Lebanon: UNIFIL tanks block IDF force

[Stockholm]

An IDF force, including tanks, a bulldozer and a number of vehicles was blocked on Thursday by French UNIFIL troops at the outskirts of the south Lebanese village of Marwahin, near the border with Israel.

According to reports, the IDF force asked to advance deeper into Lebanese territory, but was stopped about 500 meters from the road leading to the village by four UNIFIL tanks manned by French soldiers as two Israeli Merkava tanks operated nearby on Lebanese soil, setting up checkpoints.

AFP reported that Israeli soldiers confiscated the identity cards of photographers at the scene, claiming they may give pictures of the Israeli military to Hizbullah members.

IDF sources said they are looking into the incident.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3309378,00.html

[frylock]

1. big ups to the french!

[tocqueville]

2. UN, Israeli tanks in brief face-off in south Lebanon

Thu Sep 28, 12:04 PM ET

MARWAHEEN, Lebanon (AFP) - UN and Israeli tanks have been involved in a brief face-off on a road in southern Lebanon where the Israeli army has been setting up checkpoints.

Four French Leclerc tanks with UN peacekeepers moved up the hill to stand 500 meters (yards) from the entrance to the border village of Marwaheen, as two Israeli Merkava tanks operated nearby on Lebanese soil.

Standing some 50 meters from each other, the tanks were locked in a 20-minute face-off, the first between the Israeli army and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has been boosted to oversee the current truce.

The French tanks then withdrew from the area, as observers of the UN Truce Supervision Organisation deployed in the area

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060928/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictlebanonunborder;_ylt=AmCytNmvCt40wOti4p4pPNmBzdAF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

several pictures of the intermezzo can be seen here

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/wl/021405lebanon/im:/060928/photos_wl_afp/6722056c282b2413555815b14c99f3ac;_ylt=ApG4OWECpaEGHUdRKhGF2dFgWscF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3dmhrOGVvBHNlYwNzc20-

[Englander]

3. About the French UNFIL tanks;

French roll out tanks for U.N. force in Lebanon
60-ton armored vehicles have never been deployed outside of Europe

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Thirteen French tanks, the most powerful armor ever deployed by a U.N. peacekeeping force, rolled ashore Tuesday, beefing up a mission aimed at helping cement an uneasy cease-fire in Lebanon.

>snip

Thirteen Leclerc tanks, which have never been deployed outside Europe, are the showpiece of the French deployment. Heavy armor such as the Leclerc, with its reinforced Kevlar body, is not typically part of a U.N. force — though battle tanks have been used in some past missions.

60-ton tanks
The tanks, which weigh nearly 60 tons each, feature 120 mm smoothbore cannon, anti-tank and armor-piercing rounds, and anti-aircraft machine guns. Each is operated by a crew of three, has thermal sighting, night vision and an automatic loading system for on-the-move firing. Compared to the U.S. M1 Abrams, the Leclerc is smaller and more compact.

French Lt. Col. Patrick Le Roy, who leads the Leclerc unit, said the tank is more robust and technologically advanced than the Israeli Merkava — a similar-sized tank that was at times taken out by Hezbollah missiles in the fighting that began July 12.

“When you hear that coming, it certainly has a deterrent effect,” Le Roy said as an armored vehicle rumbled by.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14802542/

[Stockholm]

5. Could be true regarding the numbers

but Leopards was deployed already in Bosnia by Denmark (picture). I think the Finns had them also.



I have driven a Leclerc, its incredibly high-tech (perhaps to high-tech).

[muesa]

4. One may want to check out the thread

. Detailed ROE's and recognized of open issues in the ROE's probably prevented serious escalation.

[tocqueville]

6. more here

"The prospect of that happening was raised earlier the same day at a meeting in Israel between Israeli liaison officers and UNIFIL," a senior official of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon told AFP.

The Marwaheen zone was Friday still under Israeli army control, a week after an initial departure date set by Israel, as the UN resolution which established a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel fixed no timetable for a pullout.

"It's a violation that we report. It's what we call a non-hostile situation," a UNIFIL officer said.

A copy of the rules of engagement, marked confidential but to which AFP had access, allows for "use of force beyond self-defence to ensure that UNIFIL's area of operations is not utilised for hostile activities of any kind".

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060929/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictlebanon;_ylt=AtXdn5.pGMpZ5AHH6D2mCNmBzdAF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

check the yahoo slideshow for photos of the face off

[Tom Joad]

7. This is what needs to be done in gaza and west bank.... an

international force to defend against israeli aggression.

[pampango]

8. Good. Enforce the terms of the ceasefire on both sides. n/t

[breakaleg]

9. Nice to see the French holding their ground.

[bemildred]

10. Well heck, a real peace keeping force.

:thumbsup: