Vol. 552 No. 1
19 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Defence the circumstances relating to a person (details supplied), who is serving as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Lebanon, being attacked and injured by Hizbollah forces in the Shebaa Farms area of south Lebanon; the injuries suffered by the person and those travelling with him; and the protest made about the matter to the Lebanese Government. [11724/02]
With regard to the recent incident involving an Irish officer serving with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation, UNTSO, the position is as follows. On 4 April 2002, Commandant Harry O'Connor was part of an UNTSO four man, unarmed, observer team patrolling the Lebanese side of the border with Israel when the incident occurred. Commandant O'Connor was accompanied by three other UNTSO military observers at the time – two Norwegians and one French.
The incident took place at about 10.10 a.m. local time in the UNIFIL area of operations in south Lebanon. The UNTSO patrol was attacked by armed elements-Hizbollah militants near the Shebaa Farms area. The patrol was travelling in clearly marked UN vehicles when armed Hizbollah personnel forced their vehicle to stop. The car windows were broken and the UN observers dragged out of their car and assaulted with rifle butts.
A separate four man UNIFIL patrol saw the incident and went to help the UNTSO observers. During the scuffle which followed the Hizbollah elements seized the UNIFIL peacekeepers' weapons. One of the UNIFIL officers radioed headquarters which then immediately called the Lebanese authorities to bring the situation under control. Within a few minutes of making this contact UNIFIL was informed that Hizbollah had left the scene.
Three of the UNTSO military observers – one Irish, one French and one Norwegian – were injured and evacuated across the border with Israeli military assistance to a hospital in Sefad in northern Israel. Commandant O'Connor was the most seriously injured, sustaining severe bruising and lacerations to the head, arm and rib area. He was discharged from hospital on Monday, 8 April 2002 and is receiving daily medical attention from a local doctor. I know that the House will join me in wishing him a full and speedy recovery.
On the day of the incident the UN Security Council was briefed by the UN secretariat on the incident and issued a statement in which the Security Council expressed grave concern at, and protested, the attack on unarmed peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, referring to UN Resolution 1391 of 28 January 2002 in which the Security Council urged the parties to respect the safety of UN peacekeepers in the area. The council members strongly urged that the integrity, safety and freedom of movement of UN peacekeepers in the area be fully respected by all parties. The UN Secretary General also strongly condemned the deliberate assault by Hizbollah elements on unarmed UN military observers operating in south Lebanon.
Additional information.On 7 April the Irish ambassador to Lebanon held a meeting with the Lebanese ambassador in Cairo. During the meeting he conveyed the Government's concern at the Shebaa Farms incident and the serious injury inflicted on Commandant O'Connor and his colleagues. The Irish ambassador stressed the demands of both the UN Security Council and the United Nations Secretary General that the safety and freedom of movement of UN peacekeepers and observers be respected by all parties. The Lebanese ambassador noted the points raised and agreed to convey Ireland's concerns to the Lebanese Government, adding that he expressed regret at what had occurred and that Lebanon had not only a legal but also a moral obligation to safeguard such UN operations.
The Irish ambassador also raised the incident involving Commandant O'Connor with the Syrian authorities in the context of Irish concerns over the possible escalation of regional violence. The Irish ambassador was assured that the matter was one that was being taken very seriously by the Syrian authorities and that Syria was in constant contact with the Lebanese authorities.
Was there a formal protest lodged with the Lebanese Government about these events? I appreciate, from what the Minister says, it clearly intervened to be of help. What was its response to any such protest? Is the Lebanese Army now in place in that part of southern Lebanon or is that part of southern Lebanon largely still taken over by the Hizbollah group? Was any protest lodged with the Syrian Government, as the main country in the region which financially supports Hizbollah and within which Hizbollah has some of its main offices in Damascus?
Yes, a formal protest has been made to the Lebanese and Syrian Governments. For a considerable time after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from that part of southern Lebanon there was a reluctance on the part of the Lebanese Government to have the army in place. The position has progressively improved. Although it is not necessarily yet at the 100% stage, it is a long distance ahead of where it was a year ago. Therefore, we would look forward to seeing more of the involvement of the Lebanese soldiers in that part of the country, ensuring the rights and integrity of the UN observers are preserved.
Will the Minister indicate what response, if any, he has received from either the Lebanese Government or the Syrian Government to the protest made?
In both cases we have received solid assurances that everything they can do will be done to ensure the safety of the UN personnel.
