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THE LAST OF THE 115 members of the Defence Forces taking part in the long-term UNDOF mission to the Golan Heights area of Syria arrived safely at their new headquarters over the weekend.
The 12 officers and 103 soldiers of various ranks will spend six months in the region, serving alongside troops from India, Fiji and the Philippines.
It was initially planned that the deployment would take place at the start of the month, but the mission was postponed for around three weeks at the request of the UN due to administration problems.
So, why are Irish troops being sent there? TheJournal.ie takes a look…
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force was set up in 1974 to police the ceasefire between Israeli and Syrian troops — in the Golan Heights region between the two countries. It followed the Arab-Israeli war of the previous year, and the subsequent signing by both sides of a ‘disengagement agreement’. The mission has been ongoing for the last 39 years, with troops from various countries taking part — supervising and helping implement that ceasefire deal.
The UNDOF mandate has been renewed every six months over that period, but this will be the first Irish involvement.
According to the UN, the situation “remained quiet” until recently, with “both parties cooperating fully” with the mission. However, the recent escalation of the conflict in Syria has made the UNDOF troops’ task more difficult: From the mission website:
There has been a rise in the nature, number and gravity of incidents involving United Nations personnel on the ground, including abductions of UNDOF and UNTSO observers, the direct and indirect firing at them by the Syrian Arab armed forces or armed members of the opposition, the theft of UN weapons and ammunition, vehicles and other assets, and the looting and destruction of facilities.
It’s worth pointing out: the Irish troops do not have any mandate to get involved in the internal Syrian conflict.
The chemical weapons attacks in Ghouta have been dominating the international headlines since they took place in August. The UN voted at the weekend to order the destruction of the Assad regime’s chemical arms, following intensive US-Russian negotiations, and disarmament teams are now preparing to enter the country.
The Irish troops took part in a week-long refresher course on how to deal with chemical and biological weapons at the Glen of Imaal in Wicklow prior to heading out. Additionally, an arrangement is in place with the Israeli Government whereby the Defence Forces personnel will evacuate across the border in the event of any chemical attack.
Irish troops on parade [Photocall Ireland]
According to Lieutenant Colonel Brendan Delaney, who is commanding the Irish contingent on their mission, the approach that the troops take is the same heading on any overseas deployment:
“I was in Lebanon in 2006 when the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict broke out — that started off as quite benign and, well… things can escalate quite quickly.
“We always try to maintain what we call ‘situational awareness’: we see what’s going on, we try and anticipate problems and then behave accordingly.”
Lower down the ranks, soldiers echo their commander’s assessment, with Corporal Claire Powell telling TheJournal.ie “There is an element of danger in all the places we deploy to” and adding:
We joined the army, it is part of the job description.
Lieutenant Colonel Brendan Delany, pictured with his family, wife Mairead, Niamh (11), Joe (14) and Siobhan (15) at Cathal Brugha Barracks [Photocall Ireland]
For purposes of the UNDOF mission, the Golan Heights is defined as a stretch of land around 75km long, and varying between 200 metres and 10 kilometres in width. It’s hilly area, dominated in the north by Mount Hermon, which, at 2,814 metres, is the highest mountain in Syria. The area is officially governed and policed by the Syrian authorities, and no other military forces other than UNDOF are permitted in the zone.
There are two base camps for the force in the area, 20 permanently manned positions, eight outposts manned during daylight hours and eleven observation posts. Troops actively patrol the area by day and night.
The UN mission’s headquarters, where the Irish contingent will be based, is located at Camp Faouar.
[Image: Wikipedia]
The Irish contingent will constitute the ‘Force Headquarters Company’. Day to day, they’ll be taking part in patrols aboard armoured vehicles and undertaking what the Defence Forces describe as “reinforcement, reaction, escort and other operations”.
The first few days will be an induction period, as troops familiarise themselves with the base and its equipment. According to Defence Forces press officer Commandant Denis Hanly, the initial days at any new camp are spent getting used to “routine, basic stuff: where you live; what to do in the event of a fire; where the bunkers are — that level of detail”.
“All the time, they’ll also be doing routine maintenance of weapons and equipment, constantly checking and testing so it’s ready when needed.”
The provision of transport and of a quick reaction force to provide back-up for the wider mission will be the Irish troops’ main focus — but in terms of daily activities, there’s no easily-predictable routine. According to Commandant Hanly: “It depends on what the requirement is and what the threat assessment is at any time – travel could be by day or by night”.
Mount Hermon, the highest point in Syria [Wikimedia Commons]
In terms of leisure time, there’s what’s called a “welfare room” on site at the camp where soldiers can play snooker and pool or watch TV. For contacting loved ones at home, they also have access to wifi and Skype.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Delaney:
“We’re bringing a number of cooks over with us, and if the standard of food we had down at the Glen of Imaal is anything to go by, then we’ll be putting on a bit of weight over there — the standard was very very good.
“Alcohol is going to be a problem, because obviously if we’re on quick-time to respond and there’s driving involved — alcohol obviously impairs us, so it will be a dry mission.”
The ‘mission readiness’ exercise at the Glen of Imaal, Co Wicklow in August [Photocall Ireland]
The troops are from the 43rd Infantry Group, which is drawn from fifteen Irish counties — although most are from Dublin. The youngest staff member is 21, while the oldest, CQMS Tony Fitzgerald, is 58.
It will be the first tour of duty abroad for 44 of the 115 personnel taking part.
Dubliner Claire Powell — one of four women on the mission, and the female with the most overseas trips — spoke to TheJournal.ie at the Defence Minister’s ‘review of the troops’ before the deployment began:
The troops are on a ‘six month’ deployment — in practice, though, such deployments can last up to six and a half months. So, mid-April 2014 at the latest.
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They should take the Pope down for a look when he’s over.
He could give the nuns absolution and all would be ready to start over again with a clean slate.
@Gerry Ryan deG: he should certainly be taken there to visit, but nobody gets a clean slate on this. When he visits he should personally hand over compensation to the countless victims of religious abuses that are still awaiting payments.
The hope for the church when it comes to compensation is to drag it out long enough until all the victims are dead, the only thing the church cares about is itself and its pockets.
@Barry Somers: Bernard law to get a cardinals send off in St Peters with the PR pope attending.. That’s what Rome thinks of its victims http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/12/20/cardinal-bernard-law-funeral-pope-francis-statement/
Dunno who is worse. The government or the Catholic Church.
@Trevor W: governments can be good or bad, &they can cause hurt or pain as well as do good things.. .we all know that but people expected much more of the catholic church because it was supposed to be holy, godly &Christian. People believed it was caring, truthful, loving Christ -like &compassionate & instead found it to be anything but. in short the catholic church was much worse because it showed itself up as lacking in basic morals, deceitful, uncaring, unloving &concerned only with protecting its image & grabbing money every chance it could get
@Trevor W: Sinn Fein arevtge worst. Then the church then the government
@Trevor W: There was a time that they were one in the same.
When he says “We are all now complicit”, I sincerely hope he is referring to elected representatives who are paid to look after these matters and have the platform to do so, and not the majority of us who spend most of our time working to keep the country running and pay their wages
@JimmyMc: we are all complicit though. We are not forcing the issue with the representatives who are meant to work to achieve what we want.
It’s an absolute disgrace so many places are sold off and bulldozed and the horrors that happened within all but forgotten. It’s not just magdelene laundries but all the mental institutions. People were locked away for all their lives and forgotten by the world. Their treatment was horrendous too. Now no one speaks about those poor people and the institutions are sold off and turned into things like luxury hotel. We have whole sections of society we locked up and treated badly and neglected. We should remember them all properly.
@Catherine Sims: The industrial schools, the Magdalene laundries are all a thing of the past. They were horrendous places, but they belong to history now, those injustices against men, women and children do not happen today.
@Catherine Sims: yes, curious there was enough will and money to develop them into exclusive/elitist/yuppie housing complexes/gated communities acceptable and desirable for the few who could afford them but not for the unfortunate inmates dealing with barrack like vast nightingale wards… Look up Friern Barnet hospital, north London and see how it evolved from an institution to an, eh, institution…
@Tom&Gerry: there should never be forgotten. Burying heading in sand will not make this go away.
Perhaps you should receive compensation from the tax payer for having to grow up near a Magdelan Laundry. Speak to a solicitor. You are a victim too after all!
@Don Shavago: Dumped Christian White already?
Everyone reading this should be aware that this memorial will cause more pain and horror to the men and women who were in orphanages and are still living today, the grown women who made and had choices are thought of more than the kids imprisoned for 14years by courts, we are the children of these women
@David Dineen: what??
@David Dineen: Catholic Church is a corrupt institution and always will be, Why,!! Because it puts its Trust in Wealth, making Money from every conceivable angle, from the day your born to the day you Die. The only way to break that cycle is, break out of it don’t let yourself be ‘Used’ ‘Abused’ by this profiteering religion. And now to Insult us all, our Government is going to pay out €20 millions on the visit of the leader of this Rich money making Machine. !!!
@Mairtín: so how do the church make money out of people? €2 in a collection plate on a Sunday?
Think about it.
You’re talking absolutely bollixxx
@David Dineen: what choices did these women have?
@Mairtín: No The church is paying for the visit
@Steph Duffy:
These women had no choices but the men who made them pregnant definitely got away with not facing up to their responsibilities.
@marg fitzgerald: and where does the church get their money?
@Tom Burke: two plates passed around per service, paying money (€50) to have someone remembered in a mass, more again to have a mass said for them. Christening, Education, Communion, Confirmation, Wedding, Funeral. At every step there’s the church with the hand extended for a bit of wheel grease. Indulgences haven’t entirely gone away either
@Dave O Keeffe:
None of which are compulsory .
@Mairtín: The problem for you is that Ireland is a Catholic country. For me and my family and millions of Catholics in this country, it would be an honor to have the pope visit.
@Dave O Keeffe: And why not, are you saying that priests should not be paid for their time. . Priests have living expenses the same as everyone else. You are not forced take part or participate in any way with anything to do with the church, you are obviously anti catholic. So i suggest you stop bothering yourself with the affairs of a church you have no time for. Just walk away, nobody will stop you.
@Mairtín: I would imagine that all churches survive on donations from their congregations. How else would they survive?
@Tom&Gerry: so your saying a priests wages comes solely from the voluntary offerings of the parish in which he serves? That’s absolute bull. I’m not anti-catholic at all, Catholicism does a world of good for a lot of people but there is no denying the organisations obvious wealth and the corrupt nature of the business side of it. The fact that anyone not donating would have to do so in view of the whole congregation brings another element to it.
@Dave O Keeffe: bullxxxx Dave.
You get a mass said and it’s typically €10 but you decide what you give.
Yes you make a contribution for a wedding or a christening but it’s nominal and if you can’t afford it it’s no problem.
For the wedding the couple and guests will arrive at a clean heated church which is provided.
Go to your local village tomorrow and walk into any premises shop, pub, restaurant, solicitor etc. Very soon you will be approached and the goal is to get your money.
Walk into your church. No charge.
You can go into that church every day of your life and never pay 1c, and you will be as welcome the next day.
You are not being truthful and you know it.
someone please ask micheal woods doctor of tomatoes what sort of crack cocaine he was smoking when he did a lousy deal to help the church out with its compensation deal to the victims of anal rape rape of women and imprisonment of it s flock .
ask michael martin why he voted for its approval maybe.
I wonder about places like this being preserved, “lest we forget.” If you visit “Auschwitz,” apart from the “Work Will Set You Free” over the entrance gates and a huge warning sign shortly after that, the amount of people laughing, joking and taking selfies, you have to wonder if you haven’t stepped into another (albeit morbid,) section of Disneyworld. The visitor’s centre full of memorabilia, dvds, cards and keepsakes also serve to dilute the horror of the place. There has to be a better way of putting a stop on man’s inhumanity to man…
How much would it be to get a few clothes washed? I need a dog bed cleaned too.
Ip
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