese Government to a UN peacekeeper’s Lebanon there was no civil government or restore its effective authority in southern nightmare… The police, let alone elements of the Lebanese Lebanon. All efforts to include in the army, representing the sovereign authority mandate the means to deal strongly with generalities of UNIFIL’s of the government in Beirut. The existence illegitimate military incursions or activities original mandate of legitimate national authority, however in the UNIFIL area were rejected in the weak, is extremely important to the proper interests of speedy action as being too papered over very real functioning of a peacekeeping force. controversial. The generalities of UNIFIL’s disagreements among Of the two strongest groups in the South, original mandate papered over very real the PLO was under no formal authority disagreements among the members of the the members of the and restraint, and Major Haddad’s Israeli- Security Council. They had little relation to Security Council. They supported militia had been declared illegal the real and rugged problems that would by the Lebanese government. The Security face the peacekeepers. had little relation to the Council was very unlikely to agree on a Let me end by saying that with the real and rugged problems large enough force with a strong enough willingness and courage of the original mandate to deal effectively with such a contingents - from France, Nepal, Norway, that would face the situation. Moreover the Israelis would Iran, Sweden, Canada, Senegal and peacekeepers. certainly demand some stability in the Nigeria, not forgetting Italy’s essential area before they would agree to withdraw. helicopters - UNIFIL, under the command element of stability and assistance in a Overall, in March 1978, southern Lebanon of General Alex Erskine of Ghana, particularly troubled region of the world. constituted what might well become a UN established itself swiftly in southern To this day, in its newest form, it remains so. peacekeeper’s nightmare. Lebanon - within less than three weeks Such precautionary views were unwelcome of the adoption of Resolution 425. With to the influential members of the Security its inadequate strength and mandate, it Sir Brian Urquhart did infinitely better than any of us believed Sir Brian Urquhart was Under Secretary-General for Council who were demanding immediate Special Political Affairs responsible for peacekeeping action. (It was only 28 years later, in 2006, possible at the time. In the tumultuous operations in the United Nations Headquarters in New that UNIFIL acquired at least some of the years that followed UNIFIL was an essential York during the establishment of UNIFIL in 1978. Issue 02 Jun. 08 the President oftheCounciltocallfora advancing.” We managedtoconvince the Council,“asIsraeliswere still every minuteofhour,” Itold action. “Peoplewere dyinginLebanon took placeatmidnight.Iurged quick The SecurityCouncilvoteonthe resolution sovereignty andindependence”. guarantee ofLebanon’s “territorialintegrity, but peacekeepersandaninternational bringing colonialoccupationtoLebanon, contention wasthatwithUNIFIL,weare not Lebanon willnotbeverypopularhere. My leaders thatbringingUNtroops to apprehensions amongLebanesepolitical We choseUNIFIL.Thiswasnotwithout not achievebothintheSecurityCouncil. invasion ofSouthLebanon].We could UNIFIL orcondemnationofIsrael[forits between twooptions-establishmentof TUÉNI: We hadtomakeachoice How doyourecall theexperience? in thenegotiationsSecurityCouncil. UNIFIL in1978,youwere closely involved AL JANOUB:Duringtheestablishmentof he negotiatedthecorridorsofdiplomacyinNewYork. Excerpts: in 1978.AlJanoubteamvisitedhimhisBeirutofficetofindouthow manent Representative to the UnitedNationsduringestablishmentofUNIFIL Member ofParliamentandpublisherthedaily‘An-Nahar’,wasLebanon’s Per- Ghassan Tuéni, aleadingfigureandpolitics,currently inLebanese journalism was resolution 425 My greatestachievement - An Nahar - 8 9 From lefttoright: D. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim with Ambassadors MacHenry, USA, Ghassan Tueni, Lebanon, Abdel-Maguid, Egypt, Beshara, Kuwait, and Andrew Young, USA(backtocamera) Did ithappenassmoothlythat? stopped ontheirtracks. down tothesouthinstantlyandIsraelis As aresult, thepeacekeepingforces came unbelievable signofuniversalsupport. even canvassedhimtovote.Itwasan hand infavouroftheresolution. We hadn’t Chinese ambassadoractuallyraisedhis not tousetheirveto-power, butthe –the Russiansabstainedandagreed Russians andChinesewentalong until afterthevote.Interestingly, the agreed torelinquish theirrighttospeak debate onthesubject.Themembers vote immediatelywithoutthecustomary We expected theIsraelistohandover withdrawal onthe13thofJune. well, oralmost,untilthelastphase of their withdrawalfrom Lebanon.Allwent Ultimately, Israelgaveaschedulefor its forces from allLebanese territories. called onIsraelto“withdrawforthwith” [425] wasunprecedented inthatit Actually no.Thewording oftheresolution self-defence, including resistance to to UNIFILenablingit“useforce in attribute withanyprecision, prerogatives that weworkedon.Butitwas difficultto There were severaldraft resolutions the March 1978invasion. only discussingterritoriesoccupied by Israel andtheUSarguedthatwewere But itdidnotmentionSheba’a,since that restored thesovereignty ofLebanon. resolution 425,particularlytheparagraph Ye worth yourefforts? So thendidyouthinkresolution 425was the SouthLebanonArmy(SLA). vicinity oftheborder nottoUNIFILbut overtheirpositions inthe but theyturned Indeed, theIsraelisdidphysicallywithdraw, I knewthere wassomething fishygoingon. been occupiedbytheIsraeliArmy. barracks oftheLebaneseArmythathad UN flag,goupinMarjayounonthemain surprise IsawtheLebaneseflag,not to UNIFIL.ButasIwatchedonTV, tomy s, mygreatest achievementwas The wording of the resolution [425] was unprecedented in that it called on Israel to “withdraw forthwith” its forces from all Lebanese territories… my greatest achievement was resolution 425, particularly the paragraph that restored the sovereignty of Lebanon.

Ambassador Tueni with Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Khoury (left) and UNIFIL Force Commander Gen. Erskine (centre) attempts by forceful means to prevent delegation rationally, not merely seeking absolute “victory”. Sometimes it is better it from discharging its duties.” I had condemnation at every moment, you can not to get bogged down by too much endeavoured to include in the various expect a better response from them. But detail, nor reject harmless concessions, resolutions extending the mandate of then I was taken by surprise when, without to salvage the essence of your case. UNIFIL, clauses allowing prerogatives my knowledge, Washington negotiated an For example in August 1982 when there and the capability to use force officially agreement with the Lebanese Government were intensified clashes between Israel without moving from the “defensive” to deploy a Multi-National Force (MNF) and different armed groups in Lebanon, character of “peace-keeping”, as stated later in 1982. I could not understand the Security Council adopted a resolution in Chapter VI [of the UN Charter], to what would be the relationship between [516] demanding immediate ceasefire in the “offensive” character of “peace- the MNF and UNIFIL: why we were not Lebanon and across the Lebanese-Israeli enforcing” as authorized by Chapter VII. developing the role of UNIFIL, instead of border. This was one of the shortest This whole phenomenon was described creating a new international force outside resolutions in UN history. The British as Chapter ‘six-and-a-half’. the UN framework, with similar terms of Ambassador, who drafted it, said: reference, but totally independent from the We finally “formed” the proper wording “If you are asking for a resolution that original force which we had had no reason that described the right of self-defence would settle all that is at stake between to thus condemn. “with muscles and teeth” in resolution this and that party, it simply won’t work. 501 (February 1982). But it all stopped The first Israeli Ambassador I had to deal What you need is just a ceasefire. there, until this same debate came up with -but never talking to each other We will address the other issues later, most recently while resolution 1701 except across the Council table- went on hopefully with a functioning ceasefire was being negotiated. to become President of Israel. In the first on the ground.” debate in the Security Council, he claimed How do you recall your negotiations On the other hand, I remember the that the Lebanese Ambassador was not around these developments with your difficulties of negotiating with the Soviet speaking for the Lebanese but for the interlocutors in the UN? delegation. They had a specialist who Palestinians. To support his argument, In fact the most difficult Ambassador was would run around carrying a bag full he showed a number of cables allegedly not the Palestinian as one would expect, of documents. “I have here not only received from residents of Marjayoun but the Syrian. Once, as we were getting every resolution, but every line we have stating that they did not agree with me. Israeli rockets on Lebanese villages in ever approved,” he said, “We will not I brandished a photograph printed in the retaliation of Palestinian fire from an area agree to any new document that so much morning’s New York Times that showed called the ‘Pan Handle’ -a strip of land as adds a comma to any past resolution young men from Marjayoun thrown around adjacent to UNIFIL’s area of operations- that we have accepted. If you insert any a tree, blindfolded and hands tied behind I proposed that we deploy the UN in that innovation, it shall have to go to Moscow their backs, while Israeli soldiers stood “no man’s land”. The US, UK, France and for approval. (ad referendum). around them playing violin. I asked him even China, I believed, agreed. But the Even if we approve it here” Soviet Ambassador told me to go talk whether these were the same people who So you have to work through complex to the Syrian Ambassador first: “If he is signed the cables. His only reply was that dynamics: For instance, whereas the convinced by the plea, I’ll go for it,” he “he had not seen that photograph”. Arab ambassadors were intent on said. The US delegation as a whole was Is there a recipe for a successful Security inserting a phrase condemning Israel, very supportive in the UN at the time. Council resolution? for the US anything that read like a clear They went as far as offering to sponsor You see, the UN is a very useful and condemnation of Israel was taboo. resolution 425 and actively persuaded effective instrument. If you want to be able members of the Security Council to vote to use it you have to work constantly in Such were, and probably still are, for it. This shows that if you talk to the US a spirit of conciliation, and never seek an the complexities of UN daily life. - UN Photo

Reflections by

UNIFIL’s 1st Force Commander UNIFIL Force Commander Major-General Emmanuel Erskine inspects Dutch peacekeepers at their Battalion Headquarters, Haris May 1980 As requiredby Security Council Resolution 425, UNIFIL’s area of operations had to be defined through negotiations with the parties. The political shuttles to achieve this objective commenced immediately. Lt-Gen Ensio Siilasvuo, the Chief Coordinator, and I held meetings on 20 March 1978 with Israeli Minister of Defence Ezer Weizman and IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Gur. The following day, we flew to Beirut for meetings with Prime Minister Selim el Hoss, Foreign Minister Fouad Butros and General Victor Khoury, the Army Commander. On 28 March, Dr James Jonah from the Office of the Under Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs joined me to meet the PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. The presence of UNTSO Observers, in Naqoura; Italy provided the air capability; in particular the Israel-Lebanon Mixed Ghana later joined with a battalion and Armistice Commission (ILMAC), in South additional Engineering Services and Our mini-war in At Tiri, Lebanon since 1972 was immensely Sweden came in to replace the Norwegian which cost us a few men, beneficial to the establishment and initial Medical Company. In 1979, France peacekeeping operations of UNIFIL. withdrew its combat unit and was replaced demonstrated the vital In practical terms, Military Observers of by the Dutch. Senegal, Fiji, Nepal and ILMAC, which was later split into Observer Nigeria also provided troops. On 22 March, principle of firmness by Group Beirut (OGB) and Observer Group two reinforced Infantry Companies (Iranian a peacekeeping mission. Lebanon (OGL), served as the advance from UNDOF and Swedish from UNEF) party of UNIFIL, doing a lot of organizational moved to South Lebanon to strengthen work for the in-coming contingents. the operations of UNTSO Observers. Contributions by member states was The strength of UNIFIL was increased commendable. On 23 March, only four from 4000 to 6000 as a result of our - UN Photo days after the resolution, I received discussion with the Secretary-General, the French Contingent at the Beirut Dr Kurt Waldheim, during his maiden International Airport; two days later, visit to us in April 1978. Force Standing the Norwegian Contingent flew into Tel Operating Procedures (SOP), developed Aviv. The last contingent to arrive was earlier by ILMAC Military Observers, the Iranian, on 9 June. facilitated deployment and military operations of the in-coming contingents. The French constituted the largest contingent - an Infantry Battalion, with Force SOPs from which Battalions its HQ in Tyre, as well as Engineering, developed their Unit SOPs emphasized Logistical and Transportation services; the imperativeness to stop all incursions Norway provided an Infantry Battalion, by IDF/DFF (“De Facto Forces”, the Israeli with its HQ in Ebel es Saqi, a repair surrogate Christian militia under Major and Maintenance Company and a Field Haddad, a defector from the Lebanese Hospital at Naqoura; Canada sent a Army), and infiltrations by Armed Elements, Signals Company; Irish Battalion provided i.e. PLO and other armed Lebanese a detachment for the security of UNIFIL HQ fighters, into UNIFIL’s Area of Operations. Irish peacekeepers on look-out duty at Hill 88 overlooking At Tiri May 1980

10 11 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. Consequently, Check Points were well We suffered our first casualty when Master the Nepalese HQ in Blat and the Lebanese fortified to provide maximum protection Warrant Officer Karl Oskar Johansson of troops in Kaukaba. In spite of these for the troops, mobile and foot patrols Sweden went over a mine in the area of difficulties, UNIFIL, with the support of OGL were conducted day and night and Khardala Bridge during the early deployment on 1 August 1978, succeeded in bringing movements of people were observed from period and, on the day following their arrival, the Lebanese Army troops down to operate well fortified Observation Posts. These three Senegalese soldiers were killed when side by side with UNIFIL contingents. activities constituted the principal duties their jeep went over a mine. Humanitarian services were not envisaged of UNIFIL troops and in view of the hazards Troops have been murdered, abducted by the architects of our mission, but we associated with them, in particular the and fired upon; Force HQ in Naqoura had realized that we could not accomplish our checkpoint duties, UNIFIL suffered some deliberately been shelled and Battalion mission without helping the poor Shiites to casualties from time to time. Nevertheless, HQs had come under bombardment from return to normal life. During the Secretary- in the formative years of the mission, time to time. Firing on UNIFIL was always General’s visit to Damascus in mid-July they had to be vigorously pursued. in retaliation to the mission performing its 1978, I raised the issue with him and he UNIFIL demonstrated the professionalism legitimate duties. Naqoura was heavily readily agreed. Consequently, humanitarian of an effective and efficient Peacekeeping shelled on 12 April 1980 because Major services became a major function of UNIFIL Mission when it came to the use of force Haddad and his DFF had been humiliated operations. Medical facilities were made in defence of its mandate. When in April at At Tiri. I had been physically assaulted in available to the people. We provided them 1980 the DFF attempted to take the village the course of my negotiation at the meeting with water. The engineers assisted with of At Tiri by force, UNIFIL mobilized its with Haddad and his DFF personalities for the restoration of electricity and helped in Force Mobile Reserve, including the Dutch the release of my three Dutch soldiers who demining farms to facilitate the return of the TOW anti-tank missile, into action. Our had been abducted and held hostage. farmers to their main source of livelihood. mini-war in At Tiri, which cost us a few As per our SOP, we always fought back. It was heart-warming to see the displaced people returning to their homes and the men, demonstrated the vital principle of Movement by UNIFIL personnel using the children going back to school. firmness by a peacekeeping mission. It coastal road to Beirut for the collection of succeeded because of the professionalism logistical supplies were seriously hampered UNIFIL’s presence has been absolutely of the troops, the unswerving support of by the myriads of checkpoints mounted necessary not only to stabilize South the Secretary-General and the contributing by various armed groups involved in the Lebanon, but also to provide a peaceful governments and the effectiveness of Lebanese quagmire. This was our principal environment conducive to the peacemaking unified command. administrative difficulty. process. It is my hope that UNIFIL will continue to make an impact on the UNIFIL has had its fair share of political, One of the most important but difficult peacemaking process in search for lasting operational and administrative difficulties assignments we had to undertake was peace. I seize this historic opportunity to in the Lebanese crisis. The failure of the to bring Lebanese Army troops from Beirut pay my highest tribute to all servicemen, IDF to hand over to UNIFIL the stretch to our area of operations. Their presence women and civilian staff, both international along their border inhabited predominantly was seen as a challenge to the image and and local, who have served, and continue to by Christians, giving it instead to the DFF authority of Major Haddad and his militia. serve the cause of peace through UNIFIL. during their final withdrawal on 13 June, Violent opposition to the Lebanese Army represented the principal political obstacle deployment was demonstrated in the Lieutenant General to UNIFIL fully implementing its mandate. shelling of Norwegian HQ in Ebel Es Saqi, Emmanuel A. Erskine - UN Photo

UNIFIL’s newly arrived French contingent on way to Tyre in south Lebanon shortly after their arrival at Beirut airport 24 March 1978 A realist and a strategist The Commander: General Khoury inside a tank He was at the helm of the Lebanese Armed Forces during the critical years between 1977 and 1982, part We had excellent of it as the Minister of National Defence during 1979. coordination with UNIFIL An unenviable command to hold of a divided Lebanese and there were liaison Army in the midst of an ongoing civil war, PLO armed officers appointed activities and Israeli occupation. He found solace in from both sides. In fact the deployment of UNIFIL troops in south Lebanon. we worked like one force. In 1979, when A military strategist who quotes liberally from the deployment of the Clausewitz and Churchill, General Victor Khoury talked Lebanese Army with to Al Janoub’s Denise Abou Zeid at his villa in the UNIFIL was initiated, our picturesque hills of Amchit. Now nearing 80, the stocky units were integrated General whose passion for horse-riding matches that with UNIFIL battalions for his country, reminisced for hours about the historic and were even given days when the concept of peacekeeping was instituted UNIFIL identity cards. in Lebanon. Some excerpts:

ABOU ZEID: How did you receive the my office had the only telex that worked! officer for 20 years. adoption of UN Security Council resolutions I advised him to send me the document by As Commander of the Lebanese Army at 425 and 426 that established UNIFIL? telex and I would convey it to them. the time, what were your major concerns? KHOURY: It was unbelievable. I remember President Sarkis was happy about the When I took over command of the the very interesting phone call I received resolution. But Minister Boutros had his Lebanese Army in 1977, it was a divided from Ghassan Tueni [Lebanon’s Permanent doubts; he was a person who always Force - there were as many as nine armies. Representative to the United Nations]. saw the glass half empty. I, for my part, My first priority as Army Commander was It was around midnight when he called could not believe that for the first time to try and achieve some form of unity in the from New York to say that the Security we were facing up to Israel and forcing armed forces. It was particularly important Council had adopted resolution 425. They it to withdraw. I welcomed the resolution for me to unite Christians and Muslims in were working on resolution 426 and he because in my opinion it gave legitimacy the Army because I believed there should was urgently trying to contact President to the government and to the Army. I was be an accord between the citizens, and Sarkis or [Foreign] Minister Butros, but excited and ready to deploy the Army that anyone who refuses to live with the could not get through to them. Back then because I had served in the South as an other is a traitor.

12 13 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. - An Nahar

After careful consideration, we agreed to send the Lebanese Army south. It was undoubtedly a hard bargain since we had to consult with the different Lebanese parties in the South. In fact at one point we even tried to use the good offices of the Vatican to communicate with the Christians.

The strategist: General Khoury (right)

How did you reconcile this with the UNIFIL? borders after the Sykes-Picot agreement requirement of resolution 425 to deploy We had excellent coordination with UNIFIL and reviewed the places where there are the Lebanese Army along with UNIFIL in and there were liaison officers appointed problems. Israel wanted Shebaa Farms south Lebanon? from both sides. In fact we worked like and the water of the Wazzani River, and You see, I trained in the best military one force. In 1979, when the deployment only through Shebaa could they access schools, and I learned to believe in what of the Lebanese Army with UNIFIL was their ski resort at Mount Hermon. Clausewitz once said: that if you gather an initiated, our units were integrated with At one point they were discussing adding army around a grand idea, you can bring UNIFIL battalions and were even given more forces to UNIFIL. My answer was: opposite poles together. That was the UNIFIL identity cards. “Put a Russian on one side of the border principle I followed during my service. The situation was fluctuating. The army was and an American on the other, and the We were indeed very concerned about divided and left on its own. Our relations Israelis will not dare to hit”. What I meant sending foreign troops and the Lebanese with UNIFIL were based on information was that if you really want to prevent Army into a divided area. The people of exchange and they handled things for the aggression, you should have either equal the South had been fighting among each Army. UNIFIL also helped with soldiers’ or stronger forces. other for a long time, so how would they rotation using their helicopters, because embrace strangers among them? the coastal road was blocked. Between then and now, what do you think about UNIFIL? After careful consideration, we agreed But we did not undertake joint operations Back then the peacekeeping theory was to send the Lebanese Army south. It was because the Lebanese Army lacked very new to us. We did not understand undoubtedly a hard bargain since we had confidence at the time. The Lebanese why a UNIFIL soldier coming from Ghana to consult with the different Lebanese Army was not strong and we were under for example would risk his life in a different parties in the South. In fact at one point no illusions on what we were up against. country. It was of course for the cause of we even tried to use the good offices of the The Lebanese soldiers knew that the Israelis peace. We also had to understand that Vatican to communicate with the Christians. would create problems between them and these are soldiers who were trained to fight, Lt. Col. Abdid Saad was to command the the Lebanese Resistance. Soon enough but serving under UNIFIL, they have to task force in the south. But despite our Israel attacked and they had to withdraw. defend themselves and solve any problems best efforts, our detachment came under When the invasion began, were you afraid through negotiation, that is by talking. heavy 155 mm shell fire near Kaukaba. that UNIFIL would leave? This is what peacekeeping is about. The Israelis wanted that the Lebanese Of course I was. UNIFIL protected us As for UNIFIL today, I think it has gained a Army deployed in the south should have and, like I said before, the Lebanese wider sense. UNIFIL are helping to bolster an equal mix of Christians and Muslims, army was not that strong to handle the the economic situation in the South with and that the command should be with invasion alone. That was the truth and like their presence and contribution. Through Saad Haddad. Later I formed a special Winston Churchill said: In wartime, truth cooperation between them and the detachment of handpicked officers, both is so precious that she should always be Lebanese Army, they are introducing us to attended by a bodyguard of lies. Christians and Muslims, for the purpose. more developed strategies and systems. I confined them to a camp in Baalbek and But even before, UNIFIL was not able to The continuing aspect to that relationship forbade external contacts until they were deploy at the borders, why? is the social interaction, manifested in deployed in the south. This tells you that Israel did not really want social activities and in knowing each And how was your coordination with them to be here. Israel had redesigned the other’s customs and traditions. In search of the missing peacekeeper In the spring of 1981, Private Kevin Joyce of UNIFIL’s Irish Battalion was nearing the end of his tour of duty. Come May, he would be flying out to Dublin, on to Galway on the west coast, from where a 90-minute ferry ride would get him to the Aran Islands where his parents lived. Hailing from one of the last remaining Gaelic areas of Ireland, his native name was Caoimhghín Seoighe. As one among five siblings, young Kevin could expect a hero’s welcome -a peacekeeper who had done Private Kevin Joyce rounds and rockets, some impacting the family proud. But that was not to be, for in the in Israel. In the western sector, armed late afternoon of 27 April, 20-year old Kevin was elements fired 41 rockets, most of them falling into western Galilee. In that kidnapped while on duty in a remote part of south sector… IDF shelled the Rashidiyah area. Lebanon- never to be seen again. Israeli jets conducted heavy raids against the Tyre pocket and other targets north...’ On the fateful day, Private Joyce Nor were Privates Joyce and Doherty the accompanied the newly arrived Private only UNIFIL casualties in the period. The Hugh Doherty to 6-22D, UNIFIL’s esoteric As years pass by, UN Secretary-General in his report to the denomination for a daylight observation chances of the missing Security Council in June 1981 stated that post off the village of Dayr Ntar, north- since December 1980, as many as 15 west of the Battalion headquarters in having survived diminish. members of UNIFIL had lost their lives, Tibnin. Located atop a rocky outcrop, But hope lingers, among eight of them from hostile actions, and 6-22D provided a vantage point that 49 were wounded, 24 from hostile actions. allowed complete observation across the their loved ones, as they Death is tragic, but each one of the surrounding wadis. continue to live through missing is a living tragedy for their They had been visited that afternoon by families: besides Private Joyce, many their Battalion Commanders, outgoing the misery of the loss people from south Lebanon disappeared and incoming. Some time between then day after day. during this time. As years pass by, and 6pm, when they failed to show up at chances of the missing having survived the rendezvous point for pick up, the post diminish. But hope lingers, among their came under armed attack. was at the edge of an area known as the loved ones, as they continue to live The search party found Private Doherty, «Iron Triangle» where Palestinian, Israeli through the misery of the loss day after shot to death. But there was no trace of and a number of Lebanese factions were day. They need to move on, they need Private Joyce, or of any of his equipment. fighting, severely restricting movements. closure: they need to know -sometimes What precisely happened there? No one tragic news is better than no news at all. On the day of the incident, UNIFIL could tell, for the perpetrators were never reported intense hostilities across its area ‘Al Janoub’ appeals to its readers identified and the two peacekeepers were of operations: ‘Firing in the north-eastern for information on Private Kevin Joyce, not around to tell the story. Efforts to find sector was initiated by the de facto forces the peacekeeper -Missing in Action, Private Joyce were manifold, and for [South Lebanese Army and associated presumed dead- who came from a little many years; every investigative lead was militias] and IDF in the morning and island off the coast of Ireland to serve followed, but to no avail. lasted until the next day. Approximately the people of Lebanon. On the ground, the conditions were then 800 artillery, tank and mortar rounds Neeraj Singh not conducive for an effective search. were fired by them. During the same If you have any information on Private Kevin Joyce The surrounding terrain was mountainous period, armed elements [mainly PLO and please contact ‘Al Janoub’ office at +961 1 827 020 with deep ravines. There was widespread the Lebanese National Movement] fired or +961 1 827 068; email: [email protected]; conflict in south Lebanon and Dayr Ntar approximately 340 artillery and mortar fax: +961 1 827 016

14 15 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. - UNIFIL Photo

The UNIFIL Cenotaph (above) located in the Mission headquarters in Naqoura, is a memorial to the UNIFIL peacekeepers who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

On the 25th of March every year, of staff safety and security. Director of the United Nations the United Nations observes the Information Centre in Accra, has International Day of Solidarity The day marks the abduction never been determined. with Detained and Missing Staff by armed men in 1985 near Members. The observance intends Beirut airport of Alec Collett, on This year, as the United Nations to draw attention on the United assignment for the United Nations marked the 23rd International Day of Nations staff members who have Relief and Works Agency for Solidarity with Detained and Missing been arrested, detained, abducted Palestinian Refugees in the Near Staff Members, at least 40 staff or disappeared while in the service of East (UNRWA). The fate of Mr. members remained under arrest, the Organisation, and the importance Collett, a journalist and former detained or missing around the world. NAQOURA 1978

- UN Photo 30 YEARS - UNIFIL Photo

NAQOURA 2008 1978 UNIFIL is created by the UN Security Council to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the south. Yasser Arafat with UN officials making a press statement, after his acceptance of the Secretary-General’s call for a general cease-fire in southern Lebanon March 28, 1978

The 34-day war between Hizbollah and Israel LAF and UNIFIL on their way to verify the Blue Line July-August 2006 July 20, 2000

Clearing debris from Israeli bombardment of apartment building in Tyre Secretary-General Kofi Annan touring the Blue Line August 26, 2006 July 2006

- Israel invades Lebanon 2nd Israeli Israeli - Resolution 425/426 invasion withdrawal - UNIFIL established from Beirut 1978 1982 1985 Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim visiting the eastern sector of southern Nepalese peacekeepers chatting with Lebanese boys outside UNIFIL Lebanon April 18, 1978 headquarters in Naqoura April 27, 1978

Extinguishing fires at the Fijian headquarters at Qana after Israeli shelling Conflict of April 1996 April 18, 1996

Italian reinforcements for UNIFIL arrive on the shores of Tyre Lebanese Armed Forces deploy in the south August-September 2006 August 2006

Outbreak of hostilities 1993 Iranian peacekeepers on parade January 31, 1979 Fijian peacekeepers at Checkpoint Charlie 21 at Qlaylee May 1, 1980

A Fijian peacekeeper waves at Lebanese Army troops entering Qana August 9, 1993 Norwegian peacekeepers search for mines November 26, 1990

UNIFIL’s Maritime Task Force in action; deployed since October 15, 2006 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNIFIL Force Commander Major- General Claudio Graziano in Naqoura HQ March 30, 2007

Outbreak Israeli of hostilities withdrawal 1996 2000 Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar meeting with representatives UNIFIL talks with Lebanese and Israeli army representatives in Naqoura of troop contributing countries to UNIFIL April 11, 1984 December 20, 1984

Urging UNIFIL to stay; one of several public demonstrations in south Lebanon Flowers for the peackeepers January 7, 1986 September 18, 1986 (colour added by graphic designer) 2008 30 years later, an expanded UNIFIL works to monitor the cessation of hostilities, while collaboration with the Lebanese Armed Forces ensures a new strategic military and security environment in southern Lebanon.

Patrolling the south June 28, 2007

- 34-day war UNIFIL forces UNIFIL turns 30 - Resolution 1701 reach 13000 + 2006 2007 2008 …the attack on a UNIFIL The story of compound in Qana was a turning point for him, as a UN employee, Hassan Siklawi as a proud Lebanese citizen, and as a human “You will meet someone called Hassan Siklawi. being… But traumatic If you really want to know what’s going on in as the shelling was, it southern Lebanon, you should speak with him also helped drive home -he’s been there and has seen it all.” another aspect that had developed between These are words that are often heard by United peacekeepers and the Nations staff heading to work at UNIFIL. But this people of southern is only half the story. As an integral part of UNIFIL Lebanon over the through most of its 30 years of operations, Hassan years -bonds forged has been a witness and participant to some of the amidst the trauma and most tumultuous events in the history of the UN confusion of war. mission and of his country.

The Tyre resident has been involved with been in danger, describing this as there, civilians were living in that compound UNIFIL, in some form or another, since an “occupational hazard.” and all the parties should have respected it. Soldiers are trained, civilians are not. It’s not its inception in 1978. Initially, Hassan was Looking back over his 30 years (and easy to make sense out of it and continue covering UNIFIL as a stringer for the news counting!) of association with UNIFIL, working,” Hassan says, almost in a whisper. organization Associated Press. This soon Hassan says the attack on a UNIFIL led to an offer to work for UNIFIL, which compound in Qana was a turning point But traumatic as the shelling was, it also he accepted. for him, as a UN employee, as a proud helped drive home another aspect that had “I am part of UNIFIL’s furniture,” Lebanese citizen, and as a human being. developed between peacekeepers and the Hassan jokes. The shelling of Qana took place on 18 people of southern Lebanon over the years April, 1996, when Israeli artillery attacked -bonds forged amidst the trauma and Most of his work has centred on outreach a UN compound in the village where confusion of war. activities, involving the media and the 800 Lebanese civilians had taken refuge general public. “Together we were shelled and together we to escape the fighting. By the time the lived. Peacekeepers could get killed as well “I always felt I was the liaison between shelling stopped, there were 106 dead as civilians. We felt the same, we were the them and the mission,” he says. “Our and around 116 others injured, including same. The UN peacekeepers came here relationship with the local media was and four Fijian UNIFIL peacekeepers. from far away leaving their families behind, has been a privileged one. We helped “Initially we could not believe that they risking their lives for a peaceful future for them in all kinds of ways – they would were shelling our camp. Everybody Lebanon,” Hassan says. “This was really always be using our resources when the knew that the UN was there and also a turning point. UNIFIL was a mission that roads were closed or the conflict was at civilian families with children were living the people of Lebanon’s south could trust. a critical stage and prevented them from in the base, but we could definitely hear They were risking their lives for the people getting to their stories.” the sound of bombs going off, people of Lebanon.” Hassan is a walking archive of UNIFIL screaming asking for help. Suddenly the Violence, heroism, suffering, endurance… and its history in southern Lebanon. radio went quiet. As we arrived in Qana we Hassan has seen it all. Not by choice, but Accorded respect throughout the area realised the proportion of the tragedy. We because of a desire to do his job and do it of operations and able to liaise with its were walking on top of bodies, surrounded well, and because of his love for Lebanon people and parties, he has served as the by smoke and by an unreal silence. We and his sincere hope that Lebanon will man-on-the-ground for many of UNIFIL’s spent hours in trying to recover injured once again become a peaceful nation. Force Commanders and senior officials, people, but sadly most of the people we Looking back now, the aspect of his providing advice and insight otherwise could find were already dead,” Hassan experience with UNIFIL that provides him difficult to find. says, adding that the images he saw that with the most satisfaction is the mission’s day are etched in his mind forever. It has not been the easiest of jobs. He has deep links with the local population. lost count of the number of times he has “This was a UN position, the UN flag was These links have varied. They range from

22 23 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. So many activities started out as private - An Nahar initiatives by individual peacekeepers and national contingents, and those sorts of activities have become part of UNIFIL’s humanitarian projects. activities for the masses, such as providing villages with electricity during long-running power cuts; to the individual, such as the peacekeepers who have volunteered to pay for local children’s school fees. “When UNIFIL first came, we used to have UN check-points and curfews, so villagers had to get permission from UNIFIL to move from village to village and it wasn’t an easy process. But then, over time, we saw peacekeepers protecting farmers while they were harvesting olives. And then there would even be times when peacekeepers used to help the farmers pick the olives. All of this was done by choice, by the peacekeepers, not because they were ordered to, but because they are normal people like anyone else,” Hassan says. He adds that this spirit of cooperation -or, as he would say, recognition of our common humanity- has evolved, and for the better of the people of southern Lebanon. “So many activities started out as private initiatives by individual peacekeepers and national contingents, and those sorts of activities have become part of UNIFIL’s humanitarian projects. For instance, the tradition of donating gifts to children for Christmas, with Santa Claus delivering toys to children in the south started as a small Hassan helps to evacuate a baby from the village of Yater 21 April 1996 initiative by Italair [UNIFIL’s Italian helicopter are doing it every year for the happiness I am of it. Already, 30 years have passed. unit] in 1993. The Italians at that time had of the children of the south Now we are I am looking forward to...” no presence on the ground and most of doing it every year for the happiness of the the area was occupied by armed groups, And then the interview was over and children of the south -luckily we have more so they decided to organize pizza parties Hassan has to leave. money for these things now!” among themselves to raise the money.” A new UNIFIL employee had arrived Hassan’s time with UNIFIL has seen the “The first time we were able to collect and was at Hassan’s door for an informal occasional short break -namely, for service just $1,000 and we had to buy 500 toys, briefing on the situation on the ground, with the United Nations in Iraq- but he has but that wasn’t enough money. So we as the employee had been told before always found himself back in southern convinced a shop-owner in Saida to sell coming to UNIFIL that “if you really want Lebanon where his talents and skills have us used toys despite there being not to know what’s going on there, you been put to good use over the years. enough money. Luckily, the shop-owner should speak with Hassan Siklawi.” believed in the initiative and that’s how the “It’s what I know best,” Hassan said. first ‘Shia Santa Claus’ started. Now we “This mission is as much a part of me as Ari Gaitanis & Andrea Tenenti - UN Photo

Introspection on UNIFIL Local school children greet peacekeepers at a southern Lebanese checkpoint May 1980 I joined United Nations Headquarters in July 1978, and UNIFIL was my first assignment. I stayed with it until 1988, including two-and-a-half years of service in Naqoura. I reverted to it again in the 1990s as part of a broader portfolio, which I held until 2001. One usually retains a soft spot for the first assignment, especially when it involves service in the field, and I am no exception. At the same time, I have to confess to a pervading sense of futility and frustration with the mission during much of that period, given how small a role the United Nations was allowed to play and how little we were able to accomplish on the ground.

At one point, in January 1991, nearly for influence over the area that UNIFIL The fighting was clearly limited on both half the expense for all United Nations was meant to keep free of hostilities. After sides. This can be easily inferred from peacekeeping operations went to UNIFIL, 1982, the area became the battleground the relatively small number of casualties with not enough to show for it. In March for the fight between Lebanese resistance and limited damage as compared to the 1978, the establishment of UNIFIL had, groups and the occupying Israeli forces vast amount of ammunition expended; no doubt, strong international support, and their Lebanese subsidiary. The UN had or from the large number of inhabitants as demonstrated by the speed with which no right to impede Lebanese resistance who continued to live in their villages. troop-contributors came forward and against occupying forces and had neither I wish I could say that this was because deployed their contingents. But except for the mandate nor the means to prevent of UNIFIL, but I cannot convince myself the cease-fire worked out with the help of Israeli counter-measures. Nor were there of this. On the side of the resistance, the the United States in the summer of 1981, any outside actors willing and able to main constraint, I suspect, was limited UNIFIL never had the kind of political change the situation. By the time I arrived in capacity. On the Israeli side, the desire not support that would have been necessary Naqoura at the end of 1985, the area had to be drawn into the Lebanese quagmire for it to carry out its mandate as written settled into a fragile equilibrium of sorts, in again must have ranked high. Manning the in resolution 425. which Lebanese groups carried out small- forward positions on Lebanese territory How this came about is no secret. In the scale attacks against the occupiers, who with members of the so-called “South first years, Israel and the PLO were vying usually countered with heavy artillery fire. Lebanon Army (SLA)”, who took the brunt

24 25 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. of the resistance attacks, helped Israel its limited effectiveness, stood for a and humanitarian aid. On the other hand, to maintain a semblance of distance. measure of moderation that would allow UNIFIL has occupied land, for which the them to do so. The latter group included government has always been extremely There were other important constraints. the majority of the population in the area late with its reimbursements to the Israel had to be concerned that excessive and, at the time, its views prevailed. The owners; it has impeded the free movement force would cost support at home and attacks on UNIFIL ceased, and it stayed. of people and goods and subjected them abroad, without necessarily being effective, to annoying, repetitive controls and since the resistance did not offer much of In the following years, the capacity of searches at its checkpoints. a target. The resistance, like all guerillas, the resistance grew, including its capacity needed the support of the inhabitants to to target Israeli territory. However, the UNIFIL had to do this to carry out its function and had to make sure that they tempo of operations remained fairly mandate, but that did not make it less agreed with its objectives. This was a slow, although the attacks on Israeli unpleasant to the farmer bringing his key issue in the summer of 1986, when military targets inside Lebanon became produce to market or the employee trying UNIFIL came under sustained attack by more effective. Israel realised that it to get to work on time. UNIFIL’s presence Lebanese groups after an incident at a had limited options and often made do has also generated the normal stresses checkpoint in Marakah, during which a with symbolic responses, for example and strains that come with soldiers UN sentry had killed two Lebanese men. shelling empty terrain. The most significant living in a village society. Having foreign UNIFIL lost 10 soldiers and suffered some exceptions were protracted, heavy Israeli troops stationed around one’s home is an

- UN Photo Having foreign troops stationed around one’s home is an anomaly, regardless of why they are there.

Huetter meets local Amal leader March 1986

50 wounded, the French infantry battalion bombardments in July 1993 and April anomaly, regardless of why they are there. was withdrawn, and for a while it appeared 1996. In 1996, this probably lost the Today, the Israeli forces are long as if the Force as a whole would follow. incumbent Israeli Prime Minister the withdrawn, and the Lebanese army election, underlining one of the political While Israel could live with UNIFIL or is deployed in the south to maintain the costs associated with using that level without it, the Lebanese had to consider cease-fire together with UNIFIL. Both are of force. By that time, “rules of the game” their position carefully. There were those working to ensure that south Lebanon had evolved which were recorded in an in Lebanon who were not content with just does not again become a battleground. understanding in April 1996. The gist ending the Israeli occupation of Lebanese As in 1986, this is largely in the hands was that the resistance would not fire into territory; they had the much broader aim of the people for whom the area is home. Israel, while the Israelis would not target of ending Israel’s existence altogether. At present, it is hard to foresee when civilians in Lebanon. They saw UNIFIL as an obstacle, although UNIFIL’s contribution will no longer be it could be bypassed, and would have I have always admired the great patience needed.I can only hope that it will not welcomed its withdrawal as a clearing the people of south Lebanon have shown take another thirty years and that, when of the field for the larger struggle. Others towards UNIFIL over the years. True, the time comes, UNIFIL and the people wanted to get rid of the occupation UNIFIL has been a factor for moderation, of south Lebanon can part as friends. and then be left in peace. Meanwhile, has offered a small measure of protection, they had to survive, and UNIFIL, despite and has brought some economic benefits Joachim Huetter Peacekeepers

who became one with the people He typifies UNIFIL in many ways, not the least because, having joined the Mission for just six months, he stayed for 24 years. Timur Goksel was thus the public face of UNIFIL for most of its 30 years: from 1979 as Spokesman and, since 1995, as Senior Adviser. After his retirement in 2003, he lives in Beirut and lectures in several Lebanese universities on international politics, the UN and peacekeeping. He reveals to Al Janoub’s Neeraj Singh, aspects of peacekeeping that are hard to foresee, leave alone mandate -products of innate human impulses corresponding to uniquely felt needs perceived in community -the real success story of UNIFIL. Excerpts:

SINGH: UNIFIL at its inception had to jostle for space amidst various armed groups, only to find the IDF back in force from 1982. What really did UNIFIL achieve in those years? GOKSEL: To begin with, it brought normalcy; it brought people back to their homes. When we first arrived, we had only 10,000 people in south Lebanon. In three years, there were half a million. The very fact that UNIFIL, despite its unworkable mandate and with no political support except for a small group of dedicated UN bureaucrats, turned out to be a resilient force that held its ground despite suffering more than 100 fatalities in action (out of 250 total fatalities) was an achievement in its own right. But the real and rarely noticed success story was how this force became a part of the land, established close links with the ignored people who had no state services whatsoever, gained their gratitude, enabled them to rebuild their lives and helped to transform an abandoned landscape into a thriving, secure region during the 1990s. And how did this come about? We had no military or economic power. People knew that and they understood. We were recycling everything in Naqoura: computers, desks, whatever, we gave it [to the people]. Soldiers went and painted their schools. We ran their water pumps; they had no gasoline for the village pump, so we gave them gasoline. During the Israeli invasion of 1982, there was a humanitarian Timur Goksel

26 27 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. crisis in Tyre when the Israeli army Then the orphanage in Tibnin. When confined thousands of people to the there was shelling in the area, the Irish beach without food or shelter. It was peacekeepers would run to the orphanage …the real and rarely outside our area of operations, but to play with the children so that they do not we organised relief convoys staffed by get traumatised by the shelling. That is the noticed success story volunteer UNIFIL personnel to go there most humane thing I have seen in my life. was how this force and provided them food and medical How did you address the organised treatment. That was the start of the became a part of the land, resistance in your area of operations? relationship between UNIFIL and Tyre. We had open liaison channels with all established close links When the Israelis left in 1985, the people the groups. There was no state structure of Tyre offered us their houses free of and so we had to deal with them. When with the ignored people charge. We opened an office there. friction started between the Shias and who had no state services 1983-85 was a difficult time when the PLO in 1981, Amal asked for direct Israelis were conducting operation ‘Iron communication with us. We established whatsoever, gained their Fist’ against the resistance – raiding liaison with them. Amal became very pro- gratitude, enabled them villages. I would take foreign journalists to UNIFIL; they fought for UNIFIL. villages and that helped impose caution to rebuild their lives... The 1982 Israeli occupation brought a on the Israelis. During a raid in Burj Rahhal totally different equation to the south. The village in 1983, the French soldiers stood on the rooftops of some houses to prevent grown up with UNIFIL. A boy who was the Israelis from blowing them up. born in 1980 and became a Hezbollah It was a war of wits in the south. In those fighter in 1998, knew UNIFIL for 18 years; days UNIFIL was in the villages, we he probably went to a school painted by were living there; these people were our UNIFIL, or had benefited from its services. neighbours, we had to protect them. He would not harm us: there is this innate Lebanese hospitality towards foreigners. The partial withdrawal of IDF in 1985 would have inevitably changed the nature of your How were things after the Israeli interactions with the local population. withdrawal in 2000? Yes, but we continued to assist the people The Israelis surprised us by the speed even in the areas that remained under of their withdrawal. We sent out UNIFIL occupation. A classic example is the olive patrols to reassure the people. The farmers. Some of the best olive fields in Lebanese Army Intelligence sent their Lebanon were along the frontline between personnel in civilian clothes: 20-30 of the SLA (South Lebanon Army) and the them, very effective, people respected resistance. The people could not go to them. Everyone was expecting rivers of their fields as the SLA would fire at them. blood to be flowing in the aftermath of the So we sent UNIFIL soldiers to escort them Israeli withdrawal. But nothing happened with UN flags: our ‘olive harvest patrols’. -no police, no army, UNIFIL driving on the On the other side, in the occupied area, Briefing the press roads but not having to do anything. there was the village of Bayt Lif, famous for Shia were happy that the Israelis would About 6,000 people escaped to Israel its olive presses, but they had no power. drive out the Palestinians. But soon they fearing retribution. But within months they Every year we would provide them a realised that the Israelis were not leaving started to return. We would pick them generator to run their presses. and decided it was time for resistance. up from the border and take them to the Again, when people got shot along the Hezbollah appeared: they had come from Lebanese Army Intelligence at Naqoura frontline, no civilian could go there. So UN the north and they could not understand Port. And they were escorted home by personnel would collect the bodies and why there were these European soldiers the Lebanese Army or even the Hezbollah. deliver them to the families. People don’t having such friendly relations with the Some of them would get a couple of forget these things. people. UNIFIL went through a very months in jail, that’s all. So the Lebanese Take the Norwegian peacekeepers: difficult period late 1980s: this was when sorted it out the Lebanese way. they were cut off from the rest of UNIFIL our Chief OGL (Observer Group Lebanon) As UNIFIL we did our bit by being around and had to survive on their own. They was kidnapped and killed. and moving quickly to some villages where brought their little Norway here. That The turning point came with the we were never before. There was nothing was the only area in south Lebanon Damascus accord between Hezbollah much UNIFIL was expected to do anyway. where we had traffic rules, because the and Amal, particularly a year after when Norwegians insisted on it and the people Later a Joint Force of Lebanese Army Hassan Nasrallah took over in 1992. He respected them because of the services and Gendarmerie were deployed, but was from the south and he knew UNIFIL. and economic benefits the Norwegians under police command. It was a symbolic The first thing he did was appoint a liaison brought to the area. Ebel es Saqi village presence. They controlled the main roads. officer to UNIFIL. had the best marketplace for jewellery They ran their show and on that ground and fashion in Lebanon. There were so But the big transformation came with the there was a move to cut UNIFIL strength many marriages, 70 I think, between the change in generation when the southerners down to 1,200. We were heading in that Norwegians and the Lebanese. joined Hezbollah. These people had direction when the July 2006 war happened. I am alive today Calamity comes because of UNIFIL take Johayna home. “I could not even die in the hospital because we could not afford an ambulance to transport my body in many forms; from Beirut to Tyre.” Back at home, Johayna’s plight worsened. She would lose consciousness because of the high temperature and started to so does succour suffer memory loss. “I woke up one day on a hospital bed. When I asked where I was, they told me it was the UNIFIL field hospital in Naqoura.” Johayna’s mother chimed in: “UNIFIL had an office in Tyre; it was the logistics and public information office. I turned to them

- UNIFIL Photo for help. I knew that UNIFIL had no burns hospital, but a mother never loses hope. If a foreign doctor could just examine her, I would feel as if I had sent her abroad for treatment.” Two days later, a UNIFIL doctor visited their house accompanied by a translator. “I remember him distinctly,” the mother said, “His name was Anderson, he was Swedish. I just asked if he could give her the right treatment at home, but he Johayna (right) with her mother at their home in Tyre March 2008 wouldn’t abandon her. He was shaken and crying. He said he would move her Johayna had a youthful passion for life that defied the to the field hospital in Naqoura. At first I crass neglect and destruction that had befallen her town was afraid because Naqoura was in the Israeli occupied area and we had already of Tyre - indeed, that had by 1988 become a grim reality suffered the trauma of being displaced across south Lebanon. Still in her twenties, Johayna had from our village in Bent Jbeil to Tyre. But the doctor reassured me that UNIFIL seen it all: the wars, the occupation, the displacement, would ensure her safe transport. Within the destruction, the rebuilding; yet more wars and the hours my daughter was flown in a UNIFIL full cycle over again of devastation and recovery. helicopter to the Naqoura hospital.” “The Swedish medical staff at UNIFIL was The dozens of armed groups fighting each Curious to know more about her, I visited extremely nice to me,” Johayna recollects, other and the Israeli occupiers alike was Johayna at her humble home in the “They would attend to my smallest needs, baffling to the young mind, but equally “Almasaken Alsheebya” neighbourhood such as giving me a pedicure and turning mysterious was the motivation of soldiers of Tyre. “If I am alive today, it is because on the music for me until I felt I was from half way across the world, who of UNIFIL,” she said, even before I could a member of their family. After just one jumped in the melee to make peace. True begin my inquiry. A ‘simple’ fact, plainly week, I was out of danger, but after 20 enough, for one who has grown up amidst stated, the level stare of one who has seen years I am still undergoing surgeries in senseless violence between neighbours, death at close quarters - it took me aback. my neck and hand.” universal human values that define the Johayna has so far undergone 25 surgeries. United Nations are hard to grasp. “In 1988, I was severely burned as a result of a domestic accident,” Johayna It is only since three years that she started Soon though, Johayna was to be thrown continued. She had been admitted to a to leave her house again. Now she visits into a rude battle for her own survival hospital in Beirut, but the family could friends, asking around for help to complete that has gone on for 20 years now, and not afford the treatment. “We were poor the operations on her right hand, which continues. A struggle she has survived as farmers living off our daily toil. My mother otherwise may require amputation. much due to her own resilience born of had already sold the three cows we Johayna’s only wish is to regain normal adversity, a forte of the southerners, as due owned, our only source of livelihood, life so she can be an equal contributor to to the assistance that was provided her by and yet we were short of money.” society. She hopes someone will respond UNIFIL; a struggle that gave her new life to her call. and a revelation of the humanitarian impulse After three months, the hospital that transcends sectarian boundaries. administration advised the mother to Hassan Siklawi

28 29 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. My experience with UNIFIL Memories are short and UNIFIL has been here for long. I therefore often hear people ask the question: what has UNIFIL achieved? As one who has been closely associated with UNIFIL for most of its 30 years, I am more inclined to ask: how would things be in south Lebanon if there was no UNIFIL? Brig-Gen Maher Tfaili Over these years UNIFIL peacekeepers Later, as head of the South Intelligence base in Qana. Once again UNIFIL was have stood by us through crises, shared Section between 1989 and 1999, by the side of the people, deploying our pains and suffering, helped the best I continued regular interactions with the all its resources to help evacuate the they could to provide succour to the UNIFIL command. In 1998 I moved from injured, providing them medical and other people. Even the smallest humanitarian the army to the state security where I was assistance. UNIFIL also helped in the gestures have made a world of difference appointed as the Lebanese government return of displaced persons, in demining, and there have been too many to count. coordinator with UNIFIL. providing water and generators for the But let me mention some of my own Our close coordination with UNIFIL areas and in such other ways. personal experiences of the relationship proved useful during the Israeli ‘Operation we have shared with UNIFIL. Following Operation Grapes of Wrath, Accountability’ in 1993, when thousands the “April Understanding” committee In 1978, when UNIFIL was first established, of houses were destroyed, hundreds of comprising the United States, France, I was a Second Lieutenant in the Lebanese thousands of southerners were displaced Israel, Syria and Lebanon was formed Army, serving in the South Intelligence northward and infrastructure including in 1996 to monitor compliance with the Section. My job was to maintain regular roads, bridges, electricity and water agreement between Israel and Hezbollah to end cross-border attacks on civilian targets and refrain from using civilian villages to launch attacks. I was head of the Lebanese delegation in that committee which remained functional until 2000. UNIFIL provided us security and logistics support including a meeting room in Naqoura, transport for delegations, food, medical care and so on. On the whole, UNIFIL’s contribution to south Lebanon goes way beyond its mandated military or security role. It has brought enormous economic benefits to the region. Friendly relations with peacekeepers led over the years to cultural exchange and better Brig-Gen Tfaili with the ‘April Understanding’ monitoring team in the field late 1990s understanding of the respective customs and traditions. The Lebanese learned new liaison with UNIFIL. We would meet with stations were destroyed. UNIFIL assisted languages while UNIFIL members learned UNIFIL representatives at the emergency in protecting the citizens, picking up the some Lebanese words, and there were centre in Tyre in order to address issues bodies, treating the wounded, providing many cases of mixed marriage. necessary to help facilitate the Mission. food supplies, clearing roads and We worked to provide assistance in their removing debris of demolished buildings. I wish for a successful culmination of this movement, security, communication with cherished relationship between UNIFIL Lebanese citizens and in their humanitarian Some years later in 1996, the Israelis and the people of south Lebanon. activities such as medical care and food launched ‘Operation Grapes of Wrath’. 120 civilians were killed and more than distribution. Our tasks also included solving Brigadier General Maher Tfaili 500 injured, the largest number of the daily problems that emanated between Former Head of the South Intelligence Section the international forces and some armed casualties resulting from Israeli shelling & Head of the Lebanese delegation to the April groups in that area. of civilians taking refuge in the UNIFIL Understanding Monitoring Committee Drawing - An Nahar UNIFIL peacekeeper marks the Blue Line close to the town of Al Hamra May 2001 the Blue Line Lieutenant General Jim Sreenan was the Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL during May 1999-August 2000. With long years of peacekeeping experience since 1967 in Cyprus, the Sinai desert and the Golan Heights, including two previous stints with UNIFIL as Company Commander in 1985 and Battalion Commander in 1994-95, Lt. Gen. Sreenan was just the man UNIFIL needed to oversee the delineation of the Line of Withdrawal following the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000. For his work at this time he was awarded the Medal of the National Cedar in the rank of Commander by the President of Lebanon. A highly decorated officer who held several command positions in Ireland, he retired last June from active service as Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces. Al Janoub’s Omar Aboud contacted Lt. Gen. Sreenan for a first-hand account of his sensitive assignment with UNIFIL:

well flagged and we were expecting it. location of the Line of Withdrawal? Resolution 425 called for the withdrawal of Were there reservations from either side? Israeli forces from Lebanon and for UNIFIL The task for the UN Cartographic Team to confirm this withdrawal and so such an was to identify a line conforming to the eventuality was always included in UNIFIL internationally recognised boundaries contingency planning. I am sure nobody at of Lebanon based on the best available the UN back in 1978 thought it would be cartographic and documentary material. the next millennium before the withdrawal From the outset it was clear that the legal would take place and equally when on 17 basis for the international boundaries April 2000 Israel formally notified the UN of such as it existed would be found in its intention to withdraw few if any, even on any material in connection with the the Israeli side, could have envisaged that 1923 Agreement between France and by May 25th Israel would be declaring the Great Britain entitled “Boundary Line withdrawal was complete. between Syria and Palestine from the Mediterranean to El Hamme” and relating Did the specific situation on the ground, to the 1949 Israeli-Lebanese General the general developments in Lebanon and Armistice Agreement. A trawl for material the overall regional circumstances lead to was undertaken in London, Paris, Lt General Jim Sreenan the decision of the withdrawal? Washington, HQ UNTSO in Jerusalem and As the mood in Israel swung in favour ABOUD: At the time when the the assistance of both parties was sought. of withdrawal the Israeli proxy army the Government of Israel informed the UN of SLA, not surprisingly, started to think The difficulties faced by the Cartographic its intention to withdraw from the south seriously about their future. On the regional Team are illustrated by the fact that of Lebanon, did this decision come as a front there were still hopes of significant in regard to the 1923 Anglo French surprise to UNIFIL? progress on the Palestinian question and Agreement no common map could be SREENAN: No, the decision to withdraw of course withdrawal from Lebanon could found nor could any trace of geographical did not come as a surprise, a lively debate only facilitate this. On the wider front it coordinates and there were slight had been ongoing in Israel on the question is very hard to win international support differences in regard to the lines drawn of withdrawal for some considerable time when you are in occupation of someone on the English and French versions. and it was clear that Prime Minister Barak A further difficulty was that only after the else’s territory so undoubtedly there was favoured withdrawal. In the circumstances Cartographic Section had produced the pressure on Israel. there was never going to be a long time first working map did the Lebanese side from the announcement of the decision Based on what facts and documents did produce very significant material that until the withdrawal operation but it was the UN Cartographic Team determine the warranted considerable revision of the first

30 31 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. - An Nahar

UNIFIL and Lebanese Army officers working together on delineation of the Blue Line near Ghajar August 2001

in regard to the Line of Withdrawal. the ground, more so if the terrain is as There were three principal aspects to the inhospitable as much of the border area confirmation of the withdrawal: withdrawal is with steep escarpments, badly marked When you complete an of all Israeli military and civilian forces from minefields and the constant threat from exercise with two parties all Lebanese territory; dismantlement of booby traps and war debris. The line of the SLA including its command structure withdrawal was never intended to be an and you end up with and logistic train and the return to international boundary and was being both feeling dissatisfied the legitimate Lebanese authorities of interpreted by operational soldiers using prisoners being held at El Khiam. hand held GPS devices giving a level of you may consider you Our focus was firstly on ensuring that the accuracy of plus to minus eight degrees. were even handed Israeli forces were out of the outposts and It was possible to examine an area in the compounds they held and this took strong minutest detail and to declare it free from but you cannot be armoured patrols supported by Engineer any Israeli presence only to find an hour overjoyed at the result. teams to deal with the mine threat. Many later that an Israeli vehicle was driving along local civilians who did not take this threat a track maybe 10 meters on the wrong Nevertheless when you on board paid a heavy price. We also had side. One could consider this an inadvertent get the agreement of to follow up on what was happening to temporary violation but what if the incursion the SLA heavy weaponry, this we did in was a two-man observation position with both parties, albeit with conjunction with Lebanese authorities. no fixed infrastructure. There were indeed reservations... the work While UNIFIL had no active role in the many challenges requiring infinite patience release of the prisoners from Khiam we and a good sense of humour. must be considered did monitor developments there and satisfied ourselves as to the outcome. Looking back at the operation of worthwhile. demarcating the Blue Line conducted If the Israeli forces were not effectively eight years ago, how do you evaluate out of Lebanon it would not have been the process and the results obtained? possible to commence work on the line When you complete an exercise with two map. Given the fact of the quality of the of withdrawal as hostilities without doubt parties and you end up with both feeling background material and that the exercise would have continued. Delineation of a dissatisfied you may consider you were was not a full survey for the purpose of line of withdrawal was necessary to even handed but you cannot be overjoyed establishing an international border it advance the process and to confirm at the result. Nevertheless when you get was never likely that both sides would Israeli forces were out of all of Lebanon the agreement of both parties, albeit with be completely satisfied. Both sides finally but we should not lose sight of the earlier reservations, and secure the deployment accepted the line drawn, with reservations. verification work. The method employed of UNIFIL right up to the frontier and Can you explain the process of confirming by the Cartographic Team was to place facilitate the deployment of the Lebanese Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon and the markers along the line on the ground and Security and Armed Forces the work must method the UN Cartographic Section to establish coordinates for these markers. be considered worthwhile. The bottom followed to mark the Line of Withdrawal? What are some of the challenges that line is that until 2006 the people of South In the matter of the confirmation of the UNIFIL faced during this process? Lebanon and Northern Israel experienced Israeli withdrawal an undue emphasis is It is one thing to establish a line on a peace and tranquillity unlike the previous I feel placed on the difficulties experienced map but quite another to identify it on twenty two years. - UNIFIL Photo Holding out for the sake of peace Brig-Gen Jai Prakash Nehra Having taken over as the Deputy Head of an ostensibly stable Mission in February 2006, the humdrum of ‘routine peacekeeping’ he first encountered, was rudely shaken by the sudden outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah during July-August 2006. UNIFIL, despite being severely constrained in its own movements, security and vital resources, provided whatever assistance it could to the civilian population in the area. Importantly, through the tumultuous 34 days of war, UNIFIL managed to ‘keep a leg on the ground’ thus paving the way for the speedy restoration of a new security environment in south Lebanon following the cessation of hostilities agreement that led to the withdrawal of the IDF and the deployment of the LAF, supported by a much enhanced UN peacekeeping force. UNIFIL’s Deputy Force Commander Brigadier-General Jai Prakash Nehra was right in the middle of the upheaval that led to the transformation of UNIFIL in strategic partnership with LAF. Just after relinquishing office on 19 March 2008, on his way to the Beirut International Airport, Brigadier-General Nehra gave a first hand account of his eventful tenure to Al Janoub’s Neeraj Singh. Excerpts:

SINGH: How were things when you first The Force Commander was constantly arrived in February 2006? in touch with both parties and we were It was like a ‘white line’ NEHRA: I found a small Mission, with set able to broker the cessation of hostilities procedures and a predictable pattern of by the evening. Thereafter, things seemed [of UNIFIL vehicles] activities. There were some violations on to slip back to the normal routine. parallel to the Litany, the Blue Line, occasional clashes, but by and large it was peaceful. People were Did you have any battle indications before moving gradually south very warm and appreciative of UNIFIL. the massive flare up in July? towards the Blue Line. We had only two battalions in the field: There was no indication whatsoever Indian in the East and Ghanaian in the of a conflict of this magnitude. The general expectation was that after the massive West, with other contingents providing they did not expect any hostilities at least force protection, aviation support and exchange of 28 May they would keep during the tourist season. He informed me logistics. In all there were seven national quiet for some time. of a plan he had received from the Prime contingents with 2,000 military personnel On 10 July, I had a meeting with Gen. Minister’s office to enhance the Joint Force and a small complement of civilian staff. Daoud, Commander Joint Force [the Joint deployment to 3,000 personnel. We took All of a sudden on 28 May 2006, Force composed of 500 Internal Security it as a positive sign that the government Hizbullah fired at the IDF in the morning Forces (ISF) and 500 Army personnel was moving forward to establish its and IDF retaliated with massive aerial were the only Lebanese security force authority in the south. Less than 48 bombardments through the day. deployed in the south], who told me that hours later we had the war.

32 33 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. Even when the conflict started, we first UNIFIL over this, but soon the people when the OGL Patrol Base in Khiam was thought it would last only a couple of days realised our constraints. destroyed by an aerial bomb and one of since in the beginning the pattern was our international staff members and his like the 28 May exchange of fire. Only Was supplies for UNIFIL troops a major wife died in a residential building bombed days later when we saw the first ground concern? in Tyre. Several UNIFIL peacekeepers were actions of IDF, we realised this was going We had 28-30 days supplies in the posts. injured and in some cases we were just to continue longer. Food was not as much of a problem as plain lucky to escape major casualties. was water and, even more so, fuel. For As the violence picked up, how did UNIFIL safety reasons we used APCs to resupply The UN Secretary-General had authorised address the repercussions on the ground? our positions and due to their limited the Force Commander to evacuate There was massive destruction. More capacity they required more number of the Mission if necessary, but we were than 80% of the population in the south trips. We also used local resources, such determined to see it through. One of the left northwards. UNIFIL, in coordination as wherever there was a local water source reasons UNIFIL was able to expand so with the Government of Lebanon, helped available. For fresh supplies like vegetables, quickly after the war was that we already in escorting them and also in moving meat products and fruits we allowed the had a leg on the ground. those who remained in the south to safer commanders to make local purchases. areas. Sometimes it took time because Were you able to pick up quickly from there we had to coordinate with IDF to secure The most critical was fuel. Our fuel supplies in the immediate aftermath of the war? safe corridors. Generally, UNIFIL units had been cut off and local gas stations Even during the war, we did our best to were ‘confined to posts’ for security were destroyed. In the first two weeks continue with our mandate to observe and report on a daily basis the best we could see. It was not 100% accurate because of the limitations of observation and judgement, but in retrospect it was - UNIFIL Photo a fairly accurate assessment. Just four hours after the cessation of hostilities, through intensive liaison we were able to arrange a meeting with representatives of the Lebanese Army and IDF at Ras Naqoura. This was the first tripartite meeting chaired by UNIFIL. The immediate issue we had to address was the withdrawal of the IDF and simultaneous LAF deployment. What did this transition involve? The challenge before us was to ensure that the IDF and LAF do not meet each other in order to avoid any potential clashes. So we negotiated detailed modalities with both parties and maintained a buffer line of UNIFIL Observer Group Lebanon Patrol Base Khiam destroyed by Israeli bombing killing four UN Military Observers July 2006 between the two forces. reasons, but we always responded to we were able to run two logistics convoys As IDF withdrew from a pocket, UNIFIL humanitarian calls to evacuate wounded from Beirut. But then that stopped. By the took over and 24 hours later LAF came in. civilians, provide medical aid, food, water end of the 34-day war we had practically We went by the roads that were available and so on. Our freedom of movement was exhausted our fuel stock. and so there was a string of 20 or more curtailed with roads and bridges destroyed. How about the security of UNIFIL patrols from each of the two battalions In some villages, such as in Hule, we were personnel? round the clock. It was like a ‘white line’ able to negotiate with IDF certain safe areas Statistically speaking, out of the 45 bases [of UNIFIL vehicles] parallel to the Litany, such as a football ground, or municipal hall UNIFIL had, 36 received explosive hits, moving gradually south towards the Blue or hospital. We put our APCs [Armoured either direct or dangerously close. 16 of Line. It took over a month and a half to Personnel Carriers] with UN flags and got these had rockets falling inside. It was complete this process. the civilian population to concentrate there mostly collateral damage and it was Throughout this period the civilian to protect them from the fighting. coming mostly from the IDF, but also from population was returning in large numbers There were instances when civilians Hizbullah. On one occasion, there were and if they saw an IDF detachment in the gathered in front of our bases for shelter. as many as 32 direct mortar hits on the vicinity of their destroyed homes, obviously But we had very limited bomb shelters Headquarters of the Ghanaian battalion there were tensions. So emotions were only sufficient for troops and not enough in a single night. We had sound force running high and practically 70-80% of food and water. So we escorted them to protection measures, good discipline UNIFIL troops were out of their bases day the Tyre barracks where the LAF took over. and excellent command at all levels. and night for more than a month, mediating, Initially there was some resentment against Four UN military observers were killed negotiating, calming down the situation. An enduring “Also during the last conflict the Irish, oasis of hope the Dutch and the Mohammed Fawaz is a school teacher who has Norwegians were dedicated most of his life to orphans in the south constantly in touch with of Lebanon during the country’s most turbulent times. us, to check how we were In his efforts to keep the orphanage open, Mohammed doing. They have left has faced many challenges and has gone through Lebanon, but they will be a great deal of pain, hardship and financial difficulties. always part of us.” But he also found lasting friendships that have endured the tests of distance and time.

dream and during two major conflicts between 1993 and 1996 Tibnin frequently came under heavy fire. The Irish did whatever they could to keep the centre safe and to reassure the children, staying with them while Israeli jets were shelling the area. “They also raised a UN flag on top of the building to mark it as a ‘UNIFIL position’ and continued to provide us with food - An Nahar and fuel supplies,” said Mohammed with Fawaz (right) receiving vehicle donated by UNIFIL for the Orphanage June 1992 tears in his eyes. “They stayed with us It all started in 1978, just after the “From that time on they have always for the 16 days of bombardment sleeping establishment of UNIFIL in the south of been with us, providing reassurance with on the floor. To reassure the children Lebanon. With the help of a generous their presence and so much beyond they played music while the conflict donation from the Dutch battalion, their military duties. The help we have was ongoing. How can I forget the Irish Mohammad opened the orphanage in received from the Irish can’t be measured peacekeeper who risked his life driving Tibnin, giving refuge to more than 100 in material terms. During the hardest a truck full of fuel for the orphanage while children. Unfortunately the dramatic moment they never left us alone. They the Israelis were shelling the area?” escalation of the conflict in 1979 forced were a reassuring and enjoyable presence “Also during the last conflict the Irish, him to close and evacuate the orphans to for the children, playing music for them, the Dutch and the Norwegians were different locations around Lebanon. During showing cartoons, bringing toys, talking constantly in touch with us, to check how the war the orphanage was occupied and and laughing with them. They were part we were doing. They have left Lebanon, looted - nothing was left inside, even the of their family; they were our family.” but they will be always part of us.” doors and windows were removed and the The corridors of the orphanage are building was severely damaged. Mohammed now has serious concerns covered with photos portraying its about the future of the orphanage: “When I tried to re-open the orphanage history. Most of the pictures show UNIFIL “We have never been affiliated with any in 1991, I did not know where to start peacekeepers involved in different particular political party or faction, so we from, where could I find help and financial activities: taking the children around were reliant on funding and help from UN assistance?” Lebanon by bus, organizing Christmas battalions, international organizations, parties, playing music and sharing meals. embassies or charities.” The response of the Irish and Norwegian peacekeepers, based in Tibnin at Camp “The departure of some of the contingents “Now the Italians are providing us with Sharmock, was immediate. They helped did not put a halt to their support. The doctors, the Polish with water, the in the reconstruction of the centre, former peacekeepers continued to provide Belgians with food and the Qataris gave including structural and engineering work, the orphanage with donations, gifts, us a generator and food supplies.” clothes, school fees, etc.” Mohammed the donation of a generator and medical But Mohammed is still worried about assistance. Very soon, UNIFIL became an pointed out that it was not solely the Irish or Norwegians that donated, other UNIFIL how to protect the orphanage if there integral part of the orphanage, the Irish is another war. providing food and the Norwegians paying contingents also helped. most of the school fees. Unfortunately peace was still a distant Andrea Tenenti

34 35 Issue 02 Jun. 08 Issue 02 Jun. - UNIFIL Photo

Girls at the Orphanage in Tibnin - UNIFIL Photo - UNIFIL peacekeeper watching theBlueLine UNIFIL peacekeeper watching