May 14, 2013

In Lebanon, head of UN peacekeeping hails collaboration between UN, local forces, UN News Centre

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44897&Cr=lebanon&Cr1=#

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Israeli air strikes on Syrian weapons destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon highlighted the dangerous build-up in weapons in southern Lebanon, as Iran's proxy Hezbollah rearms and prepares to strike Israel again. The UN response? Send over the head of UN peacekeeping to Lebanon to do a PR tour congratulating UNIFIL forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces for keeping the peace. Said Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous: "I have high admiration for all the military and civilian personnel of UNIFIL." Buried in the UN press release is UNIFIL's job description: "Established in 1978, UNIFIL is tasked with ensuring that the area between the so-called Blue Line – separating Israel and Lebanon – and the Litani River is free of unauthorized weapons, personnel and assets" Ladsous somehow neglected to mention the job not done: thousands of Hezbollah rocket and missile sites, and underground bunkers stockpiled with weapons in the midst of civilian areas, created since 2006 courtesy UN "peacekeepers." This is a cover-up, not neutrality.