UN Broadcast IDF Troop Movement

[White_Male_Canada]

I`m shocked, SHOCKED !

What did you do in the war, UNIFIL?
You broadcast Israeli troop movements.
by Lori Lowenthal Marcus

DURING THE RECENT month-long war between Hezbollah and Israel, U.N. "peacekeeping" forces made a startling contribution: They openly published daily real-time intelligence, of obvious usefulness to Hezbollah, on the location, equipment, and force structure of Israeli troops in Lebanon.

UNIFIL--the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, a nearly 2,000-man blue-helmet contingent that has been present on the Lebanon-Israel border since 1978--is officially neutral. Yet, throughout the recent war, it posted on its website for all to see precise information about the movements of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers and the nature of their weaponry and materiel, even specifying the placement of IDF safety structures within hours of their construction. New information was sometimes only 30 minutes old when it was posted, and never more than 24 hours old.

Meanwhile, UNIFIL posted not a single item of specific intelligence regarding Hezbollah forces. Statements on the order of Hezbollah "fired rockets in large numbers from various locations" and Hezbollah's rockets "were fired in significantly larger numbers from various locations" are as precise as its coverage of the other side ever got.

This war was fought on cable television and the Internet, and a lot of official information was available in real time. But the specific military intelligence UNIFIL posted could not be had from any non-U.N. source. The Israeli press--always eager to push the envelope--did not publish the details of troop movements and logistics. Neither the European press nor the rest of the world media, though hardly bastions of concern for the safety of Israeli troops,
provided the IDF intelligence details that UNIFIL did. A search of Israeli government websites failed to turn up the details published to the world each day by the U.N.

Inquiries made of various Israeli military and government representatives and analysts yielded near unanimous agreement that at least some of UNIFIL's postings, in the words of one retired senior military analyst, "could have exposed Israeli soldiers to grave danger." These analysts, including a current high ranking military official, noted that the same intelligence would not have been provided by the U.N. about Israel's enemies.(excerpt)http://ww.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/622bqwjn.asp

[thombergeron]

That's probably because UNIFIL's mandate under UN 425 is to:

"Confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon..."

And yes, yes, yes, Israel has the right to defend itself against provocation. Nonetheless, in 1978, the UN passed resolution 425 calling on Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon and creating UNIFIL to monitor Israeli compliance with the resolution.

So for 28 years, UNIFIL has been broadcasting Israeli troop movements. That's its job. The IDF knows that. Everybody knows that. Except, apparently, Lori Lowenthal Marcus and you.

What is not UNIFIL's job is to make judgement calls regarding who is and who is not supposed to be moving personnel and materiel in southern Lebanon. That's the job of the Security Council. So on August 11, 2006, the Council expanded UNIFIL's mandate with 1701 to:

"Monitor the cessation of hostilities..."

So moving forward, UNIFIL is now tasked with reporting on Hezbollah's movements, as well.

[White_Male_Canada]

That's probably because UNIFIL's mandate under UN 425 is to:

"Confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon..."

And yes, yes, yes, Israel has the right to defend itself against provocation. Nonetheless, in 1978, the UN passed resolution 425 calling on Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon and creating UNIFIL to monitor Israeli compliance with the resolution.

So for 28 years, UNIFIL has been broadcasting Israeli troop movements. That's its job. The IDF knows that. Everybody knows that. Except, apparently, Lori Lowenthal Marcus and you.

What is not UNIFIL's job is to make judgement calls regarding who is and who is not supposed to be moving personnel and materiel in southern Lebanon. That's the job of the Security Council. So on August 11, 2006, the Council expanded UNIFIL's mandate with 1701 to:

"Monitor the cessation of hostilities..."

So moving forward, UNIFIL is now tasked with reporting on Hezbollah's movements, as well.

The problem with your defense of the UN is that Israel had completely withdrawn from Lebanon.Therefore 425 was null and void. The defensive actions of Israels` in regards to repelling terrorists attacking their sovereign land had nothing whatsoever to do with 425.Worse,the UN videotaped the hostage taking of IDF soldiers,did nothing,then denied they had any tapes in their possession.

UN useless piece of paper 1701 states:

full implementation of the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords, and of resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), that require the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, so that, pursuant to the Lebanese cabinet decision of 27 July 2006, there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese State;

Kofi Anan,in his own words has violated that useless Chamberlain-esque piece of paper:

“will not be used along Lebanon’s long and porous border with Syria to stop any shipments of arms reaching Hizballah,” the UN secretary admitted Friday night from Brussels.

Annan also stated: “Troops are not going in there to disarm – let’s be clear.”

[thombergeron]

That doesn't make any sense at all. If 425 was "null and void," why was UNIFIL still in southern Lebanon at all? When it certified Israeli withdrawl from Lebanon in June 2000, the Security Council actually agreed to reinforce UNIFIL at the same meeting. At no time has the Security Council declared 425 "null and void," and UNIFIL's original mandate had not been revised until just this month.

[White_Male_Canada]

That doesn't make any sense at all. If 425 was "null and void," why was UNIFIL still in southern Lebanon at all? When it certified Israeli withdrawl from Lebanon in June 2000, the Security Council actually agreed to reinforce UNIFIL at the same meeting. At no time has the Security Council declared 425 "null and void," and UNIFIL's original mandate had not been revised until just this month.

You have just erroneously stumbled onto the fact that the UN makes no sense.

Welcome to reality.

[thombergeron]

That’s brilliant. Nothing like cutting and pasting nonsense from Free Republic as a substitute for an education and rhetorical adequacy.

Actually, what I was saying was that your interpretation of recent events in southern Lebanon and the role played there by UNIFIL and Security Council is inconsistent with the historical record.

What the hysterical black-helicopter types fail to understand is that the U.S. plays a central role in the UN decision-making apparatus. Essentially, nothing happens at the U.N. without the endorsement of the U.S. ambassador, and to a lesser extent the remaining permanent members of the Security Council.

So as you foam at the mouth denouncing the United Nations, I have to ask, why do you hate America?

[White_Male_Canada]

That’s brilliant. Nothing like cutting and pasting nonsense from Free Republic as a substitute for an education and rhetorical adequacy.

Actually, what I was saying was that your interpretation of recent events in southern Lebanon and the role played there by UNIFIL and Security Council is inconsistent with the historical record.

What the hysterical black-helicopter types fail to understand is that the U.S. plays a central role in the UN decision-making apparatus. Essentially, nothing happens at the U.N. without the endorsement of the U.S. ambassador, and to a lesser extent the remaining permanent members of the Security Council.

So as you foam at the mouth denouncing the United Nations, I have to ask, why do you hate America?

There are 192 member nations in the UN. The USA is alloted only one vote,out of 192. There are 10 states in the security council,those are all elected.

To state that the USA controls the UN is laughable. Your hyperbole exposes your intellectual weakness. Your words dissipate and dissolve due to their meaninglessness the moment you type them.


Clinton`s caliphate: http://news.sky.com/skynews/video/videoplayer/0,,91134-bosnia_p3705,00.html

[thombergeron]

No, Michael. There are 15 members of the Security Council. Ten member states are elected, and then there are five Permanent Members. Permanent Members have veto power. The U.S. is a Permanent Member. Can you name a single U.N. resolution that passed in spite of opposition by the United States?

The U.N. was conceived by the U.S. It was established by the U.S. It was founded in the U.S. And it operates from the U.S. U.S. tax revenues provide the bulk of the U.N.'s operating budget. If the U.S. didn't want the U.N. to exist, it wouldn't.

Thanks for the little bonus cut-and-paste. Very silly and very predictable.

[White_Male_Canada]

No, Michael. There are 15 members of the Security Council. Ten member states are elected, and then there are five Permanent Members. Permanent Members have veto power. The U.S. is a Permanent Member. Can you name a single U.N. resolution that passed in spite of opposition by the United States?

The U.N. was conceived by the U.S. It was established by the U.S. It was founded in the U.S. And it operates from the U.S. U.S. tax revenues provide the bulk of the U.N.'s operating budget. If the U.S. didn't want the U.N. to exist, it wouldn't.

Thanks for the little bonus cut-and-paste. Very silly and very predictable.

Thanks Steve. At most,14 votes to 1 in the security council. Predictable you stumble into the web.

The UN will never win any war. It`s incapable of prosecuting one to completion and victory. It is effecient at cteating hudnas.As was nevill chamberlian.

[thombergeron]

Hah! Creating hudnas! As in, the U.N. equals islamofascists. I get it!

That's super cute. If you can manage to work in the Mexicans, you'll have a perfect "right-wing paranoia" trifecta. All the other mouthbreathers will think you're a genius.

Yes, the purpose of the U.N. is to obviate conflict. Next year, in your eighth grade civics class, you'll learn that international relations actually extend beyond warfare.

Hopefully, you'll also learn what a veto is.