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The UNIFIL Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon Is a Failure
(Algemeiner) Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Deployed in 1978, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has persisted for 47 years. During this period, three major wars have erupted between Israel and militias in Lebanon, and UNIFIL has failed to pre-empt, prevent, or resolve any of them. Costing $500 million annually, UNIFIL is an ineffective expenditure. Since its inception, UNIFIL has not engaged outlaw forces in any law enforcement actions. Hizbullah, Iran's proxy militia, thwarted UNIFIL's efforts by sending military-age men in civilian clothing to burn tires, block roads, and throw stones whenever UN peacekeepers approached arms depots. When confronted, UNIFIL personnel simply retreated to their bases. With UNIFIL doing little military work in south Lebanon, it has shifted to funding civilian projects, such as digging wells, purchasing generators, and building roads. These initiatives indirectly support Hizbullah by easing pressure on it by its supporters for economic development. The writer is a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.