Lebanon - UNIFIL

UNIFIL

UNIFIL is the only engagement of the Irish army that I think is actually harmful and should stop.
If Ireland is to meddle in the Middle East, then we should simply support Israel against its Islamic terrorist enemies. We should not be neutral.
Irish troops have been in the Lebanon since 1978, that is, for years.
I have opposed our involvement for decades.

UNIFIL do not help the IDF fight Hezbollah. (Just as previously they did not help the IDF fight the PLO.) They do not help disarm Hezbollah. They in effect give cover for Hezbollah re-arming and re-building their military infrastructure in South Lebanon. (Just as previously they in effect gave cover to PLO attacks on Israel and on Lebanese Christians.) They restrict IDF operations against Hezbollah. (Just as previously they restricted IDF operations against the PLO.)

UNIFIL are harmful and should be disbanded. The Irish army force should be brought home from the Lebanon. No brave Irish soldier should risk his life for the UN's false political view of the Israel-Lebanon situation. I support the IDF in Lebanon. I don't support the UN mission. It should be shut down, and all UN troops should leave.

The UN
UNIFIL (the UN force in the Lebanon)
Irish forces in Lebanon
UNIFIL has been in the Lebanon since 1978, and Irish forces have been there since 1978.
For a history see [Miller, 2005].
During the Israeli invasion in 1982, UNIFIL (including Irish troops) were actually under orders to try to stop the Israeli force.
Hezbollah armed strength
The existence of UN troops never seems to make any difference to Hezbollah's armed strength.
Great news: UN vote to wind down UNIFIL, Aug 2025.
UNIFIL to be wound down by end of 2026. At last. Long overdue.

Irish soldiers killed in Lebanon

List of Irish military casualties overseas
Details of how they died
47 Irish soldiers have died on the Lebanon mission. But this is all deaths, including medical problems, falls, gun accidents, road accidents, and in one case murder by an Irish soldier.
In fact, 17 Irish soldiers were killed by hostile fire or bombs. They are as follows.

5 killed by Israel-backed Lebanese Christians.
- 3 soldiers killed by the SLA in 1980.
- William O'Brien, killed by the Free Lebanese Army in 1986.
- Michael McNeela, killed by the SLA in 1989.
1 killed by IDF.
- Dermot McLoughlin, killed by the IDF in 1987.
8 killed by anti-Israel forces (Islamic terrorists).
- 2 soldiers killed probably by the PLO in 1981.
- Aonghus Murphy, killed by an anti-Israel militia in 1986.
- 3 soldiers killed by a Hezbollah-backed militia in 1989.
- Peter Ward, killed by Hezbollah in 1992.
- Sean Rooney, killed by Hezbollah in 2022.
1 killed by unknown group.
- Michael Nestor, killed by an unknown group in 1982.
2 killed in crossfire.
- Michael McCarthy, killed in crossfire between Hezbollah and the SLA in 1991.
- Billy Kedian, killed in crossfire between the Amal militia and the SLA in 1999. Some count this as a direct killing by the SLA rather than crossfire.

Irish UNIFIL soldiers honour their dead at the memorial in Tibnin, Lebanon, 2011.
No more should be put at risk. Israel should manage her own security. Irish troops should come home.
From UN. Also found here.

Irish military is almost a red flag

As a result of the above Irish deaths in Lebanon at the hands of Israel or Israel-backed Lebanese Christians, many in the Irish military have become anti-Israel, and of course pro-UN.
Being Irish military is now almost a red flag for me for bad opinions on the Middle East.
Examples:

A picture paints a thousand words:
U.N. "peacekeepers" salute the coffins of Lebanese and Palestinian terrorists, July 17, 2008 (on a trailer with a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh), in the Samir Kuntar prisoner swap between Israel and Lebanon.
And these pointless UN troops will "disarm" and "contain" Hezbollah. Sure.
AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari.
See here.
Even worse, the commander of UNIFIL was due to appear at the Lebanese state "celebrations" for the returned Jew-killers. Disgusting.

A picture paints a thousand words:
Hizbollah flag flies at U.N. compound on Israel-Lebanon border, 2002.
Photo by Paul Vallely. From here.
See Tell It to the Marines, Jed Babbin, 26 July 2002.

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