More UN myopia

According to a report written by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel have spotted 550 Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace in a four-month period. (“UN to Israel: Stop violating Lebanese airspace,” November 23.) These flights are reported as violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which specifies that no military equipment or personnel may enter southern Lebanon, except the Lebanese Army.

However, when Hezbollah fighters move freely throughout Lebanon’s south, saturating the region with ordnance (rockets, missiles, launchers, and etc.), facts known to any 15-year old child living in that area, UNIFIL soldiers suddenly go blind, unable to see such activity. Perhaps their heads are fixed skyward in search of Israeli aircraft and, thus, unable to view what transpires on the ground.

More likely, they dare not interfere with Hezbollah out of fear and impotence, which characterize UN “peacekeepers” and observers in the Middle East. (Note how they abandoned their positions in southern Syria and the Sinai when threatened.)

In a word, they are useless. Only the naive or those desperate to find guarantors for a truce or peace treaty would so much as entertain the thought of employing a UN force. (An example is Tsipi Livni, who will pass through her old age claiming UNSC 1701 a success.)

Guterres, in his prejudicial report, avers the UN “is not in a position to substantiate [allegations of illegal arms transfers to non-state armed groups in Lebanon],” meaning Iranian movement of ordnance from Syria into Lebanon. Perhaps, he should have consulted groups of 15-year-old children before writing.

As for Israeli aerial observation of Lebanon for the purpose of intelligence gathering, someone please remind the Secretary-General that Lebanon is still in a state of war with Israel and Hezbollah is arming and training in preparation to carry out its aim of destroying Israel, necessitating the sorties.

The secretary-general might best rethink his risible demand that Hezbollah disarm, which is just as unrealistic as demanding that Israel cease actions necessary for its self-defense. BERNARD SMITH Jerusalem