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Time to Shut Down the Failed UN Lebanon Mission

(Wall Street Journal) Eugene Kontorovich - On Aug. 31, the UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on whether to renew the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). UNIFIL was given the task of disarming Hizbullah and instead enabled the Shiite militia. It didn't keep the peace in 2006, when Hizbullah started a war, or in October 2023 when Hizbullah joined in Hamas's attack on Israel. Hizbullah operatives captured by Israel testified that the group paid UNIFIL personnel to exploit their outposts and security cameras near the border. Hizbullah tunnel shafts were built within 100 yards of UNIFIL watchtowers, and rocket firing positions put next to UNIFIL bases. The U.S. pays 27% of UNIFIL's budget, around $150 million a year. Some argue that the Lebanese army isn't ready to take over for UNIFIL. But UNIFIL doesn't keep the peace, so there's nothing to get ready for. The UN peacekeeping mission in the Golan Heights likewise makes no sense, given the changing geopolitics in the area. The writer, a professor at George Mason University School of Law, is a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
2025-08-19 00:00:00
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