Jul

28

General’s Comment

July 28, 2006 |

I have served in another mission where one side constantly set up its weapon systems, including mortars, in and around hospitals, medical clinics, mosques and, yes, UN positions, knowing full well that, when it engaged its enemies and received return fire, it would make for compelling TV as the networks covered the civilian carnage. (When they took up positions around my soldiers, I advised their leaders that I would authorize my soldiers to kill them within the hour if they didn’t withdraw. Fortunately, as I was not an unarmed observer, I was in a position to do that.) In many cases, the weapon systems were moved immediately after firing, and their positions around civilians were abandoned before innocents paid the price for their despicable techniques. You have to admit this technique helps to win the PR war, which often is as important as the fighting one.

Certainly, the Secretary-General is familiar with this technique, having been the UN undersecretary of peacekeeping in the horrific 1990s, when the UN was floundering in the Balkans, Somalia and Rwanda.
globe and mail via Captain’s Quarters

With luck Kofi is going to be pasted on his claim that the Israelis deliberately targed the UN observer so tragically killed.

The more important point, however, is that these poor people should never have been in the Observation post past day 1 of the conflict. They were there because the Secretary General failed to order them to leave their posts. They died because of the criminal incompetence of the UN and, if nothing else, their deaths should serve to remind us why the United Nations is such an entirely dysfunctional organization. These deaths, as well as the general failure of UNFIL to stop the creation of the Hezbollah mini-state, underscore why the UN should have nothing to do with any multi-lateral force sent into Lebanon.


Comments

3 Comments so far

  1. DazzlinDino on July 28, 2006 3:19 am

    Saddam was famous for it. the US would go as far as telling the guy where they were going to bomb, and he would make sure there were people there, telling them they were safe….

  2. Alan on July 28, 2006 4:12 am

    Who is the top commander of the Canadians in the observer posts? Who had two weeks of intelligence on the table, too. Sure - ask the hard questions of the UN. But make sure everyone involved gets asked the hard questions, Jay.

  3. SUE on July 28, 2006 4:19 am

    No One Read the article about this Yesterday in the
    Toronto Star where an Retired Un Observer who
    was Once stationed at the same base said he agreed with Annan.He said that Israel has MANY issues with the UN and Israel doesn’t Like ANYONE WATCHING them to be Witness to WHAt they Do.Israel isn’t Innocent in All it Does. Jay you seem to think every Arab a terrorist and Israelis Do NO Wrong.

Name

Email

Website

Speak your mind