From Rappler (Sep 4):
UN backs commander, denies PH soldiers' claim
The order to Filipino peacekeepers was 'to leave the weapons quiet so as to give some space but never to hand over weapons,' says Hervé Ladsous, UN Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations
GOOD JUDGMENT? UN
Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous says he fully
trusts UNDOF Commander Lieutenant General Iqbal Singha. File photo of Singha
from the UN web site
The United
Nations (UN) backed Lieutenant General Iqbal Singha amid complaints from the Philippine military that the commander
of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) put the Filipino troops in
danger when he ordered them to surrender their weapons to Syrian rebels last
week.
"It's a
matter of judgment. Singha exercised good, sound judgment all throughout the
process," said Hervé Ladsous, UN Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
Operations, who held a press conference in New York on Wednesday, September 3,
following his briefing to the UN Security Council.
Ladsous also
denied the Filipino peacekeepers were ordered to surrender their weapons. "Never to hand
over the weapons. To leave the weapons quiet so as to give some space but never
to hand over weapons.... Not to shoot," Ladsous said.
This resulted in a standoff that escalated to a 7-hour firefight in one of the encampments. Forty Filipinos
in Position 68 maintained they only fired in self defense.
Running out of
ammunition, the soldiers hatched and later executed an escape mission midnight
Sunday, September 1, that was backed by their Filipino commander in the Golan
Heights and the military high command in the Philippines. They walked 2
kilometers to the Philippine Battalion headquarters while the rebels were
sleeping.
The 32 troops in
the other encampment – Position 69 – were earlier rescued by the UNDOF's quick
reaction force sent by Singha.
Explained
Ladsous: "You would realize though the situation on the ground is fast
moving. There was time for fast action – to extract people. There are times
when other considerations like safety of people come in. You have to possibly
refrain from proactive stance like shooting back because it might put others in
danger."
He added:
"Clearly, it's a very challenging situation. Our peacekeepers showed
considerable steadfastness, courage at all levels at the level of force
commander General Singha who displayed strong professionalism, leadership, made
decisions that I think helped. He is certainly to be commended. I place on the
record my full trust in the way he performed his duty."
Massacre?
At the command
center in Camp Aguinaldo where they coordinated with
the troops in Golan over the weekend, defense and military officials were
baffled by Singha's order for the soldiers to surrender their weapons to the
rebels.
"We will be
massacred," Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin was quoted as saying. The
troops monitored the rebels regrouping after the 7-hour firefight. The Filipino
soldiers said they got new orders from Singha to again surrender their weapons
and raise the White Flag if the rebels fire on them again.
Catapang said
they considered Singha's order as an attempt to make the Filipino troops
"sacrificial pawns" to save the 45 Fijian peacekeepers that the
rebels had taken hostage. The Fijians, who were taken just before the attack on
positions 68 and 69, were used as translators when the rebels made their
demands to the Filipinos.
Catapang said
there was no guarantee that the rebels would not take them hostage too. He
questioned Singha's decision not to send troops to rescue those in Position 68
like he did in Position 69.
The rebels
included members of the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the Al-Nusra Front. They are
still holding the Fijians and have issued 3 demands: the Al-Nusra Front's deletion from the UN
terrorist list, compensation for 3 colleagues killed in firefights with the
peacekeepers, and humanitarian assistance for a town they control.
Pullout
in October
The ramifications
of the Filipino peacekeepers' defiance of the UNDOF commander remain unclear.
Filipino UNDOF chief of staff Colonel Ezra Enriquez, also the Philippine
Battalion Commander, quit his post but it was not accepted.
"That is a
matter for them. What counts is the Filipino peacekeepers detained in 2
locations were in a position to come to safety," said Ladsous.
The Philippines has
instead offered a battalion of troops as a standby force to the UN.
UNDOF has been in
Golan Heights since 1974 to monitor the ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel. The peacekeepers in recent
years have been targeted by Syrian rebels as the conflict turned for the worse.
The Philippines has
been a troop-contributor since 2009. Filipino peacekeepers were kidnapped by
Syrian rebels in 2 incidents last year but it was when they were out on patrol
and were unarmed. They were eventually released.
Last week's
incident marked the first time the rebels attacked them in their encampment.
The UN said it is
now changing its rules of operation to keep peacekeepers safe and beef up their
equipment.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/68120-united-nations-backs-undof-commander
