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 25/08/2006 20:55 | |
Ireland Won’t Commit Forces to Lebanon
By Paddy Clancy
IRELAND won’t be committing troops to UN peacekeeping forces in the Lebanon – at least not in the early stages of the new peace stabilization force in the region.
Although the request for troops by the UN has yet to be discussed by Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern’s Cabinet, Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said early this week that none will be sent in the near future.
Ahern said he had alerted the taoiseach to the possibility that the Dail (Parliament) might have to be recalled to approve a Lebanon mission, but he said the government was proceeding cautiously. “The last thing we want to be involved in is a recurrence of conflict,” Ahern said.
He added that Ireland had “stepped up to the plate in the past” in south Lebanon but that current circumstances were “somewhat different.”
The confirmation that Ireland will not be a part of the U.N forces in Lebanon followed strong signals earlier from Defense Minister Willie O’Dea who said, “One of the primary considerations is the risk to our troops. Nobody should underestimate the dangers; the Lebanese Army is, quite frankly, a conscript force still plagued by the divisions of the civil war.”
It is the first time Ireland has turned down a call from the UN for troops in a trouble-spot.
The Irish Army has had the longest continuous UN peace-keeping service in the Lebanon — 23 years — but intelligence collated by the Departments of Defense and Foreign Affairs is believe to indicate that war could easily break out there again.
Ministers believe Ireland has throughout its UN service punched well above its weight and commitment, and at this stage to add more soldiers to a task involving grave risk would be both unwise and unpopular.
During the recent month-long conflict four UN observers were killed, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came under severe pressure as Hezbollah frequently launched attacks against Israel from close proximity to UN bases. This inevitably provoked return Israeli fire which often hit the UN bases.
Irish Army chiefs advised the government that it is too early to send troops. The advice suggested a waiting period long enough to establish beyond doubt that Hezbollah and the Israeli defense forces intend to observe a ceasefire and are not regrouping for further armed confrontation.
O’Dea, writing in the Sunday Independent, described the ceasefire as “fragile.” He said the international community’s response to the decision to establish an international force of 15,000 troops to assist the Lebanese Army – itself expected to deploy 15,000 troops to the south of the country – was slow and painstaking.
“Arguments continue to rage about a possible contribution by this country,” he added. “It should not be forgotten that Ireland has consistently punched above its weight for the past 50 years in terms of our contribution to international peace and security.”
He noted that that Irish defense forces had never hesitated when called upon to move into some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones, including the Congo, Kosovo, Lebanon and Liberia.
Eighty five Irish soldiers had lost their lives – more than half in the Lebanon. “In terms of raw numbers, Ireland’s contribution over the past 40 years is certainly disproportionate to our size,” he wrote.
O’Dea said, “In deciding whether or not to contribute on this occasion and, if so, to what level, there are a number of criteria to be considered.
“Those criteria include our other overseas commitments, security requirements at home, how effective the operation we are asked to contribute to is likely to be and how it relates to the priorities of Irish foreign policy.”
The Green Party welcomed the decision not send soldiers to Lebanon in the first wave of 3,500 peacekeeping troops
John Gormley, the party’s chairman and foreign affairs spokesman, said the “cautious” approach adopted by Dermot Ahern was “both understandable and welcome.”
“The situation in southern Lebanon is still extremely volatile, and serious doubts have been expressed about the durability of the ceasefire. Under these circumstances, and while there is still a lack of clarity about the rules of engagement, it makes little sense to deploy members of the defense forces.”
Irish Abroad.com
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| 25/08/2006 21:37 | |
L'Irlanda ha partecipato ad operazioni ONU in Congo, Kosovo, Libano e Liberia.
Leggo sopra che ben 85 soldati irlandesi sono morti negli ultimi 40 anni e la metà addirittura in Libano : è un dato che assoluamente non sapevo e che mi sorprende molto, al limite dell'incredulità... qualcuno mi sa confermare o smentire questo dato ? |