August 17, 2006
Symbolic peace
You know a peace keeping mission involving troops is in trouble when France refuses to send troops until the UN tells it when it can use force.
France wants to send a small, purely symbolic contingent to the strengthened UN force in Lebanon , and the United Nations is trying to convince French officials that a decision to send so few would be devastating, a French newspaper said Thursday.
France is demanding a more specific mandate for the force, including when it may use firepower.It seem that the proponents of peace cannot even bring themselves to do what is needed to bring it about. I keep getting visions of two starving devout vegetarians having a make believe tea party while stuck on a barren deserted island with their pet chicken.
Posted by Sid at August 17, 2006 06:27 AM | Middle East
Comments
I can understand France's issue on this one. I would not want to be stuck in the middle of that mess and not have a clear understanding of when force is allowed. If the UN is not willing to tell the peacekeeping force that they can use force to make sure the conditions of the UN resolution are met then they have no reason for being there.
The UN being a symbolic group without any teeth is a significant reason why they are so useless. Personally I do not believe the UN will authorize the use of force and this whole cease fire will eventually fall apart again.
Posted by: jeff at August 19, 2006 09:42 AM
