Soldiers sue over stress and injury after Lebanon attack

TWO YOUNG soldiers whose Irish peacekeeping camp in Lebanon came under mortar attack in an incident in which another soldier died have sued the State for damages for post-traumatic stress disorder and injuries.

Among the claims by Pte Darren Clarke and former Pte David Concannon, both aged 28, is that the State was negligent in failing to ensure a safe place of work for them.

They claim their billets at the time of the attack on the Unifil post at Brashit on May 31st, 1999, were unsafe and unsuitable for use by peacekeeping forces.

It is also alleged that, had the Defence Forces responded more speedily in getting the soldiers from their cabins to bunkers as soon as the mortar firing began in the early hours of May 31st, 1999, Pte Billy Keadin (22) might not have died and others, including Pte Ronnie Rushe and Pte Clarke, might not have sustained injuries.

The Minister for Defence and State are denying the claims in the case which opened yesterday before Ms Justice Mary Irvine.

David McGrath SC, for the soldiers, said Pte Clarke and Pte Concannon went to Lebanon in 1999 with the 85th Irish Battalion, based at Post 642 near Brashit.

Prior to the mortar attacks on May 31st, 1999, there were earlier attacks in the area on May 11th, 13th and 15th, and it was significant these also involved heavy artillery and mortar.

He said there were exchanges between the Hizbullah and what was known as the De Facto Forces (DFF), which were backed by Israel. The attacks on May 15th were particularly heavy, involving surface to air missiles, he said.

In the early hours of May 31st, 1999, while the soldiers were asleep, firing was heard near the Irish compound and Pte Keadin was involved in waking up the soldiers to get them to bunkers, counsel said. While he was doing so, a mortar exploded inside the Irish compound and he was killed.

Pte Ronnie Rushe was seriously injured when a mortar hit the roof of his billet and Pte Clarke, in trying to help Pte Rushe, was unaware he himself had also been hit.

An officer later noticed that Pte Clarke had injuries to his knee and thigh and he had to have pieces of shrapnel removed. He had spent two weeks in hospital.

A Defences Forces report found that the firing came from the DFF zone, and involved Israeli-supplied weapons. As part of the claim of failure to provide a safe place of work, counsel said Unifil was in the process of reinforcing billets to convert them to bunkers but Post 642 had not yet been reinforced.

The case continues today.