Monday,
December 03, 2007
Italians Considered Best Lebanese
Peacekeepers
The
ANNOTICO Report
"The
Italian unit is the best at doing this," former long-time UNIFIL adviser Timur Goksel told Inter Press.
"Italians believe that going after hearts and minds provides security
for the troops - and it brings intelligence and warnings."
Italian Peacekeepers Tread Softly in
Wounded Land
The
By Rebecca Murray
Monday, December 03,
2007
Tereano leans back in his chair and sips espresso outside
the base cafe, a mandatory stop for all soldiers craving a taste of home.
"Without the approval of the population we cannot fulfill our duty - it's
impossible," he explains. "So the main task is to accomplish the
mission as well as do activities with the community. Any other way is a risk to
us."
Zibqin is a small, isolated farming town of 1,500 people
perched on a rugged hilltop with breathtaking views of
Last
summer, Zibqin suffered a devastating blow when a
bomb killed 12 members of the same family sitting down to breakfast at the
start of the 34-day war with
Although
Hizbullah gave those with damaged property up to
$10,000 in spending money after the cease-fire, residents complain that the
long-term reconstruction aid promised by Premier Fouad
Siniora's government has yet to materialize, forcing
many to emigrate to Beirut, Africa, the Americas or the Gulf, unable to afford
the expensive cost of rebuilding their homes and finding work.
"The
first day back after the war was really very bad - there was a smell of
death," recalls Fatima Bazzi, a schoolteacher
living in a small cinderblock home with her family near the Italian base on the
town's outskirts. "Now many people have moved away," she adds softly.
"Before I had a lot of friends, but we've been apart for a whole year and
our relationship has changed."
Tereano and his "Savoia Cavalleria" regiment
of 150 men
arrived in Zibqin one month ago, part of an ongoing
six-month rotation. They are members of the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL), initially established in 1978 and upgraded by Security
Council Resolution 1701 to an expanded, more militarized presence below the
With
lead contributions by
Tereano's men patrol the area in light armored
vehicles watching for illicit arms, provide security
for the border demarcation with
"The
Italian unit is the best at doing this," former long-time UNIFIL adviser Timur Goksel told Inter Press.
"They believe that going after hearts and minds provides security for the
troops - it brings intelligence and warnings."
However,
the roadside bombing that killed six Spanish troops on June 24 exacted a toll
on community relations as peacekeepers throughout
"UNIFIL
is in a dilemma," explains Goksel. "On one
hand as a military, they have to be seen as taking measures. However, this
comes at a cost. Peacekeepers need to maintain relations with people as a
stabilizer. You cannot do this by staying behind fences and in armored
cars."
With
the bitter winter rains approaching, rising fuel costs dominate the
conversation at the Bazzi home while the television
broadcasts the latest news about
The
family's favorite pastime is spending evenings on their front porch, smoking argeleh and greeting neighbors, as the Italian patrols
periodically pass by.
"The
Nepalese were here until 2000. They acted like civilians and wanted to help
everybody," recalls Somaya fondly.
"With
the Italian UNIFIL "We don't feel a change, and Israeli fighters are still
daily in the sky."
Tereano, in consultation with Zibqin's
mayor, is working to further improve relations. After a local woman and
her child, with a cut, bleeding hand,and
had no available emergency medical care, the Italians listened
to the community, and established a Friday morning first aid clinic in
town.
Tereano is now looking to form a football team with the
town's kids, a health forum for women and foot patrols with an interpreter along
the town's main road.
"The
risk at the moment is very low for the Italian contingents," he says.
"Here in the village you can feel it - the situation is calm."
While
the national political crisis overshadows daily life for Lebanese everywhere, Goksel dismisses rumors that UNIFIL will pull out of the
South anytime soon. "They will continue to stress their relationship with
the Lebanese Army, and be careful not to get involved in local politics,"
he says. "By next August [the date for mandate renewal talks] the
government will have sorted itself out."
"We
have good relations with the Italians," affirms Zibqin's
mukhtar Raef Bazzi, whose job includes settling community disputes.
Noting that cluster bomb removal is his primary concern, he is enthusiastic for
the Italian's upcoming projects and hopes that emergency medical care on the
base, road maintenance and increased interaction with the Italians happens.
"It's
known that all the South loves UNIFIL and treats them like members of their own
family. If something happens to them, it's not from the South but from the
outside," he says.
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