Interim is supposed to mean temporary, but the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) was given their authority way back in 1978, and we are in a worse position today than we were then.
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How short or long is Interim? It was reported that Private Sean Rooney was killed, and another Irish soldier seriously wounded, when their military vehicle came under fire by "a hostile mob."
This was repeated by Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney who said their vehicle "got surrounded by a hostile mob - I think that's the only way you could describe them."
No, Mr. Coveney. That is not the only way to describe them. Try Hezbollah operatives or Hezbollah supporters.
Which other Lebanese civilians would object to a UN force keeping law and order, or ensuring that Iranian missiles and explosives are not stored in their homes, schools, and mosques for future use against Israel - if that is what UNIFIL actually does?
Try replacing "a hostile mob" with Hezbollah and cut the diplomatic anonymity, Mr. Coveney. The grieving Rooney family will not have closure or justice until you provide them with the truth.
The 2004 UNSC Resolution 1559 called for the disarmament of all armed militias in Lebanon. Isn't Hezbollah an armed militia in Lebanon?
UNIFIL was formed as a peacekeeping UN force in Lebanon to enforce United Nations requirements. It has persistently failed over an almost 20-year period to fulfill any of its missions.
UNSC Resolution 1701 of 2006 states that it prohibits all armed militias from operating anywhere in Lebanon. So, what have they done to disarm Hezbollah, and why are there no-go zones in which UNIFIL personnel are forbidden to enter in South Lebanon?
If the United Nations Security Council is punishing Hezbollah infringements of US resolutions, what have been the punishments?
Where is the UN punishment over the death of UNIFIL Private Sean Rooney?
Where is the UNSC punishment of Hezbollah for the murder of 2 Israeli soldiers killed inside Israel by a Hezbollah missile strike from Southern Lebanon in 2015?
Hezbollah flagrantly violates the UNSC arms embargo.
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Israel estimates that Hezbollah now possess more than 150,000 rockets and missiles mainly stored in Southern Lebanon for future use against Israel.
Has UNIFIL provided the UN Security Council with the numbers and the locations where they are stored? Israel would like to know. We would like to see if UN records match ours.
This is, after all, what these resolutions and the creation of UNIFIL in Lebanon was all about. It is obvious that UNIFIL has been a heavy waste of time, money, and manpower. It has not fulfilled its mission, and now its soldiers are dying. It is an impotent body that has done little to prevent an inevitable future conflict.
