United Nations Peacekeeping Force

It boggles the mind to listen to the Rambos supporting the President's policy for war who say that protesters are the ones hurting our troops. Huh? Iraq and Hussein were fully contained and a United Nations peacekeeping force could have been brought in to keep the containment, thus stopping the further "Hitler" takeover of other countries in the region. It was George Bush who sent our men and women into harm's way, not the people for peace. Hold up your hand. Is there blood on it? DOLLIE IRWIN Mothers For Peace of the Coachella Valley Banning

REACTING TO UNIVERSAL DISMAY at his irresponsibility, French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday belatedly pledged a total of 2,000 soldiers for the expanded United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon authorized by the Security Council on Aug. 11. It's still a stingy commitment, but the hope is that it may galvanize other European nations to follow suit after two tense weeks in which French dithering threatened to turn the deployment of peacekeepers into a march of folly.

REACTING TO UNIVERSAL DISMAY at his irresponsibility, French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday belatedly pledged a total of 2,000 soldiers for the expanded United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon authorized by the Security Council on Aug. 11. It's still a stingy commitment, but the hope is that it may galvanize other European nations to follow suit after two tense weeks in which French dithering threatened to turn the deployment of peacekeepers into a march of folly.

The United States moves to topple the isolated president of a disordered nation but fails to plan adequately for the violent aftermath, even though it was widely anticipated. U.S. and other military forces are too few and ill prepared to maintain order. Haiti is not Iraq. It is smaller, its problems are more quantifiable and it is not sundered by religious and ethnic divisions.

The United States moves to topple the isolated president of a disordered nation but fails to plan adequately for the violent aftermath, even though it was widely anticipated. U.S. and other military forces are too few and ill prepared to maintain order. Haiti is not Iraq. It is smaller, its problems are more quantifiable and it is not sundered by religious and ethnic divisions.

Early in April, U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar will make a routine appointment. A Canadian will take command of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus, UNFICYP. Two years ago, unthinkable. Soviet opposition would have prevented an officer of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization from taking such a post. Today, not a murmur. Another sign that decades of Cold War have faded. Perhaps this time for good, or perhaps only for the moment, as in previous thaws.

After the bloody debacle in Somalia that led to withdrawal of American forces in March, the United Nations was not expected to take on a similar mission anytime soon. But on paper at least, the U.N. takeover from American troops in Haiti due to take place in a few months bears a troubling resemblance to the ill-fated succession in Africa. Nevertheless, analysts do not expect a repeat.

Faced with mounting casualties and costs, the Bush administration said Wednesday that it was talking with foreign leaders about broadening U.N. authority in Iraq, even as a key commander said the Pentagon would extend the tours of war-weary U.S. troops to a full year to fight what has become a guerrilla war. Until now, the administration has sought to limit U.N. activities in Iraq to humanitarian relief and has sought assistance from other countries on a nation-by-nation basis. A U.S.

Lebanon agreed to allow U.N. peacekeepers to deploy along its border with Israel this week, the United Nations said Monday, after the last of Israeli encroachments across the frontier ended. Two months after Israel ended its 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan informed the Security Council late Monday that the long-sought U.N. peacekeeper deployment would take place Wednesday. He said the deployment by the U.N.

The U.N. Security Council approved sending an advance force of peacekeepers to Cambodia. The initial contingent is scheduled to go to the Southeast Asian country after an accord ending 13 years of civil war between a Hanoi-backed government and three guerrilla factions is signed next week.

Faced with mounting casualties and costs, the Bush administration said Wednesday that it was talking with foreign leaders about broadening U.N. authority in Iraq, even as a key commander said the Pentagon would extend the tours of war-weary U.S. troops to a full year to fight what has become a guerrilla war. Until now, the administration has sought to limit U.N. activities in Iraq to humanitarian relief and has sought assistance from other countries on a nation-by-nation basis. A U.S.

Stunned by the swift fall of Afghanistan's capital city, Pakistan appealed Tuesday for a quick withdrawal of the victorious Northern Alliance army and installation of a U.N.-sponsored peacekeeping force to fill the vacuum left by fleeing Taliban troops. "Pakistan holds the view that the Northern Alliance forces must not occupy Kabul," Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said.

Lebanon agreed to allow U.N. peacekeepers to deploy along its border with Israel this week, the United Nations said Monday, after the last of Israeli encroachments across the frontier ended. Two months after Israel ended its 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan informed the Security Council late Monday that the long-sought U.N. peacekeeper deployment would take place Wednesday. He said the deployment by the U.N.

After the bloody debacle in Somalia that led to withdrawal of American forces in March, the United Nations was not expected to take on a similar mission anytime soon. But on paper at least, the U.N. takeover from American troops in Haiti due to take place in a few months bears a troubling resemblance to the ill-fated succession in Africa. Nevertheless, analysts do not expect a repeat.

The U.N. Security Council approved sending an advance force of peacekeepers to Cambodia. The initial contingent is scheduled to go to the Southeast Asian country after an accord ending 13 years of civil war between a Hanoi-backed government and three guerrilla factions is signed next week.

It boggles the mind to listen to the Rambos supporting the President's policy for war who say that protesters are the ones hurting our troops. Huh? Iraq and Hussein were fully contained and a United Nations peacekeeping force could have been brought in to keep the containment, thus stopping the further "Hitler" takeover of other countries in the region. It was George Bush who sent our men and women into harm's way, not the people for peace. Hold up your hand. Is there blood on it? DOLLIE IRWIN Mothers For Peace of the Coachella Valley Banning

Stunned by the swift fall of Afghanistan's capital city, Pakistan appealed Tuesday for a quick withdrawal of the victorious Northern Alliance army and installation of a U.N.-sponsored peacekeeping force to fill the vacuum left by fleeing Taliban troops. "Pakistan holds the view that the Northern Alliance forces must not occupy Kabul," Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said.

A British soldier serving with the United Nations peacekeeping force was found shot to death in eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina. The unnamed soldier was discovered early in the morning in a military vehicle in Visegrad. He had suffered a single gunshot wound to the head. A military spokesman said that an investigation was underway and that no further details would be released until the soldier's next of kin had been informed.

Early in April, U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar will make a routine appointment. A Canadian will take command of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus, UNFICYP. Two years ago, unthinkable. Soviet opposition would have prevented an officer of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization from taking such a post. Today, not a murmur. Another sign that decades of Cold War have faded. Perhaps this time for good, or perhaps only for the moment, as in previous thaws.