Peacekeeping

United Nations peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon to act as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah fighters are authorized to use force to stop "hostile activity" of any kind, the UN said. More

Jane Holl Lute: "Not many people know this, but the United Nations' peacekeeping force represents the world's second largest deployed military operational presence in the world.

"China will increase its peacekeeping presence in Lebanon to 1,000 troops, Premier Wen Jiabao has confirmed. The move would make China one of the largest contributors to a strengthened UN force designed to keep the peace." More

"With last week's lifting of the Israeli air and sea blockade of Lebanon, the United Nations said today that air and sea traffic had begun returning to levels seen before the month-long conflict, while the UN food agency announced it would conduct a survey this month to assess reconstruction needs. "The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that, since the lifting of the Israeli blockade, air traffic is quickly resuming to pre-conflict levels [and] the lifting of the sea blockade has allowed commercial vessels to return as well," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York." More

Writing in The New Republic, Tim Fenholz asks whether Security Council Resolution 1706 is enough to stop the genocide in Darfur. The short answer is "no," but not because the resolution is feckless -- it is actually quite ambitious and calls for a robust peacekeeping force for Darfur. Rather, the U.S.- U.K. sponsored resolution is failing Darfur because it is currently in a holding pattern while the Security Council awaits Khartoum's consent. Given Khartoum's intransigence, Fenholz concludes, "Only a Western-led intervention force--whether under the auspices of NATO, the United Nations, or some coalition of willing countries--can put a stop to the genocide." That may be true, but a Western-led intervention is not coming anytime soon. Even in the midst of a bloody new offensive in Darfur, there is little to suggest that the Western powers of which Fernholz speaks have the will to intervene outside United Nations auspices. This leaves the United Nations route--which requires Khartoum's consent to a peacekeeping force--as the last reasonable chance for Darfur.

Khartoum has dug itself deeper into opposition of Security Council Resolution 1706, which calls for a robust United Nations peacekeepers force to replace the African Union force in Darfur. So desperate is Khartoum to prevent the implementation of 1706, they have issued an ultimatum to the African Union: block the United Nations from taking over the mission in Darfur, or face expulsion on September 30th, when their mandate runs out. Meanwhile, a clearly emboldened Khartoum has launched a major military offensive in Darfur, in clear violation of May's Darfur Peace Agreement.

"The UN post at Naqoura is barely a kilometre from the Israeli border. Beside it is a sleepy fishing harbour used to bring in supplies and reinforcements.

"U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Friday European nations would provide the backbone of a 15,000-strong United Nations peace force for Lebanon and he had asked France to lead it." More

Reuters: "France will greatly increase the size of the contingent it is promising for a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, possibly making it easier to recruit other nations, officials and diplomats said on Thursday.... The United Nations says a strengthened U.N. force in south Lebanon is urgently needed to preserve the fragile truce which came into effect on August 14 after a month of fighting which killed more than 1,300 people, mostly Lebanese civilians."