Surrounded By Threats
"We are taking the necessary steps and precautions to be prepared for any spillover of violence into Israel."
"We have substantial forces on the ground and we have visual intelligence to help us protect our border."
"In the last year we established a new division to maintain that line of defence. We have a rapid response force well prepared and well organized and trained to address that type of threat."
Peter Lerner, Israeli army spokesman
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Syrian rebels from the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front
Reuters
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A day after Syrian rebel groups along with the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front captured the Quneitra border crossing between Syria and Israel on the Golan Heights, 50 Philippine nationals working as United Nations peacekeepers were kidnapped while heavy fighting was taking place in the area. The crossing was wrested from soldiers of the Syrian regime.
The danger and violence in the area had prompted the government of the Philippines to announce it was recalling its 331 participants in the UN force. That recall was to take place in October. It has been pre-empted. There is no word yet with respect to the position of the abducted peacekeepers.
But logic might have it that holding 50 non-combatants in the very midst of ongoing violence between rebel forces and government troops would prove a cumbersome nuisance to whomever is holding the unfortunate bystanders whose work as peacekeepers is absurd, under the obvious circumstances.
The United Nations is wrapped up in its sacrosanct role as peacekeepers, even though they have never been able to do much in preserving peace wherever they have been stationed, from Rwanda to Bosnia, to the Golan Heights where, presumably, one of their jobs, just as it is between Lebanon and Israel, is to ensure that weapons are not smuggled into the hands of Hezbollah.
The United Nations takes its obligation to participating countries offering their nationals in goodwill gestures of peacekeeping, very seriously. As it should. It was, it announced, making every effort to secure the captives' release. Without naming who the captors might be, other than the usual suspects; the rebels.
According to Mr. Lerner this represents the second time rebels have taken the Syrian side of the border crossing. A year earlier, after the first rebel installation at the crossing, Israel had changed its deployment there to build a border fence making infiltration into Israel quite difficult. Once again, Israel has to resort to building fences to keep its myriad-and-endless enemies' assaults in check.
And while Israeli intelligence doesn't foresee an imminent rebel attack, should they defeat the regime, Israel would be next in their sights. For Israel, better the devil you know than the evil you don't want to become intimately involved with.
Labels: Al-Qaeda, Civil War, Conflict, Defence, Israel, Security, Syria
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, August 30, 2014
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