Who put the UN observers in Lebanon.

[Nilsen]

Originally posted by john9001
not saying the UN should not have been there, saying the UN was sent in there to keep the peace, this they did not do.

all in favor of giving the UN troops loaded guns say "eye".

eye

[Eagler]

was the UN armed in Kosovo?

[Nilsen]

Originally posted by Eagler
was the UN armed in Kosovo?

Yes. Not sure about thier ROE tho and how it changed over time.

[Shuckins]

I've never understood the purpose in placing unarmed "observers" along a volatile border such as the Golan Heights between Israel and Lebanon.

Back in 1993 I stood on an east-west road running the length of those heights.  Behind me on a ridge stood an Israeli electronics observation post.  Our guide had warned us not to photograph it because the Israelis had been known to seize photographic equipment from those that did so and retain the owners for questioning.

Overhead flew an F-16.  While we stood there, two immense flat-bed trailers passed by, hauling M-109 self-propelled artillery pieces.  

This was an impressive display of vigilance and security along a blood-stained border.

To the north, at the bottom of a small valley, lay a small camp of UN observers, armed with small arms and light-transport and utility vehicles.

I thought then that the only thing that small group of powerless men could accomplish was to provide a source of considerable mirth to the Israelis and the terrorists to the north of that camp.

[Nilsen]

They are there to observe what is going on and report anything out of the ordinary to the UN. If they were not there they would have to trust either sides verion of what is happening on the ground.

[Eagler]

I imagine once the Un was in place, their main concern was to report nothing or risk getting their throats slit at night ...

You need a "shoot first ask questions later" ARMY installed to try and keep the peace. It won't work though as Iraq and other places have demonstrated, the cheekboness love to die while taking as many of their enemies with them ..
It will not matter if they are armed if they are not allowed to use their firearms. Gotta ask yourself if Lebanon really wants the hezboobs taken out .. I don't think so, after all they are part of their political structure now, just as this butcher made his way into politics after he had his run at genecide:



another UN failure for the history books ... how many times does the UN have to fail before someone sees it is useless?