Israel Matzav

Unarmed (!?!) UN troops on Syrian and Lebanese borders with Israel attacked

You'd think they were patrolling the borders between the US and Canada rather than what are probably the two most heavily armed borders in the world. Twice in the last week, unarmed UN troops have been attacked. On Monday, Finnish UNTSO forces were attacked on the Syrian side of the southern Golan Heights and on Saturday, Belgian UNIFIL troops were attacked in southern Lebanon.

This is from the first link.

Finnish UNTSO military observers were paired to take care of a routine mission when armed men stopped their vehicle. An Arabic-speaking duo forced the observers out at gunpoint. The observers didn’t understand the language, but quickly figured out the plot.

- The intention was clear: out of the car, they wanted it, Lieutenant Colonel Jukka Honkanen says.

Honkanen has talked to the threatened Finnish observers. According to Honkanen, the observers after the first moments feel it to be a life threatening situation. It was clear that these men didn’t want to do violence, but to take the car. The thieves ended up with not only UN property but the observers property as well.

Notice the apologetics.... Of course they didn't feel threatened....

This is from the second link.

Residents of south Lebanon briefly blocked a road in front of Belgian peacekeepers Saturday and stole a memory card belonging to one of the patrol’s members, security sources told The Daily Star. After the Belgian unit, specialized in demining, took pictures of a mine field in the Marjayoun village of Mais al-Jabal and was on its way out of the area, residents in their car blocked the path of a vehicle belonging to the Belgium contingent of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon, the sources said. The residents then stole a memory card of a camera that belonged to the peacekeepers. The sources said there was no physical confrontation between the residents and the peacekeepers. Items belonging to UNFIL have been taken off its members in the past. The head of the U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Paulo Serra, has warned against intercepting UNIFIL patrols and confiscating their equipment, saying that such actions are not only illegal, they could escalate, endangering both soldiers and civilians. [more]

And these people are going to prevent Hezbullah or Syria from starting a war with Israel? Why on earth are they out without weapons?

Labels: Golan Heights, Hezbullah, Southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, United Nations

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:38 PM