What did you do in the war, UNIFIL?

[jbg]

According to the Weekly Standard (link) U.N. "peacekeeping" forces, known as UNIFIL--the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, have published real-time intelligence of Israeli troop movements, placing them in obvious danger. Meanwhile, they refused to assist in the rescue of kidnapped Israeli soldiers. Remember, Israel is a UN member, generally recognized as a nation-state by most countries in the world.

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DURING THE RECENT month-long war between Hezbollah and Israel, U.N. "peacekeeping" forces made a startling contribution: They openly published daily real-time intelligence, of obvious usefulness to Hezbollah, on the location, equipment, and force structure of Israeli troops in Lebanon.

UNIFIL--the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, a nearly 2,000-man blue-helmet contingent that has been present on the Lebanon-Israel border since 1978--is officially neutral. Yet, throughout the recent war, it posted on its website for all to see precise information about the movements of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers and the nature of their weaponry and materiel, even specifying the placement of IDF safety structures within hours of their construction. New information was sometimes only 30 minutes old when it was posted, and never more than 24 hours old.

*snip*

On October 7, 2000, three IDF soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah just yards from a UNIFIL shelter and dragged across the border into Lebanon, where they disappeared. The U.N. was thought to have videotaped the incident or its immediate aftermath. Rather than help Israel rescue its kidnapped soldiers by providing this evidence, however, the U.N. obstructed the Israeli investigation.

For months the Israeli government pleaded with the U.N. to turn over any videotape that might shed light on the location and condition of its missing men. And for nine months the U.N. stonewalled, insisting first that no such tape existed, then that just one tape existed, and eventually conceding that there were two more tapes. During those nine months, clips from the videotapes were shown on Syrian and Lebanese television.

*snip*

UNIFIL has just done what it then vowed it could never do. Once again, it has acted to shield one side in the conflict and to harm the other. Why is this permitted? For that matter, how did the U.N. obtain such detailed and timely military intelligence in the first place, before broadcasting it for Israel's enemies to see?

Lori Lowenthal Marcus is president of the Zionist Organization of America, Greater Philadelphia District.

[B. Max]

It should not surprise anyone. The UN is a cesspool of corruption.

[jbg]

It should not surprise anyone. The UN is a cesspool of corruption.

I thought the UN was principled, effective, fair and neutral.

[B. Max]

It should not surprise anyone. The UN is a cesspool of corruption.

I thought the UN was principled, effective, fair and neutral.

he he he, that depends on ones definition of principled, fair, and neutral.

I can't say that it gets any worse, on the other hand it doesn't get any better.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/united-nations.htm

[Argus]

UNIFIL has just done what it then vowed it could never do. Once again, it has acted to shield one side in the conflict and to harm the other. Why is this permitted? For that matter, how did the U.N. obtain such detailed and timely military intelligence in the first place, before broadcasting it for Israel's enemies to see?

Lori Lowenthal Marcus is president of the Zionist Organization of America, Greater Philadelphia District.

If this is true then UN observers would have been legitimate military targets. The Israelis should have notified them of that and ordered them out, then captured or killed any which remained. That they did not do that, perhaps says something.

[jdobbin]

I guess this is why Israel deliberately targeted the U.N. with a smart bomb.

[jbg]

I guess this is why Israel deliberately targeted the U.N. with a smart bomb.

No, that was because the UN facility was teeming with Hezbollah fighters. It is clear that the UN is not a neutral in this mess, and needs to be treated by Israel as a combatant.

[jdobbin]

No, that was because the UN facility was teeming with Hezbollah fighters. It is clear that the UN is not a neutral in this mess, and needs to be treated by Israel as a combatant.

And yet the last UNIFIL report that base made was that Hezbollah had moved off. That is somewhere in the links in this forum. The Israelis had also said they wouldn't target the base.

[geoffrey]

I guess this is why Israel deliberately targeted the U.N. with a smart bomb.

No, that was because the UN facility was teeming with Hezbollah fighters. It is clear that the UN is not a neutral in this mess, and needs to be treated by Israel as a combatant.

I'm not quite sure if I've ever heard such a ridiculous statement. Israel even apologised and said they were wrong... obviously they don't even believe the UN was a combatant.

I think you need to actually be invovled in combat to be a combatant.

Sillyness.

[KrustyKidd]

UNIFIL is supposed to report activity from the signatories. If the Lebanese are not moving and Israel is, then there isn't really much to report other then Israeli movements.

[jbg]

I'm not quite sure if I've ever heard such a ridiculous statement. Israel even apologised and said they were wrong... obviously they don't even believe the UN was a combatant.

I think you need to actually be invovled in combat to be a combatant.

Sillyness.

The UN, by releasing classified information about troop movements, is acting in a manner clearly allied with an active combatant.

UNIFIL is supposed to report activity from the signatories. If the Lebanese are not moving and Israel is, then there isn't really much to report other then Israeli movements.

That is one of the reasons the Arabs are hiding behind front groups rather than using nation-states for combat.

[Black Dog]

According to the Weekly Standard (link) U.N. "peacekeeping" forces, known as UNIFIL--the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, have published real-time intelligence of Israeli troop movements, placing them in obvious danger.

Whew! For a second there I thought there might be some serious allegations here. But it's just the Weakly Standard.

UNIFIL is supposed to report activity from the signatories. If the Lebanese are not moving and Israel is, then there isn't really much to report other then Israeli movements.

Yup.

[geoffrey]

I'm not quite sure if I've ever heard such a ridiculous statement. Israel even apologised and said they were wrong... obviously they don't even believe the UN was a combatant.

I think you need to actually be invovled in combat to be a combatant.

Sillyness.

The UN, by releasing classified information about troop movements, is acting in a manner clearly allied with an active combatant.

That is such BS. Israel had no UN resolution or legal premise for the invasion of Lebanon's soverignty. UNIFIL's job is to report on the movement of either side into each other's territories. They are doing their jobs by reporting such incursions, Israel knew this would happen before they invaded.

UNIFIL is supposed to report activity from the signatories. If the Lebanese are not moving and Israel is, then there isn't really much to report other then Israeli movements.

That is one of the reasons the Arabs are hiding behind front groups rather than using nation-states for combat.

Exactly right, and that's why you need to use different strategies against them instead of what Irsael attempted to do in Lebanon.

[B. Max]

On October 7, 2000, three IDF soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah just yards from a UNIFIL shelter and dragged across the border into Lebanon, where they disappeared. The U.N. was thought to have videotaped the incident or its immediate aftermath. Rather than help Israel rescue its kidnapped soldiers by providing this evidence, however, the U.N. obstructed the Israeli investigation.

For months the Israeli government pleaded with the U.N. to turn over any videotape that might shed light on the location and condition of its missing men. And for nine months the U.N. stonewalled, insisting first that no such tape existed, then that just one tape existed, and eventually conceding that there were two more tapes. During those nine months, clips from the videotapes were shown on Syrian and Lebanese television.

The terrorist supporting UN seems to be in the business of reporting and withholding troop movements.

Israel should have taken out UNIFIL the very first day.

[geoffrey]

Is there anything to collaborate those claims, or is it just mere conjecture?

Taking out UNIFIL would be a serious war crime, Israel even admits bombing the UN was wrong.

[jbg]

Is there anything to collaborate those claims, or is it just mere conjecture?

Taking out UNIFIL would be a serious war crime, Israel even admits bombing the UN was wrong.

Go to this link for my response. THe UN, and not just UNIFIL, should be taken out.

[Argus]

The UN, by releasing classified information about troop movements, is acting in a manner clearly allied with an active combatant.

That is such BS. Israel had no UN resolution or legal premise for the invasion of Lebanon's soverignty.

Phhht. Are you an expert in international law, Geoffrey? I don't claim to be, but I'm pretty damned sure nations which are being attacked have a perfect legal right to respond in kind. What's that, you say? Hezbollah weren't the Lebanese government? International law doesn't care. The Lebanese are responsible for any attacks on their neighbours. If they don't do anything to stop them - and they didn't - then it's perfectly legal for Israel to take all neccessary actions to do so itself.

You'll notice in all the snivelling and howling about what Israel was doing in Lebanon there were no charges it was violating international law in going into Lebanon from any serious groups.

UNIFIL's job is to report on the movement of either side into each other's territories. They are doing their jobs by reporting such incursions, Israel knew this would happen before they invaded.

If UNIFIL was making nearly real-time public reports of Israeli troop movements the Israelis were within their rights to order them to stop and leave, and then target them if they did not. That is military intelligence which any participant in a battle will always do its best to prevent. I'm assuming either the Isrealis didn't care, or didn't know. But if they did and UNIFIL didn't stop, I think Israel had the right to stop them.

[Argus]

Is there anything to collaborate those claims, or is it just mere conjecture?

Taking out UNIFIL would be a serious war crime, Israel even admits bombing the UN was wrong.

Taking out spies providing military intelligence to the enemy - intelligence which could allow the enemy to adjust his forces and better traget your soldiers, is perfectly valid in wartime. The UN should not have been providing this information. If it wanted to continue its observations it should not have made them available so quickly that they could serve as battlefield intelligence to one or both of the combatants.

Query: Were they also publicly reporting Hezbollah sightings and movements?

[B. Max]

Is there anything to collaborate those claims, or is it just mere conjecture?

Taking out UNIFIL would be a serious war crime, Israel even admits bombing the UN was wrong.

http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/004340.html

[B. Max]

Is there anything to collaborate those claims, or is it just mere conjecture?

Taking out UNIFIL would be a serious war crime, Israel even admits bombing the UN was wrong.

Go to this link for my response. THe UN, and not just UNIFIL, should be taken out.

If Harper would get us out of the UN it could lead the way for other nations who want to be free of that leftist cesspool of corruption to take the same steps. The UN'S collapse would then be almost immediate.

[jbg]

Is there anything to collaborate those claims, or is it just mere conjecture?

Taking out UNIFIL would be a serious war crime, Israel even admits bombing the UN was wrong.

Go to this link for my response. THe UN, and not just UNIFIL, should be taken out.

If Harper would get us out of the UN it could lead the way for other nations who want to be free of that leftist cesspool of corruption to take the same steps. The UN'S collapse would then be almost immediate.

I certainly agree with you (link). I'd like the US to ask the UN out of New York. Maybe Tuktuyutok (sp) or Baker Lake, NU would be a good alternative location. Just get them away from 40 trudeau units (a/k/a kms) from my house. Too many diplomats in our area.

[Figleaf]

Lori Lowenthal Marcus is president of the Zionist Organization of America, Greater Philadelphia District.

That's about the only straight sentence in the whole article. The rest is hackneyed, implausible spin.

[geoffrey]

Is there anything to collaborate those claims, or is it just mere conjecture?

Taking out UNIFIL would be a serious war crime, Israel even admits bombing the UN was wrong.

http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/004340.html

And because one extremist source says it... I KNOW ITS TRUE!!! woohoo.

After all the doctored photos lately, I don't trust one image to make a judgement about a very complex issue.

[B. Max]

Is there anything to collaborate those claims, or is it just mere conjecture?

Taking out UNIFIL would be a serious war crime, Israel even admits bombing the UN was wrong.

http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/004340.html

And because one extremist source says it... I KNOW ITS TRUE!!! woohoo.

After all the doctored photos lately, I don't trust one image to make a judgement about a very complex issue.

The only doctered photo's I'm aware of have come from the leftist new york times. The same new york times that published government anti terrorist operations. There is nothing complex about it. Like bush said. You are either with us, or you are the terrorists.

[jdobbin]

The only doctered photo's I'm aware of have come from the leftist new york times. The same new york times that published government anti terrorist operations. There is nothing complex about it. Like bush said. You are either with us, or you are the terrorists.

Maybe Bush can shut down the New Times and have the owners, writers and subscribers arrested as terrorists.