Ltems-In-Middle East - Other Countries - General
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UN Secretariat Item Scan - Barcode - Record Title Page 18 Date 29/06/2006 Time 9:52:52 AM S-0899-0012-05-00001 Expanded Number S-0899-0012-05-00001 ltems-in-Middle East - other countries - general Date Created 11/01/1 974 Record Type Archival Item Container s-0899-0012: Peacekeeping - Middle East 1945-1981 Print Name of Person Submit Image Signature of Person Submit GLS:mk cc: Mr. B.E. Urquhar* Mr. A. P Central (2) • ';.„• 2 December 1971* Mr, Ambassador, : I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter Bo. 1310-EES/Tlt of 1 October 1971* concerning the report of the Board of Inquiry vhich vas set up to investigate the mine accident of 25 June 197k on Mount Benson la the course of which four sieabers of the Austrian Contingent of the United Rations Disengagement Observer Force killed and one vas injured. ., • The observations contained in your letter and the eoments of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence contained in the Memorandum attached to that letter have been raost carefully noted. ^•v* '• It is apparent from the report of the Board that tJSDOF vas operating •under extreaely difficult conditions especially during the disengagement phase of the operations, which called for adherence to a rigid tine schedule in implementing the agaeeaent reached by Israel and Syria ia Geneva* As the report states, "work vas carried out under constant pressure relying on oral rather than written orders*. There is no lack of evidence in the testimony collected by the Board that despite these difficult conditions the Austrian Contingent acted with enthusiasm, efficiency and speed in carrying out its assigned "tasks, and that the personnel of that Contingent displayed a high level of soldierly qualities aad courage in the performance of their dangerous : : -duties*^.- :/:/>;-• • '• '<-• ••-" 'r--. : --:--"^-^ •••', '•••?:* -.**• >,-• v .^ •-.--.- •" • ' '-V' •• "•" ." ^ '-:••,:. report of the Board of Inquiry indicates that on 25 June 197^ ''""'•'" , the Austrian search party v&s to raise the UIT flag over Mount Heriaon and ? "to search for the remains of an Israeli pilot on that aountaia. In this ';' *_ ""-" connexion, the party proceeded in two vehicles from the village of Aarne westward toward Pitulia Camp, being unaware of the fact that that road had not been cleared of mines, fhe lead vehicle"ran over a nine which exploded, causing the casualties* .i*i*-.,rW "" :^* ' : /*VB*- ;/" '^f.;: ; : •--"fe'r'.^-*'>vVr- --'J'--r -- . - ..-••*•" . ' .' •• ..' -?¥^K^:^i^£Sg^pSg;-''.r :;^ .: : H.E. Mr. Peter Jankowitach •• •:•'";«-•;-;.•'•>-.i?«^a*^i^a^S^***w. - --^K^ff^rSfif '" "-;^.- -. Ambassador Ertraordinary aad Plenipotentiary : \ • •; , : :v ; ^Permanent Representative of Austria to the . ."':/>" :."" ".''\'-^. - ',..•.:'-••-.--."• -.„. ,^'-'^ ,,.••". ^f^'f^^Ss^'.r.'i United Hations ,'-•••".'- -.••-;• --•'-:'-,-.v,^"'j.••-•'•: J^- .. y V';'.,-.?-,--. ^^.', -. ••'\.:'"^ ^::: 'S£&3$&%$$to9.United Hations'Plasa .^^-:-^:^^^^^^ i^:; 1 York, Hev vork-1001T ' v/':'^&2^:£?%- •'••T^^^^-'--]'.'^ '''^ ;-j *iV • -2- In our opinion, the testimony supports the conclusion of the Board that "UHDOF FEQ (Forward Headquarters? vere aware that the road from ; Aarne to Pitulim Camp had not yet been cleared of mines". "She testimony also indicates that information to this effect vas passed by the Israeli .J..V Liaison Officers to USDOF FHQ on 2k June* although, as you point out» there may have been some officers on the UEDOF staff vho vere not aware of that fact and assumed that the road had been fully cleared* The testimony further indicates that information that the Aarae-Pitulis -•' Hoad vas not safe on account of mines vas relayed to the Austrian battalion or at least to some of its officers. Indeed, UMDQP FHQ assumed, incorrectly, that another road running through Israeli-controlled territory would fee used by the Austrian search party* The fact is that vital information about the condition of the road did not reach members of the Austria^ battalion vho vere organizing the search pa^ty, but there is nothing in the report of the Board to indicate that the Austrian battalion alone vaa responsible for the failure to channel that information to all concerned* This vas one of the w "basic fflisunderstandings11 referred to in paragraph (B) of the Board of Inquiry findings. The fcther "basic misunderstanding** concerns the exchange of messages on 2k June 1971* between the Austrian battalion and the UUDOF Chief Engineer Officer concerning the condition of the Aarae-Pitulim Camp Hoad. It is evident that that exchange of messages lent itself to tragic misunderstand- ings and that in fact both messages vere misunderstood by their respective ~ recipients. I fully agree vith you in this connexion that there is no ;^ basis for suggesting that the Austrian battalion alone vas responsible for :\, ;'"those misunderstandings. ' In short, there occurred a combination of human errors by a number of . -*.'. >r ._ persons, all of whom vere working under great pressure in a genuine effort 9'r-;;^.";,-•• ,-'-•£ ; x • to fulfil their important responsibilities in difficult circumstances. As "^v-.ri--:_,,«.* -- ' -.•:.' 30 often happens in such cases, no one person or body of persons vas solely "to blame* . • . •-. -•'.-• ;;;..__ . ; •;...-,•;'-• >f us here, together vith our colleagues in the field, deeply regret the loss of the Austrian soldiers vho died in the performance of their *:''•£ duties in the service of the United Hations. Ve are asking every possible v 'effort to eliminate the chances of a recurrence of such accidents. Standing '^^'•^^f*' &•'.. - 3 - f .«*•- -,£ \ \, - \ } •- •; j, 3; 4 •-.-,< ...... .. .-:•- . • . .,'?'-' f~" - i \ " ::i \ .- . '-. \ operating procedures have been introduced by UHDOF which it is firmly hoped vill avoids similar accidents in the future. W;c v •••• %, VV j ;' ' i- .•: .' i ' V: Please ^ceeft, l^r; ^nbassador, the renewed assurances of nor highest consideration. : _Vc'^-••f- *.•• .•'•"..••'•. , .**' ." Yours sincerely. Brian E. Urquharfc Onder-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs ..:.•,v....- -- • v'^'*;;^.•;... -•,.-!;,,^:^'"*;'"'"'. : > ''' ; : •:^^S-r v?^, :.r--^^^: | ?^V^s1 - -.-'••'',.-. -^ -"^1 •^'t'V i?-:- -rjj...' ••'•..>'''.**«•-¥*•-'<»/, ;• v-:-. ,.- «-*J •'^^"''•''-'- .. -:--. • ?;*?:."V:^ *"'•£*.-' ••"*• co« Mr, x * Mira r Segistry Central >~ "%':%§l3iiP"" pronto . ' Aprovaiho -. - -a- 'i'.^-.'. ^Sji- ..? . .. V'^^'^'^sCV /.. .^ .," *v'-*•*"'-*•"•*•.••'•'<-' ••^•^i~'- ""r^-^'ff-^". 1 2f -*• " ': .*-\'--<"±---~<'-.'~:..- :: , .'.vN?' '••;':• :^'"K " :^--•".' « 3 «* V;-;>'; •:^-£&^:, ••&£*!•; >j v.O-'-.^r-- %^v: • : ; ~: .---•••.:-' ^lC'-\%''v;;r'»v.; • '"•':-• ••/•-• ' 'r •'•••i.. "'':',• •<*-..' '• -""-"i-.''H- i;>^ns-i'i#ft':"S|S; 7^-29801 nib Translated from Spanish Permanent Mission of Panama to the United Nations M.P.P. No November Sir, Further to my note MPP 3^0 of 15 October 197^, concerning the withdrawal of the Panamanian contingent of UNEF in the Middle East, I have the honour to communicate to you herewith a photocopy of the cable we have received on the subject from Colonel Rodrigo Garcia Ramirez, Second-in-Command of the Guardia Nacional of Panama. As you will be aware, the advance group of the Panamanian contingent proceeded to the Middle East on 19 November 1973 and the main body of troops on 10 December of that year. Since it is my Government's intention to withdraw its contingent from the area after the completion of one year's service, I request you to issue the appropriate instructions to ensure that the operations shall be brought to a happy conclusion. Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. (Signed) Aquilino E. BOYD Ambassador, Permanent Representative His Excellency Mr. Kurt Waldheim Secretary-General United Nations A "• - 7^-29801 . -2- mb Cable Lac. Aquiline Boyd Permanent Mission of Panama to the United Nations 866 United Nations Plaza, Room New York 10017 Inform you that the date of withdrawal of our troops serving the United Nations in the Middle East must be as from 19 November 197^» on which date they will have completed one year's peace mission in that area. The reasons for this have already ' been communicated to you. Colonel Rodrigo Garcia Ramirez cc. Mr. Lansky •tfCEIVtD IN HECemOB Mrs. Mira : T" UNEF -5 NOV;??4 . Registry OUSGSPA a, tsesmasi-ea./6 e/e Z- en- M.P.P. No. 364 4 de noviembre de 1974 Senor Secretario General: A" ->---'^ ^'/ j <- - Tengo el honor de dirigirme a Vuestra Excelencia en adici6n a mi nota MPP 340 de 15 de octubre de 1974, relativa al retire del Contingente panameno de la FENU en el Oriente Medio, para hacerle llegar una fotocopia del cablegrama que sobre el particular nos ha enviado el Coronel Rodrigo Garcia Ramirez, Comandante Segundo Jefe de la Guardia Nacional de Panama. Como podra" apreciar Vuestra Excelencia el 19 de noviembre de 1973 viaj6 al Oriente Medio el grupo de avan- zada del Contingente panameno y el grueso de la tropa lo hizo el 10 de diciembre del mismo ano. En vista de que es la intenci6n de :ai Gobierno retirar su Contingente del Srea despues de cumplido un ano de servicio, le ruego im- partir las instrucciones del caso para que las operaciones lleguen a su feliz terminacidn.- Aprovecho la oportunidad para reiterar a Vuestra Excelencia las seguridades de mi mSs^-jalta y distinguida consideraci6n. Embajaddr, Kepresent/ante Permanente Su Excelencia r Senor Kurt Waldheim i"~~c Secretario General \ '^"^ Naciones Unidas 3 3 O / DCC0^1(1247)(l-008394C306)PU 11/02/74 1245 ICS IPMYSNG NYK 0-7059 (1-00582SA30S 1 1-02