'Important' peacekeeping forces remain in Lebanon, says TD
Vivienne Clarke
The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD has spoken of the importance of the UN mandate for Unifil peacekeeping forces to remain in Lebanon.
“We are very, very concerned for stability, peace, security in the area of Lebanon that Unifil operates in. And I think that it's important that the mandate does continue. Ireland is strongly advocating for that in discussions with members of the Security Council.”
Mr Byrne acknowledged that the support of the United States would be critical for the renewal of the mandate.
“That's without a shadow of a doubt. And that's why I think France is engaged in very, very active discussions with the U.S. We're very grateful for the work that France is doing, and I'm sure the people of Lebanon are as well, to try to persuade the United State to make sure that whatever happens, if the mandate continues or if somehow the mandate is deemed to be projected to come to an end at some point in the future, that at the very least the people of Lebanon and indeed its army are able to control the situation and protect the people and protect peace and security in the area.
“We are very, very concerned for the peace and security of the area. We've 300 troops there, 47 Irish troops over the years have died in Lebanon as well.
"So there's been a huge commitment from the state, from individuals and their families to this situation. And the idea of that is to make sure that there's peace and security in the area and that we prevent people from dying and that allows democracy to take root. I think it is important that we do give support and continue to give support to the government of Lebanon in practical terms and in military terms as well, through Unifil, to make sure that that area can be kept peaceful, safe”
When asked about the Triple Lock required before Irish troops can be sent on missions abroad, Mr Byrne pointed out that it was “a legal fact” that Irish troops would have no legal basis to be in Lebanon if the mandate is not renewed.
“So that is certainly a gap that needs to be addressed. But there are smaller missions as well that aren't directly run by the United Nations, such as Operation Irini on the Mediterranean, where we have a very small number of troops, which is designed really to prevent illegal weapons coming into Europe and to help people in humanitarian situations on boats in the Mediterranean.
"You know, that mandate was only renewed for a short period this year and that is an example of an operation actually that started without a United Nations mandate. Ireland couldn't take part until there was a mandate from the UN. And if the UN decided to withdraw the mandate, if one of the permanent members of the Security Council decided to veto that mandate, Ireland would have to leave that operation immediately."
Warning over Lebanon's future
The former Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Mark Mellett has warned that Lebanon could turn into Gaza if the Unifil peacekeeping forces do not remain in place.
There was no option but to renew the Unifil mandate to stay in Lebanon monitoring the border with Israel, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
The Unifil mission in Lebanon, in which 47,000 Irish troops have operated since 1978, had succeeded, he said.
“The difference between Gaza and Lebanon is the United Nations and the mandate that that force has. Every country has a right of self-defence, but it's not unlimited.
"The threat must be imminent and the response must be necessary and proportionate. What we're seeing in Gaza clearly does not meet those thresholds.
"We're seeing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the most grievous of all, the crime of genocide. I fear that if the UNIFIL mandate is not renewed, we're in real grave danger of seeing a similar circumstance in southern Lebanon.”
When asked if the mandate was unlikely to be renewed by the UN without the support of Israel and the US, Mr Mellett said that was a political issue, but he was glad to see that the Irish government was lobbying “through the multilateral frameworks with France to ensure that this mandate is extended at the very least for a year.
“To not renew the mandate, which expires effectively next Sunday, is to leave a really, really challenging circumstance. Israel has been quite clear in terms of its intentions. I have no doubt that we will see war in South Lebanon if this mandate is not renewed.
“Unifil must work hand in glove with Lebanese armed forces to actually succeed in its mandate.”
“Lebanon has a very, very weak military at present. It really needs to be reconstituted and reinforced so it can actually hold its capacity to deal with actors such as Hezbollah and others. But I really, really feel that there is no option but to renew this mandate and to continue to provide the security that is required in South Lebanon.
“There never has been a more grave situation in that area, in particular against the backdrop of what we're seeing in Gaza. It's almost as if we are actually being presented with what the alternative to South Lebanon is in the context of what we are seeing in Gaza, so we must use all our efforts to actually use multilateralism to have this mandate extended.”
“There is no country that can trust Israel at present. And for a nation itself who has endured the trauma of attempted genocide and for it now to perpetrate such crimes, it's morally indefensible.
"It's a profound betrayal of history's lessons, and it erodes the very foundations of the international norms and institutions that actually, I suppose, define us as a civilised society. So just right now, I have grave concerns.
"If this mandate is not renewed, we are really in a perilous position with regards to the likely reality of war in South Lebanon.”
The removal of the Triple Lock currently required to send Irish troops abroad was a separate discussion, he said. “I really believe that we have to be careful here not to mix the discussion around the Triple Lock with what's happening in South Lebanon.”
