UN Peacekeepers Paying Homage to Hezbollah Dead is Disturbing
Photographs showing United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops saluting the remains of dead Hezbollah militants are deeply disturbing and, frankly, quite repugnant. UN authorities have defended the soldiers’ actions, saying that the troops were following custom.
Rather than denying UNIFIL’s failings and justifying its soldiers’ reverence for dead extremists, perhaps UN authorities should remind troops on the ground that their principal job is to enforce UN mandated ceasefires objectively. Allowing Hezbollah militants to rearm, leaking them information, and saluting their dead does little to keep the peace or restore faith in a broken UN system.
The behavior of UNIFIL troops has again demonstrated the tragic failings of discipline that continue to plague UN peacekeeping missions. UN officials need to clamp down now on malfeasance and make good on their promises of reform.
This blog entry was orginally posted on The Hill's Congress Blog.
| Posted by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL - 18) (07-22-2008, 04:39 PM) filed under HRPC Member |
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