Irish President Michael D. Higgins has condemned the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for issuing threats against UN peacekeepers, including Irish personnel, stationed in southern Lebanon.
Speaking on the escalating conflict in the Middle East, President Higgins described the actions as “outrageous” and voiced concerns for the safety of Irish soldiers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
As the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, President Higgins emphasized the anxiety felt by many Irish citizens for the 347 Irish peacekeepers currently deployed in Lebanon. He noted that these soldiers are risking their lives to protect vulnerable civilians in the region.
“It is outrageous that the Israel Defence Forces have threatened this peacekeeping force and sought to have them evacuate the villages they are defending,” said President Higgins, adding that Israel’s demands for UNIFIL’s withdrawal are “an insult to the most important global institution to which 193 members are committed.”
Tánaiste Micháel Martin also expressed grave concern over Israel’s breach of the Blue Line, the boundary separating Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights. This violation, particularly near Irish Battalion posts, has been described as an “unacceptable violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.”
Martin reassured that Irish troops are sheltering in place while continuing to monitor UN resolution breaches. “Morale is good despite the circumstances,” he noted, saying that “constant communication between Camp Shamrock and the outpost” is maintained.
So far, up to 24 Irish citizens have been evacuated from Lebanon as the conflict intensifies. The Tánaiste confirmed he has spoken with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, who shares concerns about the IDF’s actions and stressed the importance of keeping UNIFIL peacekeepers in place.
President Higgins closed by reflecting on the anniversary of the Supernova Sukkot Gathering festival attack in Israel, offering thoughts to those affected while reiterating the need for international peace efforts.
“We must be better than this and do better than we have,” he stated.
They have not been threatened, they have been asked to move out of harms way.
UNFIL, like the lebanese army has been totally useless at keeping Hezzbollah away from the border.
UN troops should not be asked to move by a belligerent.
Agree, Israel can’t tell UN peace keepers to move on. Bit of a thankless token task for Irish troops though. After all the Israeli aggression will there be peace for Israel in the future??? The West and regional powers must insist on 2 state solution.
Insist all we like, but Hamas and Hezzbollah have stated they will never accept the two-state solution, they want all Jewish people and the state of Israel gone from the region and won’t compromise on that. It is that attitude that keeps the flame of war stoked.
Well the present Israeli Govt has a similar attitude. Indeed conservatives had always derailed it back to the 90s.
It was Arafat that rejected the 2 state solution decades ago and he was much more approachable and moderate than Hamas.
The Hamas charter states :
“Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will
obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.”
“[Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and
international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of
the Islamic Resistance Movement… Those conferences are no more than a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of
Islam… There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by
Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a
waste of time, an exercise in futility.”
I have yet to see any equivalent of these statements by Israel.
There’s a view that that the Jihad mindset is being sustained from Tehran. In 2017 Hamas ( as a political party) issued a revised manifesto, a statement on principles and policies. This manifesto contained phrases suggesting some movement away from a hard line Islamist position.
“Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea. However, without compromising its rejection of the Zionist entity and without relinquishing any Palestinian rights, Hamas considers the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital along the lines of the 4th of June 1967, with the return of the refugees and the displaced to their homes from which they were expelled, to be a formula of national consensus.” Second, it attempted to distinguish between Jews or Judaism and modern Zionism. Hamas said that its fight was against the “racist, aggressive, colonial and expansionist” Zionist project, Israel, but not against Judaism or Jews” ( Wilsoncentre).
They also dropped reference to their origin as the Palestinian Islamic Brotherhood.
The diplomatic efforts depend on a belief that Hamas have a mind of their own and that progress can be made if a truce can be agreed.
So the 1,200 innocent civilians butchered by Hamas on 7th Oct were racist, aggressive, colonial and expansionist Zionists?
Err, I don’t think I said that. At a guess I would think that Hamas could be referring to the the Jewish sects who are forcefully expanding into the West Bank, in contravention of international law.
Hey Paul
My comment wasn’t directed at you but those who penned their so-called manifesto – Hamas.
Thanks David. My mistake then. No worries.
No problem Paul – my apologizes for not being clear to begin with.
Alot of innocent civilians died in that attack, but alot of those quoted figures include Israeli military personnel and deaths from friendly fire also.
That’s the old charter isn’t it?
Hamas rose to power with the realisation that Palestine wouldn’t be treated fairly in negotiations by Israel following the assassination of Rabin by a Jewish Ultranationalist in 95. Barak was the most compromising of the Prime Ministers to follow and the Israeli terms offered at the Camp David’s Summit were in short, ridiculous. Arafat refused those terms, not the two state solution and Barak abandoned negotiations for an election campaign. Under Sharon, Arafat was put under house arrest and Hamas finally took control with the resulting power vacuum.
Ultimately, it was Israel who derailed the possibility of peace under a two-state solution from 1996 by refusing any compromises when it has the power and patience to have it all settlement by settlement. As the proverb goes, “actions speak louder than words” …
As it should. a 2 state solution as Gaza shown is just a basing territory to destroy Israel.
With respect, the possibility of a two state solution was destroyed by Israel in the 90s. No wonder they’ve turned to violence.
Israel have stated they are “no longer” seeking a 2 state solution. After decades, due to the belligerence of the other side they have come to the conclusion it’s a waste of time. That is a bit of a difference between what you are saying.
I agree that UNIFIL exists purely out of mindless inertia. It’s mandate is absolutely pointless and has been so for years. Israel is quite right to simply advise it to get out of the way if it wants to save itself.
So no role for the international community here? Neutral peacekeepers can be ordered about by one of the belligerent parties?
I was a UN peacekeeper in Cyprus and we did a good job. I would have been incensed if the Greek Cypriot government or the North Turkish administration had insisted we move away from an established position, to allow their armed forces to encroach on a UN protected area.
It turns out what has sparked these complaints is that the IDF have set up a FOB adjacent to the UN 6-52 post manned by the Irish Platoon.
The problem is that since 1948 the jewish people have had a homeland they can protect and protect it they will. Prior to that throughout the world the jewish people were simply culled in pogroms for thousands of years whenever the people running the country they were in needed a scapegoat. The Israelis will protect their homeland with their dying breath regardless of the niceties of international law and they will use every weapon at their disposal. I think the Irish UN contingent should withdraw with the aim of returning when the Arab countries are being a little more realistic.
Don’t know Middle East politics but probably good portion of Lebanon dislikes hezzbollah. OK let’s say Israel degrades significantly Hamas and hezzbollah they , Israel, still have to agree to 2 state solution. Leave Gaza as rubble breeding future Hamas fighters.
Not if one of the states can’t constrain itself from committing Pogroms.
Well said in what way will invading Israeli troops do a better job of protecting civilians and noting breaches of UN resolutions. Fact is some in the Israeli Govt and forces prefer them not to be in a position to note any of their breaches and potential attacks on civilians or be killed as they do so only increasing negative World opinion. Some of their behaviour is becoming Putinesque whatever sympathy one might have for their position. Trouble is they have created much of that themselves over years by refusing to discuss, let alone seriously, a two State solution and thus decimating liberal, moderate democratic Palestinian influence.
Explain how the UN force that is there to expel Heezbollah from it accomplished that mission.
I have not seen their Mission statement but I doubt it includes expelling a brutal armed group from the region, thus siding with one side. That is bordering on COIN and is not what neutral peacekeepers do. I have been a UN peacekeeper.
Unfortunately in this case the mission got a number of reasonable goals and then the politicians and diplomates at the UN added an impossible to achieve, highly fluid goal with no real objectives..especially not for a light infantry battalion….
“take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind, to resist attempts by forceful means to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council, and to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers and, without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.”
which essentially completely impossible to achieve for anything less than probability a couple of divisions with full air superiority, when you are looking at the ongoing shooting gallery that is the boarder of Lebanon and Israel, where two armies have been in a constant state of boarder war with around 1000 cross boarder attacks a month on an ongoing basis.
interestingly the beefed up mandate to counter/stop Hezbollah gave a mandate for up to 15,000 troops to deployed to the area…but that bit never happened..to the poor Irish light battalion got left with a division level job.
UNFIL has never had that mandated mission.
It actually did in a way.
most of the mandate was sensible and achievable with a light infantry battalion the final part of its mandate was a shite fest.
“take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind, to resist attempts by forceful means to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council, and to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers and, without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.”
How well has the peace keeping force been able so stop Hezzbollah lobbing rockets into Israel- or was that not part of their remit- if not why not?
Maybe they would have been better placed in Israel last October protecting those women & children from Hamas.
UNFIL doesn’t have the mandate for Peace Enforcement, just Peace Keeping. As for the October attacks, surely the questions about that lie in the security forces of Israel, not UNFIL.
Whats the difference between peace keeping and peace enforcement exactly other than semantics?
If Hezzbollah were not able to lobb rockets at Israel then it would be a sort of peace wouldn’t it.
If you mean they are not able to stop it – then by the same argument they are not able to stop Israel stopping it for them are they- and as such cannot complain if Israel want to do that.
Similarly if Hamas had been stopped fro commiting those attacks then Israel would have needed to go in and sort Hamas out would they.
Basically Peace Enforcing means being able to use force against any belligerents in order to enforce Peace, Peace Keeping is non Lethal unless the UN forces are threatened (though each nation forces have their own idea there), see the debacles in Bosnia for example.
To stop them lobbying rockets you would need a full military COIN campaign, something UNFIL has never been tasked with and something the Security Council has never authorised for UNFIL(not least as that would mean engaging Israeli forces as well if they attacked over the Blue Line like in the Civil War), so complaining that UNFIL hasn’t done something they were never intended to do is pointless.
As for Hamas and the attacks, you can go round and round in the Middle East, Israel isn’t blameless as they continue to push expansions in the West Bank against International Law for example.
Yes it did, it was meant to prevent any hostile activity in its area of operations…and it was authorised to use all mean to prevent hostile activity…the UN mandate also allowed for the deployment of up to 15,000 troops to essentially stop Hezbollah..but it never happened and essentially the job got left to a Irish defence force light infantry battalion and a few supporting personnel.
Rock and and a hard place Graham…
The UN force in southern Lebanon faces an absolutely thankless task.
The reality of this dreadful situation is that it will only settle down when Iran is pusuaded (or forced) to stop bankrolling terrorist groups.
The reality of course is that Hezbollah and Hamas, are effectively tools of the Iranian state.
Very true John. I have been trying to think of past examples of rogue states or even pressure groups who have desisted from supporting brutal insurgents or terrorists and can’t think of any.
I think Iran will forever support Hezbollah, Houthi and Hamas.
It’s never that simple. The Palestinian leadership have a long record of biting the hand that feeds them, and nation states that think to create and control terrorist groups always seem surprised when their monsters turn against them.
I do support Israel in their never ending war to survive against radical Islam.
That said, the US or UK would never in a million years green light the high intensity military operations Israel has undertaken in the heavily populated Gaza strip.
The civilian death toll is horrendous and ironically, they are playing right into Irans hands.
Iran was the orchestrater of the October 7th attacks, the year of carnage since is probably ‘exactly’ what they hoped for.
Israel obviously intends to weald the Hebrew hammer in Southern Lebanon and they don’t want ‘blue beret observation’.
The world can’t ignore Iran forever. The Iranian regime needs to stop, or be stopped, by whatever means are available.
Iran will be the likely trigger for WW3 if they aren’t stopped.
It’s very sad, but there it is…
There is nothing extraordinary in death tool from Gaza operation, except the low number for the attacks announced.
Maybe you can explain the death tool in taking Mosul for ISIL by allied forces for example, an that is a city that was already with much less population than originally.
The civilian death toll in Gaza ‘is’ dreadful, Alex. That’s a simple fact, only a sociopath would claim otherwise.
I made a simple statement, the UK and US wouldn’t undertake these sort of operations today, as the civilian casualties would be unacceptable.
That said, the blood is ‘totally’ on Hamas (Iranian) hands.
Why not?
UN forces have no business supporting a terrorist group.
Good grief, you see the world in black and white Alex!!
They are there as part of a UN mandate. Rights and wrongs aside, they have a mandate to be there Alex.
What does that mandate cover?
https://unifil.unmissions.org/unifil-mandate
I sent a link but its being held for mods, but you can google the mandate fairly easily.
Funny, never heard this level of criticism and outrage when Pte Rooney – an Irish peacekeeper – was killed by Hezbollah in 2022.
Let’s not forget that it was Hezbollah who declared war on Israel on 8th Oct. – the day after 1,200 innocents were not just killed – but butchered! Where was the self-righteous objection and protest then? Let me save you from thinking too long for the answer – there was none!
Israel never asked for this war but make no mistake – they will finish it! They have decapitated the Hamas and Hezbollah leaderships and the Mullahs in Iran are literally crapping themselves as they know they’re next.
Israel is doing us in the West a huge favour and what do they get? Criticism after criticism! So be it. What I admire about Israel is that unlike our weak-kneed, gutless governments in the West, they don’t care what others think – they just get on with it.
I wish the IDF every success!!!
Then you might not have been paying attention to the Irish government reaction and engagement with the Lebanese government.
You are entitled to your very strong support for Israel and apparent inability to criticise any aspect of IDF operations in Gaza, Beirut or elsewhere, particularly where it has led to massive civilian casualties.
You mention the death of one Irish peacekeeper by Hezbollah. Of course I would condemn that. Why wouldn’t I?
I roundly condemn all acts of terrorism.
Why do you think no-one thought that the 8th Oct was horrendous and inexcusable? Just about every morally upright Government condemned it and made supportive comments about Israels right to retaliate and protect its citizens.
Telling UN Peacekeepers to move from their allotted task area, IS a threat. If they want them moved, contact the UN!
UN peacekeepers are hardly useless, and I would point out that over 300 UN Peacekeepers have been killed in Lebanon, whilst doing their duty!
Go tell their Governments and families that they are and were useless!!
The Lebanese army, are hezbollah!
The Lebanese Army are not Hezbollah – they are seperate entities,the LA are Politically and Militarily weak so cannot influence the situation as they would like.
So that’s why the lebanese army are fighting alongside hezbollah right now, and indeed have been since day 1 of israel’s ground offensive?
hezbolla run/rule/administer/own lebanon and have done since 1982. That’s a fact jack.
Lebanese citizens who have nothing to do with any of the terrorists are also dying in this, should a nations military do nothing while being invaded? And given Israel warned the Lebanese army before the attack and they withdrew from some areas suggests even Israel doesn’t agree with your statement.
And Israel and its proxies in the Civil War did nothing to try and stop Lebanon’s issues.
I really have no idea as to what you are going on about. If the lebanese are so innocent, why allow hezbollah to take control, in 1982???
Your logic reminds me of another country, who’s civilians stood by and did nothing… while the nazis took over.
The Lebanese Army are not fighting with Hezbollah – as Mark said they pulled back 5km from the Border with Israel to avoid such contact.During and since the Civil War the Lebanese Govt have been unable to control most of the Armed Factions operating in Lebanon.They tolerate Hezbollah and are either unwilling or unable ( likely both ) to interfere with their affairs,although the LA have conducted Operations in Lebanon to counter Extremist Groups when and where they see fit.
UNFIL doesn’t have the mandate for enforcing,just monitoring activity.
What do you call having a MBT pointed at a position at less than 20 feet?
yes, I’m a bit confused as to the UNFILs actual use in south Lebanon. Reading the wiki, they were supposed to oversee the demilitarisation of Hizballah.
God knows what they were doing whilst hizballah was firing rockets into israel. Enjoying the fireworks show i imagine.
Currently 10’000 troops are stationed there at an annual cost of $474million
That’s mainly Higgins being Higgins, man couldn’t give a flying feck about the DF at all other times, he’s just ranting.
You are right. He does not care about the DF on account he is a pacifist. I agree with him on other issues he has taken a stance on and I also laugh when he uses all of his powers afforded to him as President to stymie the Dáil. I do disagree with him on his and the govs stance on their criticism of Israel. Ireland has other issues and should not get involved in this problem, which has defied a political solution, for near 100 years. It is not wise.
What “powers to stymie the Daíl”? He doesn’t have any, at most he can send something to the Supreme Court but that’s rarely used. As for agreeing with his positions, just remember he’s now created the precedent that the President can say whatever they want on matters they aren’t meant to discuss. So when it’s not him will you still be happy?
Not too clued up on Irish Politics Mark, is the President supposed to be apolitical??
It’s more that he’s not meant to be making formal statements without approval of the government of the day or commenting on government policies. Higgins has been “stretching” that over his two terms.
Righto, cheers,I see…. He must be pissing the government off then Mark…
From off the record briefings, he very much has been for the last year or so, but there’s not much they can do without provoking a constitutional issue and picking a fight just before a General Election, his term is nearly up so I think they are just going to put up with him and hope he doesn’t get any worse.
Cheers Mark, I suppose the UK equivalent is King Charles constantly counter briefing against the government.
I can see how that would be problematic!
He has not rubber stamped a lot of legislation. He has told the powers that be that he needs time to review it. It’s under his purview. Not too many Irish Presidents have done this.
I actually disagree with him making any political statements and I am aware of this precedent that he has brought That’s not what his office is supposed to do.
Given that the “time to review” generally is a week or so, I would hardly call that stymieing the Oireachtas. And given how most of the Presidents before Robinson were mostly figureheads its not a long list.
Moreover, I do object to his level of disinterest if not outright hostility in the DF for most of his career and then his sudden “Supreme Commander” pitch when the matter he’s talking about is so high stakes and he already has form for a temper tantrum over his Iran letter.
It’s not his place to be involving himself in operational matters of Defence or Foreign Affairs, not when a Platoon has MBT’s pointed at them.
He is not a pacifist. He is like Pete Seeger in Songs for John Doe album.
What?!
As the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, Emperor Higgins…🤣
The Irish have a very one-eyed perspective on the Israel-Palestine thing. That’s fine they are welcome to whatever perspective they want. Unfortunately this perspective conflicts with one of the beligerents they are trying to arbitrate between. They are not trusted nor respected by the Israelis since they also lack the military capabillity to impose their will.
In short they are not fit for purpose and would be better off just going home so that they can be nice and safe and it will allow their politicians the ability to have a good moan about it.
An Irish politician criticizes Israel. Why report that? News would be if an Irish politician in one of the most pro-Palestinian and antisemitic countries in the world praised Israel for something. But don’t hold your breath.
“We must be better than this and do better than we have,” he stated.
Yeah, right. Usual flowery prose.
I’ve often wondered just what exactly that UNIFIL detachment is doing. It’s failed to stop Hezbollah from operating with impunity on the Lebanese border, hasn’t stopped one rocket attack, or the infiltration of Iranian militias in that area. Just what peace is it keeping? No wonder the Israelis want it out of the way.
Do you actually know what a UN peacekeeping force does?
They protect the peace, even if it is fragile, by interposition and must be strictly neutral.
Well yes and no. I don’t fully understand how if there’s peace to keep,, armed groups can operate, carry out attacks etc, often in the area the said UN peacekeeping force is based. I get the need to be neutral, but what is the point of that if both sides to the conflict are hammering away at each other? Has the UNIFIL element interposed itself between Israel and Hezbollah ? I’m not aware that it has. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticising the efforts of the soldiers sent to serve as peacekeepers, more the political grandstanding of politicians polishing their credentials and sending troops into an impossible task.
That’s Peace Enforcing, a different mandate to Peace Keeping and something that the UN Security Council hasn’t authorised UNFIL to do. You are literally complaining about them not doing something they aren’t allowed to do.
Well perhaps that’s something that should have been authorised many years ago. If the border regions of Lebanon hadn’t become an operating ground for Iranian proxies and their rockets then maybe we wouldn’t be witnessing the unfolding horror in Lebanon.
Accept nobody on the Security Council has ever wanted UNFIL to be able to do that, if they were to enforce Peace it would have to be equal against all, and Israel has never wanted that in case it prevented them from taking any action they would like, for example back in the Civil War where the IDF and their Proxies openly acted in Lebanon.
In that case, it is their problem – “the fight behind the lines” is not yet being taken seriously enough, they to move to Haifa and go home. (smiley)
The only question is if Irish UNIFIL is there to support Heezbollah.
That’s not even a question, barely even a statement really.
Alex, that is a truly shocking thing to say. The whole purpose of UN peacekeepers is to protect the peace, even if it is fragile, and to be strictly neutral. It is a hard task and a thankless one.
I have been a UN peacekeeper.
More the rambling of a flat-earther, than a question about professional UN serving troops😂
Seems the IDF have set up firing positions adjacent to the UNP 6-52, resulting in formal diplomatic protests from the UN.
UNIFIL seems to have been around forever – but what has it actually achieved. Perhaps someone knows what the UN has actually got for its money.
UN forces have been totally useless in Lebanon sitting back whilst Hezbollah fortified the land south of the Latani river in breech of a UN resolution so why are they still there? Maybe for Ireland to earn some foreign currency.
They don’t have a mandate from the security council to forcibly stop Hezbollah, so what can they do, complain to the P5 members. As for “earn some foreign currency”… what a load of stupidity.
What is their purpose then? Occassional target practice for Hezbollah?
Also it’s not just Dublin that has an issue with this, UNFIL has raised complaints with the IDF for their FOB and UN Headquarters have now raised it at the diplomatic level.
“As the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces”
oh that’s funny, sounds like it came straight out of a comic book. Come to think of it, taking into consideration the Irish Defence Forces it’s probably very apt!
The latest from UNP 6-52 is a photo of a Merkava outside the post aiming at the post.
It’s serious. The Israelis have asked UNIFIL to vacate some of their posts.
And they have been told no, the UNFIL posts aren’t being evacuated.
I’m assuming they wont be getting involved then? I can only hopethere are no incidents involving either Israel or Hezzbollah and the UNFIL posts.
Simple solution for Ireland? Pull them out or stop whining.
He mentioned UN Resolution 1701, Hezbollah never fulfilled their obligations under the resolution to dismantle their defences and missiles in Southern Lebanon, but of course, the Irish won’t mention this.
Nor the UN.
No surprise there.
Unfortunately this is a real U.N. failure and did not need to happen..the UNIFILs mandate was massively beefed up in 2006 with the aim of putting a hard line between Israel and Hamas by removing Hamas from the boarder and preventing any military action with any means needed. At the same ti the mandate was put in place to allow 15,000 UN troops to be moved to the boarder, with a very open mandate that allowed military action. Unfortunately it was left to a poor Irish light infantry battalion and support personnel. When the Un should have ( as per the mandate) put a reenforced division in place.
The UN forces of up to 15,000 were also meant to support and train 15,000 Lebanese troops and work with them to secure the area and were:
“authorizes UNIFIL to take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind, to resist attempts by forceful means to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council, and to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers and, without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence;”
(UNIFIL) through the end of August 2007, and increased its troop strength –- currently at some 2,000 -– to a maximum of 15,000. In addition to carrying out its original mandate under Council resolutions 425 and 426 (1978).
So the point was to have 15,000 UN troops and 15,000 Lebanese army troops all over the boarder so Hezbollah could not make a peep and if they did they would get hammered by the UN…instead we have a few U.N. light infantry scattered around and no functional Lebanese army.
So in essence the UN has failed in delivering theIr mandate and this has faciliated Hezzbollahs attacks on Israel- and the Irish Guards are the Patsys who are carrying the can.
If that is the case and Israel are now going in with force then surely the UN need to pull them out and not allow them to face dangers thay have no mandate to address.
Its a bit late for the UN to start to look at adcding more force to the are, that horse has already botled