Thursday, July 27, 2006

Letter from an UN Military Observer in Lebanon

Thanks to KT for providing this link!
CTV Canada received this email from Major Paeta Hess-von Kruedener. Major Hess-von Kruedener is suspected to be one of the four UN observers who died after an Israeli aerial precision-guided bomb hit their post. (note, I saw postings on his supposed confirmed death but could not find any sources to back that up) This is what the Major wrote about a month before:

I have been here for nine months of a one-year tour of duty. Since I have arrived here in Lebanon, this current incident is the fourth I have seen and by far the most spectacular and intensive.

The first was 21 Nov 05, when the Hezbollah tried to capture IDF soldiers from an IDF observation position overlooking the Wazzani river near the town of Ghajjar on the Blue Line. This action was unsuccessful and resulted in the deaths of the Hezbollah raiding force.

On 01 Feb 06, a young shepherd boy was Killed by an IDF patrol near an abandon goat farm called Bastarra. Hassan Nasrallah (note: Hezbollah's leader) vowed that there would be consequences to this action. Team Sierra was tasked on 2 Feb 06, to assist in the investigation of the incident, and we sent one team to do so while the other team conducted its normal mobile patrolling activities.

On 03 Feb 06, a limited engagement took place initiated by the Hezbollah on several of the IDF defensive positions located in occupied Lebanon.

Then on 28 May, the Islamic Jihad (PLO) fired rockets from South Lebanon, into Israel, which elicited an immediate aerial bombardment of positions near our patrol base and in the Bekka valley.
Team Sierra is currently observing both IDF/IAF and Hezbollah military clashes from our vantage point which has a commanding view of the IDF positions on the Golan mountains to our east and the IDF positions along the Blue Line to our south, as well as, most of the Hezbollah static positions in and around our patrol Base. It appears that the lion's share of fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah has taken place in our area. On the night of 16 July, at 2125 hrs, a large firefight broke out between the Hezbollah and the IDF near a village called Majidyye and lasted for one hour and 40 minutes.


Read the FULL article.

2 Comments:

Blogger Ingrid said...

KT, I know you're not a blogger (at least, you're not showing it) and I would be more than happy to post some suggestions or links that you might have. I'd rather have people read the references articles and ignore my own comments than the other way around. Everyone has their own set of knowledge and experiences that each new piece of info builds on. Ultimately, no one's opinion really matters unless you have your own lighbulb go off!
Ingrid

1:00 PM  
Blogger Ingrid said...

KT, if you do have another perspective to share by way of something you read, by all means, share it! I know I am 'predisposed' to looking at things in a certain way, but I do remind myself that nothing is set in stone. Often, after people's comments or shared links(!lol), or what have you, I think about something perhaps a little different, or at least, more tolerant of another way of looking at it that I had not thought of before. With emotions coming into play, it's very easy to catch yourself jumping into saying things that you later regret or rethink after getting more information. As with the current conflict. I really do appreciate any of your feedback and if you do not agree, the better! You don't learn a thing from living in a mutual agreeing society so to speak. As for blogging with kids; I have an 8yr old and a 3yr old, this blogging is giving me some non-mommy time which I crave! It's that ol' catch 22; you want to be at home for the kids, but find yourself also pretty bored in the process if that is all there is to it. I am slowly but surely 'getting a life'! Thanks for the kind words,
Ingrid

9:30 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home