UNIFUL Troops in Lebanon: A blessing or a curse

After the Lebanese war in July 2oo6 the Lebanese government decided with the international security consul to send UNIUFL multi nationality forces to protect the borders between Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanese have different opinions concerning the UNIFUL presence on the Lebanese soil.

The UNIFIL mandate consists of a number of responsibilities: First, they should monitor the cessation of hostilities; second accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy throughout the South, including along the Blue Line, as Israel withdraws its armed forces from Lebanon. Third, coordinate its activities with the Government of Lebanon and the Government of Israel; fourth, extend its assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons; next, assist the Lebanese armed forces in taking steps towards the establishment of the area. Finally, assist the government of Lebanon, at its request, to implement paragraph 14 whish calls upon the government of Lebanon to secure its borders and other entry points to prevent the entry of arms or related material in Lebanon without its consent.

UNIFIL is not tied up operationally by the whims of the Lebanese cabinet, or even the Lebanese army. If an attack occurs, UNIFIL has the full right to hunt down the culprits. And no one is allowed to flaunt any form of weapons.

Lebanese people have different point of views towards the UNIFUL presence in Lebanon. Wafaa sabbaggh said that she supports the UNIFUL presence because it’s on the Lebanese land to protect it from any uncivilized action and added that the UNIFUL forces are not biased against Lebanon. Hassan Ayoub said that he approves of the UNIFUL presence because the troops are doing humanitarian activities and not just military activities. However, Hassan Ayoub wondered if the UNIFUL will take sides incase Lebanon faced another war. Nader Najjar said that war against Lebanon forced our government to call the UNIFUL troops to our safety from the Israeli attacks. Najjar added, “When these troops came they started to fix our destroyed bridges and roads. When these soldiers saw the beauty of Lebanon, they worked to protect this country and help a lot of Lebanese families to get back to their work.”

On the other hand, other citizens rejected the presence of the UNIFUL troops on Lebanese soil. Mustafa Zaayter confirmed that UNIFUL is a threat to Lebanon and they are America’s eyes in Lebanon and added that they work to ensure Israel’s safety

By: Dalia Hariri