Malaysian Peacekeepers Leave For Lebanon. Do They Actually Have A Role To Play?

Malaysia today despatched the advance batch of its total 360 soldiers to serve as the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

One hundred soldiers comprising elite units of the army, navy and air force gathered at the Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) base in Subang for a final briefing and were then taken to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) from where they left for Beirut in a Malaysia Airlines aircraft at 7 am.

The United Nations had approved last October the deployment of Malaysian troops as part of the peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin told reporters at the RMAF base that the Malaysian soldiers would be based at UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura where five Malaysian armed forces officers were already in service.

"Today, we are sending off our advance party of 11 officers and 89 men of other ranks to the district of Marjayoun, and on Jan 15 some 260 more soldiers will be joining them," he said after speaking to the troops.

The UNIFIL was expanded after worsening conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militant movement Hezbollah in July and August last year.

Malaysia had initially offered to send 1,000 soldiers but the UN approval was for only 360 troops.

Zainal Abidin said the total of 365 soldiers for UNIFIL (including the five officers already serving there) would tentatively serve for six months before being replaced by a second group for a further six months.

Also present at the RMAF base in Subang were Chief of Defence Forces Admiral Tan Sri Anwar Mohd Nor, Chief of Navy Admiral Datuk Ramlan Mohamed Ali and Chief of Air Force Jen Datuk Seri Azizan Ariffin.

Deputy commander of the mission, Lt Kol Fadzil Tajuddin, who heads the first batch said the contingent had undergone two months of special preparatory training in Kuantan, which included lessons on the Arabic and English languages.

He said that though Malaysia has participated in many peacekeeping missions, such as in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Somalia, this particular mission was the first for the majority of the soldiers deployed.

Mej Salehudin Azam of the RMAF said he was honoured to have been given the chance to serve as a peacekeeper after being in the armed forces for 15 years.

"I will definitely miss my wife and four kids as I will be gone for perhaps longer than half a year, but I'm thankful for the opportunity," he said.

Families of the soldiers were at the airport from midnight to see the troops off. (Bernama)

****** I really wonder what would be the role of merely 360 troops! In one of my previous posts on this subject a retired army officer had cast doubts on the necessity of and the functions that will be performed by our soldiers. All said, I wish them a successful mission and a safe return home.
Image - Source