franc11s

THey can't rustle up just 3,500 people (not 15000) to serve in Southern Lebanon. Disgusting. If you want anything fixed [fixing], fix [fit] it yourself cause the UN can't fix diddly squat..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5262490.stm

(Moderator, not a war thread, a "can the UN do it's job thread"..)

Chorlton

Hmmm, is that down to the UN, or the willingness of its member nations to deploy troops? After the problems with the US in recent years, I dont it it gets a lot of respect anymore, which is a crying shame.

anotherlimey

No surprises there; no one wants to send troops because UN Peacekeepers were recently bombed and thge culprits have the support of the US.

Chorlton

oh, that too!

franc11s

We are turning into a bunch of friggin cowards and *THIS* is what the terrorists play on.

The UN should lead. A UN soldier has more chance of dyning in a friggin a road accident in the middle of the desert. If we can't round up 15000 soldiers in a heart beat then I'm afraid the UN is defunct - IMHO.

Kofi Annan promised 15000 troops didn't he?

anotherlimey

I doubt the UN has the power to say "You must give us these troops"; I think it just makes a request to member nations.

Manc

I am sure Israel would happily pledge 15,000 troops for the area.

dan_alford

There is also some concern from the Israelis that some of the troops might be from countries that do not recognise Israel as a nation.

tony126

I find this thread interesting. Wedgie Benn has always said that countries should be cognisant of UN resolutions and how far has that got. Countries circumnavigate them to suit themsleves. Personally I find them to be lacking and look upon them as "an old boys club".

anotherlimey

In hindsight they should have probably made it differently.

Perhaps we're due for a WWIII, and then we'll get a proper UN afterwards....

Manc

they said the same after the league of nations was disbanded.

fatbrit

Is the UN a joke? You've put the jester's hat on the wrong head, I'm afraid. The evil joke is that the forum for solving the world's problems has been paralysed by this ideological US regime who like to pursue their disastrous foreign policy without such restraints as dialogue. And we are witnessing the "success" of this now.

I presume you are one of the many neocon sheep who are actually starting to believe that the answer to this problem is simply to murder all the 1 billion Muslims. Gawd 'elp us!

The "terrorists" do not play on our cowardice but rather on the fact that US (and UK) policy has provided a ready recruiting ground to sustain their action.

Given that you can't actually kill all 1 billion of them (for me it is a question of morality but you might simply like to consider the logistics if you find this concept hard to deal with), why are you so hell bent on continuing this path to nowhere by goading people with accusations of cowardice? The killings of the past couple of years have produced no solutions whatsoever. We need to be strong in mind and resolution to find a solution to this problem, not in military force.

anotherlimey

Getting rid of the US veto might be a start...

scrubbedexpat099

Peace in our time

Apparently the Bangladeshi's have stepped forward and the Jerries are sending a couple of U Boats. Presumably somebody else is bankrolling the Bangladeshi's.

And as far as Lebanon is concerned always a good laugh to find out what UNIFIL stands for and how long they have been there and what they accomplished - as the song goes - Absolutely Nothing.

I would put a lot of money, if it was not illegal in my State to do so, on whatever UN Force sic, however many it adds up to, being equally ineffective. They have a long, if not proud, tradition to uphold.

ironporer

Well said. The shortage of 'volunteer' nations willing to put their troops in harms way may also be due to thelack of a clear, defined mission. They are to be 'Peacekeepers' in an area that has not seen true peace in ages; surrounded by a force (Hezballah) that has stated they will not disarm- that they will hide their weapons for a short while...maybe; with a well armed country (Israel) a few miles away only too willing to return to the battle; their mission will be to keep a peace that does not exist, in a land that does not want them, and where the previous Peacekeeping force was a total joke and allowed the Hezbo military build up to happen right under their noses for 6 years.

This Cease-fire 'negotiated' by Bush's people is a joke. The whole premise of it is a joke, the UN is a joke, and any mission they go on is a joke...doomed to failure.