OPINION:Unifil cannot accomplish what Israel failed to achieve, writes RAYMOND MURPHY
THE ISRAELI ambassador to Ireland, Boaz Mordai, is correct (Peacekeepers need strong powers to enforce mandate in south Lebanon, Opinion and Analysis, June 23rd) when he says the situation in Lebanon has changed radically since 2001.
What he fails to acknowledge is that Israeli failure to co-operate with Unifil (United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon) in the early years of its deployment was a serious obstacle. Later, Israeli policies following the 1982 invasion created the conditions which gave rise to the emergence of militant organisations such as Hizbullah. In 1996, the Grapes of Wrath operation caused heavy civilian casualties when southern Lebanon and the Irish area of operations were subject to heavy shelling by Israeli forces.
The situation in Lebanon is linked to that of the region as a whole, especially the Palestinian question. There was a direct link between policies pursued by Israel in the Palestinian territories and the attack by Hizbullah militants in 2006. The ambassador is critical of Unifil and the weakness of the Lebanese government. Lebanon is a fragile state as a consequence of internal turmoil and outside interference, especially from Syria and Israel. Despite the impediments, Unifil can point to significant achievements.
Unifil cannot achieve what the Israeli forces failed to accomplish in 2006. It was first deployed as an “interim” peacekeeping mission in 1978 and is the UN’s most significant military presence in the Middle East. It has gone through many stages since then.
The mission can be summarised as providing a security buffer while creating the conditions needed to stabilise the situation. Unifil’s most important achievement was making the 2006 cessation of hostilities possible and facilitating its maintenance since then. Although it is widely acknowledged that Unifil possesses neither the mandate nor the means to resolve the issues around the conflict, it has succeeded in its objective of maintaining the peace.
In 2006, France and the US proposed a robust mission under a Chapter VII mandate but this was opposed by Lebanon. The compromise agreed created a reconfigured peacekeeping operation.
The most striking feature of the current Unifil mission is its close resemblance with that of the original force established in 1978. Despite its enhanced capability, Unifil pursued a fine line between peacekeeping and peace enforcement but conceptually remained the same as the original mission. Containment and deterrence are at the heart of this mission, but a brief overview of Unifil’s history shows that all parties, including Israel, are prepared to risk confrontation when it suits. Reliance on the political cost of such action as a deterrent is likely to be of limited value. Increased size and capabilities has not led to a corresponding increase in projected deterrence.
Unifil has maintained a fragile peace while supporting the Lebanese government in operations. However, important aspects of the mandate remain unfulfilled, especially the failure to deploy along the Lebanese/ Syrian border. The early stages of deployment anticipated serious confrontations. However, these did not materialise and this should have prompted a lighter touch approach by Unifil. UN peacekeeping relies more on diplomatic deterrence than military capabilities. Peacekeepers must be sensitive to the political context.
Much reliance is placed on the role of the Lebanese armed forces and Unifil working closely to maximise the effort to maintain a safe and secure environment.
Recently there have been attempts by Lebanese civilians to restrict Unifil’s freedom of movement. This may reflect not just loss of confidence in Unifil, but growing hostility among the local population. The focus of the Irish contingent should be on protecting the population and restoring their confidence in Unifil. The force does not need more authority or military capability, it needs co-operation from all parties on the ground.
Ray Murphy is with the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the School of Law in NUI Galway. He served with Unifil in Lebanon and is director of the LLM in peace operations, humanitarian law and conflict at NUI Galway