THE IDF INCURSION and UNIFIL'S OPS

, - Cover Stories:THE IDF INCURSIONand UNIFIL'S OPSBRAN CH (Pages 10-12)o'.- ..•

An Dbservation Post at a Ghanaian position in the AD.It is the operationai task of UNIFIL to be on guard for peace In Lebanon,and therefore there is a strong link between the dailv DPS tunetions at theHeadquarters and the lads in the area of operations ..

itaHiEDITORU-Col. F.E.A. QUAYSONChief Military PublicInformation OfficerASSISTANT EDITORMaj. E.K. HOLTETDEPUTY CM PlOEDITORIAL ASSISTANTMs. J. TROUVEREPORTERWOI E ADIHPHOTOGRAPHERWOI T.Y. MUSAHCONTINGENT PRESSOFFICERSCAMP COMMANDCapt. M. O'BRIENFIJIBATTLt. K. KETECAFINBATTCapt. I. VIRTANENFRENCHLOGLt. T. BAUDGHANBATTLt. D. MENSAHIRISHBATTComdt D. M. BRACKENITALAIR1Ilt A. POlLiNOMP COYCapt. P.P. THAPANEPBATTMaj. R.B. VAYDIANORBATTCapt R. KRISTIANSENNORMAINTCOYCapt J. El VEMOSWEDLOGLt.J.R.HElENPRINTING DESIGNINGSERVICESY.M. MARKARIAN - BeirutFront Cover:The Chebaa and surroundings,part of the Norbatt area of operations(AO). This beautiful part ofwar-torn lebanon became thearena of increased activity relatedto UNIFil in May and June. Inearly May this area saw part of theIDF incursion through Norbatt.(Photo: PIO/NORBATT,Capt Rolf Kristiansen.The months of May and Junehave seen a number of changingfaces within UNIFil. We haveseen contingents rotating amongthemselves as well as staff officers.As a staff member andeditor of this magazine. I wouldalso like to inform our numerousreaders that a new staff train willbe taking over from us. On behalfof the Force Commander I wishto extend a very warm welcome tothe new arrivals and hope thatthey will have a successful tour inlebanon. To those who have leftand are also about to leave, I wishthem bon voyage and a successfulFROM THEFILEScareer wh-erever they may be going.To the new staff of LITANI, it isthe wish of those who are leavingthat you continue the publicationand inject more enthusiasm andinterest into the magazine in orderto satisfy the numerous readersand admirers who frequentlystampede the office in quest of informationand knowledge.On behalf of the outgoing staff,I take this opportunity to wish youall happy welcome and good'publication.Two years ago Maj-GenGustav Hagglund's predecessorU-Gen William Callaghan gave hisview on UNIFil after more thanfive years as Force Commander.Said the General to LITANI:"Peace-keeping is a mechanismwhich is used to enable peoplewho want to stop fighting to doso. A peace-keeping force enablesthe belligerents to retain facewhile they break off. The mainrole of a peace-keeping force is topolice the agreement. This poIicingrole is not a military role, but itdemands people who have professionaltraining, who haveLI-Gen William Callaghan, Ihe predecessor of Ihe now oUlgoing Force Commandersaid: "We are 10 enable people who wanilO SlOp fighling 10 do so".Ltlal([ 6/88 •The oulgoing CMPIO, LI ColF.E.A Quavson.discipline, patience and anunderstanding of what it takes tomake war. Only soldiers havethese attributes. Making war is asoldier's job, and making peace isthe direct opposite of that.Because of that contradiction,soldiers are the best peacekeepers,"said General Callaghan.LITANI went out from thedefinition given bY the lateSecretarY-(:Jeneral Dag Hammarskjold that "peace-keeping is nota Job for soldiers, but on ly soldierscan do it". The General's elaborationsuggests that the two eminentleaders had views whichwere perfectlyone another.in harmony withAsked about the casualties thatUNIFil had suffered in carryingout its task in South lebanon,and whether this is too high aprice to pay, General Callaghananswered that he considered thecasualties suffered in conflictsituations as most regrettable."But in any operation of peacekeepingthere are attendant risks.Dur losses, therefore, must beviewed in the con text of the situationin lebanon", said the formerForce Commander, U-GenWilliam Callaghan. He emphasizedthat the acceptance ofcasualties by the various contingentsand the troopcontributingcountriesdemonstrates their commitmentto peace-keeping and, to a greaterextent, to peace in lebanon. Tohim, as Force Commander, such acommitment had been very encouraging,'~hesaid to LITANI inApril, 1986.

.Lt·~6188FOCUSONThe Ghana Engineer Company, one of the two UNIFIL engineer supportunits was established in 1984 with the strength of three officersand 57 men. The strength was increased to a company which operatedunder Camp Command, Naqoura. It was later moved to Kafr Dunin(8-1). Presently, the company is co-Iocated with Swedlog Coy atJwayya (8-46).cond line engineer supportTheto company all battalions provides serving se­with UNIFIL including UNIFIL HO.Specific jobs that the companyundertakes include prefab construction,maintenance of existingprefabs, construction of rubbhalls, construction of cesspittanks, building of generatorhouses and minor civil constructions.The company also undertakesthe installation of plumbingfacilities, construction andmaintenance of sewage systemsand installation of electrical fittingsto prefabs. The company attimes assists in the improvementof field defences. Jobs are assigneuto the company by the ChiefEngineer Officer (CEO).ORGANISATJONThe company is under the CEOfor operational and technical control.Administratively, the companycomes under Ghanbatt. Theunit is presently organised into acompany headquarters and twoplatoons of three officers and 56men. The company is made up ofmostly tradesmen i.e. electricians,plumbers, masons, carpenters,steel benders, surveyors/Topodraughtsmen just to mention afew. The company is under thecommand of Captain MusahBrimah and Captain Victor Akladzias second in command.There is a detachment locatedin Naqoura. This detachmentcomprising one officer and sixmen of various grades i.e. electriciancarpenters, masons etc. isresponsible for the provision ofengineer support to units in CampCommand. At UNIFIL HO, thecompany occupied itself mainlywith construction of prefabs.Nepbatt AO also benefitted fromcompanyareas of constructionalworks including improvement offield defences, repair of plumbingworks and construction ofprefabs. Jwayya Camp which wasnothing more than a section posthas now been given a face-lift tomerit a company location.Capt Musah. DC Ghana Engineer Company. 'directing his men at a constructiona/ slie.c:::I41Here the line must be drawnbetween the General ServicesSection and the Engineer company.The role and task of theGeneral Seryices Section do notconclusively extend to the Iarea ofo\perations. This implies that theconstruction of a greater numberI

Lttalf[ 6/88.of projects in the field is undertakenby the Engineer companyinstead of General Services.General Services concentrate itsactivities in the HO Naqoura.Once again, the Engineer detachmentin Naqoura undertakes theconstruction of prefabs etc asstated in previous paragraphs.It is important at this juncture tomention the Swed Eng Coy. Thisunit which is co-Iocated with theGhana Engineer Company assiststhe latter with the provision ofsophisticated engineeringmachinery to enable the unit performefficiently. It must be realisedthat stores and other generalitems required for the execution ofjobs are provided by the Swedlogunit based in Naqoura. The requisitionand provision of allengineering stores are controlledby the Chief Engineer's Office atthe headquarters.Thus, the approvals for worksincluding the initiating of newones are in the main the responsibilityof this office. Ghanaengineers, therefore has a responsibilityto and respond directly tothe CEO.A team from Ghana Engineer Company attached to UNIFIL HO, working on a prefab.IN THE FIELDApart from the detachment inNaqoura, there is an Engineer Platoonattached to Ghanbatt. Eventhough Ghana Engineer Companyhas no authority over thisunit, a liaison has beenestablished which enables goodco-operation and enhances overallefficiency of the platoon.Since the arrival of the companyin Nov. 1987, the companyhas worked in FMR, Nepbatt AO,NMC, Tyre Barracks/Log base,UNIFIL HO, Ghanbatt, Jwayyaand HumanitarianSILA.Projects at'In FMR, they undertook theconstruction of generator house,kitchen, prefabs, cesspit tank,erection of water tanks and solarsystem, laying of sewage pipes,erection of ablution units, constructionof concrete base for coldrooms and OP tower plus otherminor constructional works.The company has been able toaccomplish satisfactorily jobsassigned them. It is therefore envisagedthat in future more constructionaljobs like constructionof cesspit, rubb hall bases etc willbe undertaken by the company tojustify its existence as an engineercompany.Ghana engineers worklng on a prefab.Capt Musah BraimahOC1 , 5c:::J

• Ltalti 6/88GHANAARMYCHIEFVISITSUNIFILThe Ghanaian Army Commander,Maj-Gen W.M. Mensah­Wood, who is also a member ofthe Provisional National DefenceCouncil (PNDC) of Ghana visitedUNIF1L from 8th to 12th May1988.During the visit, the Army Chiefhad a working session with theForce Commander, MaJ-GenGustav Hagglund and toured theGhanbatt area of 'operations withå courtesy call on Nepbatt wherehe had fruitful discussion with theCommanding Officer, Lt ColChiniya Behadur Basnyat.The Force Commander Ileft!, Mai-Gen Gusljiv Hagglund, discussing a POinl wilh Ihe Ghana/an Armv Commander. MajGen W.M. Mensah-Wood silting nghl. IPholO· WOI T. y Musah, press PholOgrapher LITANI)The Army Chief has sincereturned home to Ghana.CJ6 (

.6.'talti· 6/88 •Commander, Maj-GenJASAL Gustav Hagglund, MARUN: Force in anunofficial manner started biddingfarewell to units in the AO. In oneof such visits to the soldiers ofFinbatt before heading for Finlandin June. the Force Commanderremarked: "I feel a little badbecause I haven't visited Finbattfor sometime now. The last time Idid was in Christmas. However, Iaddress my priorities rathertowards troubled areas thanpeaceful ones like Finbatt. Thisproves that your AO has not manyproblems asothers" saidcomparedthe ForcewithCommander.During the visit to Finbatt, theFC Maj-Gen Hagglund inspectedthirteen positions in one and a halfdays. It was a tight schedule, butthe visit was very pleasant andworthwhile. He was hosted by theCO Finbatt Col. H. Paronen andhis deputy, Lt Col. J. Pollanen .On the visit, Force Commandertook the opportunity to meet LtGen Essemann, Commander-in­Chief of the Danish Armed Forcesfor a brief discussion at Posn 9-40.The C-in-C paid a visit to hisDanish countrymen serving withUNTSO.WOIII J JUONALA Force Commander ha ving a char with the men at Position 9-50. Behind him from left to right: Col H. Paronen, CO Flnbatt,Plå FINBATT. Sr Lt M. Ahopetio and Mai T Haikanen, OC B COvAssistance to the people:New School for Lebanese ChildrenSRIFA: Finbatt builds a newschool for the Lebanese. In atown of 6,000 inhabitants nearSrifa a building project has beenlaunched for the benefit of thelocal people. New school forabout a hundred pupils is expectedto be ready in autumn.- "The aim of the project is tobuild a complete school with allthe necessary equipment, readyfor the teachers and pupils beforethe next academic year. Funds forthe project is being provided bythe Finnish Foreign Ministry fundsfor developing countries," explainsCaptain Timo Lahtinen, intelligenceofficer from Finbatt.The task for the construction ofthe school was given to Sgt ArtoHuovinen, foreman and supervisorof the building project. Thisis what he had to say:"This job was given to me tocomplete my last four months ofservice. Floor area of the schoolwill be about 200 square meters.There will be three c1assroom. UNcolours will be pretty well visiblewhen the school is ready, becausethe prefabricated elements arewhite", Sgt Huovinen says.In Srifa area, there is a definiteneed for a school for the educationof young people between theages of 16 and 18. The new schoolwill serve all the people livingwithin ten kilometres of theschool. Teachers will be recruitedlocally, but everything from chalkto desks will be supplied byFinland.Estimated costs of the projectwill be about 150,000 US-dollars.WOIII J. JUONALAPlO FINBATT

• Lttalti 6/88FOCUS ON FIELD LIAISONTEAMSthrough but UNFIIL hasThegone yearthrough is bare'lya half-way lot of"plastie surgery" to change itscomplexion and outlook. As ourinterim force whose mandate hasbeen extended continuously forten years UNIFIL has had to improvise,albeit on an ad hoc basis,to fill in gaps and loopholes lthatits "impermanent'· nature mayhave created. Such "cosmestic"change came in the tormationof the Field Liaison Teams toreplace OGL personnei who werewithdrawn from certain parts ofthe UNIFIL AO on the wake of thekidnapping of the COGL Lt ColHiggins in February this year.There are currently two teamsoperating in the AO - FieldLiaison Team NO.1 located atNepbatt HO and responsible forNepbatt and Irishbatt AOs andField Liaison Team No.2 locatedat Ghanbatt HO and responsiblefor Fijibatt, Finbatt and GhanbattAOs respectively.Due to lack of personnei theteams were drawn up from personneifrom the Ops Branchwhilst the withdrawn OGL personneifilled in the positionsvacated by the officers in the OpsBranch.The teams are under the commandand control of the DCOSLiaison with a Team Coordinatorappointed by him to serve as anormal point of contact betweenthe teams Liaison Branch andUNIFIL HO.The missions assigned to theField Liaison Teams are to:a. Provide another agency toassist battalions in the investigationof incidents within the battalionAOs.b. Assist newly rotated battalionsbecome familiar with theirAG,c. Assist newly rotated battalionsbecome familiar withUNIFIL SOPs, especially in operational,liaison and reportingsystems.d. Establish and maintain contactswith local Lebaneseauthorities (Mukhtars, Sheiksetc.) Lebanese Army, Gendarmerielocated in battalion AOs,and local security organisations.Deputv Chief of Staff Liaison, Col. J. KeI/v, at his desk in UNIFIL HO. The head of the Liaison Branch is in charge of avery important job of contact and communication.(Photo: WO// ISAAC OKYEREILITANI: Press Photographerle . Arrange and record meetingsas requested by battalions orLiaison Branch. Copies of allreports or minutes are to be forwardedto Liaison Branch throughbattalion headquarters.These missions may be initiatedby the battalions, by LiaisonBranch or by teams themselves.Teams are also required to work inclose cooperation and coordinationwith the battalion co m­manders and staffs in their assignedareas.A quick glanee at the role ormissions assigned to the Teamswill reveal that they are differentfrom that of the OGL before them.What then makes the Field LiaisonTeams different from the OGLTeams?There are two basic differencesthat this writer can discern from acomparison of the modus operandiof the two different organisations.Thefirst lies in the composition:The Field Liaison Teams aredrawn from nationals of the battalionsin whose area theyoperate.Perhaps with the Iteamscomposed as of now the battalionssee themselves as beingwell represented and are nowmore eager to cooperate.The second and perhaps mostsignificant difference is thatwhereas the UNMOs of OGL goabout unarmed the Field LiaisonTeams are armed and can alsooperate with armed escorts. Thisis to give them ameasureof self-protectionThere are other differencesthat can be added but these twoare perhaps the most significant.Since the tsams started operationson the 21st March all has notbesn rosy. There was the initialscepticism from all quarters bot hfrom within and without UNIFIL.However, with time the teamshave come to be accepted by thelocal population who are willing tocooperate directly or indirectlywith them. Field Liaison TeamN02. for instanee was involved indelicate negotiations to cooltempers following a traffic acci-dent at Jwayya on 22nd April involvinga UNIFIL vehicle and localLebanese vehicle in which oneprominent local religious leaderlost his life. That no serious incidentshave occurred to datepoint to the success of the missionof the Field Liaison TeamNO.2 in that delicate and potentially,explosive situation.Despite the many pluses thatcan be assigned to the FieldLiaison Team the future is still notclear.alse well The justified Operations In wanting Branch back istheir staff officers who had wellsettled into their jobs. At thetime of going to press the debatestill goes on with no light at theend of that lang and dark tunnel.CAPT B.F. KUSIField Liaison Team No.2

Norway's National Day17 May - was celebratedN orway's traditionally National in Norbatt, Day ­Normaintcoy and at the UNIFILHeadquarters at Naqoura. Nearly200 guests enjoyed the pleasantNorwegian night at the Officers'Club of the HO, where part of thecelebration took place. Alreadyfrom the morning the programmeproceeded smoothly with brunchon the patio of Norway House, attendedby Norwegian soldiersandfamilies, their children beautifullydressed for the occasion and allcarrying flags and rosettes in nationalcolours.At eleven in the morning theNorwegian Contingent Commander,UNIFIL's chief of Staff,Brig Gen Trond Furuhovde, laid awreath on the remembrancemonument of Norwegian soldierswho sacrificed their lives in theservice of UNIFIL.In Norbatt HO at Ebel es Saqithe celebration was equally eventfuland joyous, with more than200 children from the entire Norbattarea of operations partakingin games, dances and children'sparty.joIn the Norwegian MaintenanceCompany special games were arrangedfor the children of Tibnine.Usually there are about 250children in Tibnine, but becausethe last day of the Ramadan happenedto be the day before, therewere a lot more people presentand about 500 boys and girls participatedin Normaintcoy's arrangement!The company vehicles collectedthe children in Tibnine andbrought them to the camp namedScorpion. 8.efore this, thechaplain made a short speech atthe Tibnine market place. One ofthe civilians working in the camptranslated the speech into Arabic.In the afternoon there was arrangeda ski-jump competitionwith costumes. And when darknessfell on the camp at nightthere was a barbecue party for 160Norwegians living in the campThe Norwegian conlingem commander, UNIFIL COS, Srig Gen Trond Furuhovde al his remembrance address In fronlof Ihe Norwegian monumenl in Naqoura. Slanding lO aileniion wilh Ihe wrealh Iright! is SOA 10 COS, Mai SleinAarnes IPholO: Sgl Enok Olsen!.Being away from our nativecountry on our National Day theNorwegians in Lebanon are arousedwith rather special feelings.Warm thoughts are sent fromyoung fathers in Lebanon to thosesmall ones at home and the oldgrandfather is thinking of his wifeand the small grandchildren. Onsuch a day everyone's heart is inNorway. Norwegians are luckybecause they live in a countrywhere peace has lasted for morethan 40 years. We are sendingmany thoughts to the people ofLebanon who have not experiencedpeace for the last 10-15 years.Compiled by Capt J. Etvemo(PlO! NMCI andMaj E.K. HoLtet, D!CMPIO.The children from Ihe Tibnine area parlicipaled in Ihe Norwegian programmeIhroughoullhe Nalional Gav. More'lhan 500 were mside Ihe camp of Normail71­covon Ihe 171hof Mav. IPholo: Capl J. Elvemol.

• Lttalti 6188Media attention at UNIFIL OPS:COVER STORTUNIFIL OPSIDF's Sweep OperationMonday 2 May: The Israeliarmy (I0F) initiated a large scalesweep and search operation North of the Norbatt area.In the OPS room of UNIFil there was a hectic monitoring,as the situation developed. Already in the afternoon hints ofthe Israeli incursion into Southern labanen were coming toUNIFil OPS but at that time the IOF operation was stilliargelyunknown, said Major Jan Kristensen, Oeputy Senior Ops Officerto L1TAN!.Israel was succeeded by anTheofficial press Israeli "Ieakage" statement fromlater in the evening, saying thatthe operation was well under wayand referrrng to it as a sweepoperation to secure the control ofareas after a number of infiltrationattempts at the Israeli border inthe foregoing week. More than1500 IOF soldiers moved in. Andas usual the "nerve centre" inUNIFIL monitoring, the fundamentalbody for decisionmakinginside the peace-keepingforces, was the OPS Branch,headed by the ACOS/OPS, ColBernard Peltier from France.- Whatever happens, the OPSroom and the branch is always atthe centre of events, makingevery effort feasible to achiveresults in accordance with theUnited Nations UNIFIL mandate,said Peltier in an interview withLITANI. What is the course of actionwhen things like the "May incursion"occurs? MajorKristensen, an experienced OPSofficer from Norway, explained:- Normally we are informedthrough UNIFIL channeis. For instance,the duty officer of Norbattdespatches briefs and the same isof course being done at every battalion headquarters. Specialevents will attract speical attention- and sometimes there aredevelopments which have to beacted upon.The log book in the OPS roomat UNIFIL Headquarters reads amassive lot on developments inthe Area of Operations (AO) on adaily basis.From 3 May, the day after theIsraeli incursion, the generalassessment read: "Ca1m. Tense inNorbatt".A special assessment went asfollows: "The operation is assessedas a sweep and search of areasNorth of Norbatt AO ... There isalso reported rounding up ofyoung men in villages of Chebaaand Hebbariya in Norbatt AO andin Kfar Chouba immediatelySouth of Norbatt AO. Norbatt ismonitoring developments. TheOperation is still continuing at theend of reporting period at 0500".On 5 May the generalassessment was also: "Calm buttense in Norbatt area". On 6 May,however: "Ca1m". Thewithdrawal of IOF/OFF troopshad begun.Text: O/CMPIOMaj Einar HoltetDeputv Senior Operations Officer, Maj Jan Kristensen and signal man R. Lynch receiving hot news from the Area of Operations. iPhoto: , WOt T. y. MusahJ.

OVER STORTOPSl I The Search for Higgins a Difficult Challenge:.l.!ttal([ 3188•The ACOSIOPS, Co/ Bernard Pe/tier visiting the HO ol Force Mobile Reserve IFMR!. To the right, Co/ Pe/tier, the tap man at UN/F/Ls OPS Branch.volved with the battalions,Sometimes and there we is team-work are tightly in­allover. The field aspect of UNIFILoperations is essential, says ColBernard Peltier, the UNIFIl: AssistantChief of Staff/Operations(ACOS/OPS) to LITANI. Hismost difficult professionalchallenge up to the time when thisinterview took place in his office,was the abduction of the USMarine Lt Col William Higgins.This offered immense operationaltask.It is our duty to do what wecould to find him and in factwe conducted a military operationof large sea/e. But so far the Chiefof Observer Group Lebanon hasnot been found.Anyway, has UNIFIL done all thatwas actually possible? Yes, and inhigh spirit. The operation lastedmore than one week, with UNpersonnei from different battalionssealing off certain areas,patrolling and controlling wideareas. - Apart from the Higginssearch operation, what is yourgeneral view of UNIFILachievements? With all thesacrifices we must be permitted tosay it is a pretty good job, notleast in preventing the local peoplefrom suffering more from theatrocities in lebanon. However,as I look at it, we have a veryheavy responsibility when itcomes to UNIFll's person nei aswell. The security of UN personneihas always been a basic considerationin UNIFil operations';said Peltier.I( And he concludes:Thank God we have had nocasualties in UNIFil action since Iarrived here. We must keep alert.For even if it seems calm now, thesituation in lebanon is far fromstable and atrocities or militaryconflicts may flare up any time."Colonel Bernhard Peltier hashad the overall responsibility foroperations since he arrived in theheadquarters in October last yearand took up duty as ACOS/OPS.In this position, as "command ingofficer" of the main body withinthe operational UNIFil, he hasbenefited vastly from his previousduties and experiences. He hasserved as officer in several areasabroad, such as Algeria (twice),Madagascar, Saudi Arabia,Berlin, Strasbourg.I have had to learn the realvalues of team-work, he says. InUNIFil there is, as a matter ofsecurity, very good teamwork betweenOPS and other branches.The OPS branch is the main body,but we could not do muchwithout a close cooperation withothers, the battalions in particular.This is crucial for us, bot hpersonnel-wise and when itcomes to UNIFllobligations assuch l'says Col Peltier .Interview:D/CMPIOMaj. E. HOLTETCol Peltier: -Security First!In CJ

The IINerve-Center"that Never SleepsSenior Operalions Officer,L [ Co!.McMahon in his office al UNIFIL HO.The UNIFIL "nerve center" is the current Ops, a well equipped unitwhich takes care of the continuous contact with the units. Here, at theheart of UNIFIL, is the ane place within the peace-keeping force which atany given time is to have a comprehensive overall picture of the situation inthe entire Area of Operation.Just a glance inside during hectic hours of heated events will convinceyou that the saying about the OPS branch is true: - It's really alive! Theselads are in contra!. The man in charge is Lt col G.McMahon, Ireland.much more than the OPS regards to all helicopter flights.TheCenter. BranchWorklngitself comprisesIn close ThecloseOPScontactalso maintainswith OPSawithverycooperation with the current OPS close cooperation with Observeris the Siqnals\ Office, headed by Group Lebanon (OGU and theirU-Col P. Coughlan, also from observer teams.Ireland. The cell is responsible forall operational communications.From Italair four officers makeup the Air Staff headed by Maj A.Caltabiano. The office stays inC]12 (Three officers make up thePlans office. which takes care ofevacuation plans, redeployment,the SOp, and is headed byLt Col G. Kadavulevu of Fiji.Seven men work in the MIO cell,the Military Information cell,The duty officer of the M 10 cellgives a daily briefing at the OPSmorning brief, and stays in regulartouch wlth the military informationofficers in the battalions,coming together once a month fora SMIO conference. The SeniorMilltary Information Officer is LtCol M. Rigot from France.Respansible for the entire OPSBranch is the Assistant Chief ofStaff Operations, Col BernardPeltier (see interviewl. Col Peltieris from France. Obviøosly he andhis deputy, Lt Col J. Haikio fromFinland are in continuous touchwith all parts of operations, He isalso responsible for the daily'oPSmorning brief at the UNifil head-I quarters.The Headquarters of UNIFilmight be quiet and apparentlyabandoned at nighttime and duringweekends. But don 't bemistaken - there are always anumber of men on duty at variousleveis. At the OPS Branch manypeople are on duty around theclock, with a Force Duty Officeron top of the command ladderbelow the Force Commanderhimself, The Operations Branchthus constitutes a vital part ofUNIFil ar:ld its operations in thefield.

Humanitarian workimproves relationsThis is not on ly to give ahand to needy people in "our"UNIFIL area. I should think it's areasonable means whereby wemay be entrusted with the eonfideneeand friendship of Lebanon.So says Lt.Col Tor Planting ofFinland, a Liaison Offieer withUNIFIL sinee January 1987 andalready an experieneed aid workerin the area. Humanitarian workcan improve relations;'is Col Planting'sfirm belief and he wants toput it into effeet through personaleommitment. He has sueeeeded.Since his arrival a shipment of5000 kilos of clothes has beendistributed among poor andneedy people in nearly all battalions'area of operations. A totalof US $5000 worth of medicineshave been provided likewise anddistributed in a perfectly controiledmanner. And some weeks backthe energetic liaison officer - allof a suden - came up with about600 kilos of toysLebanese children.for smallCertainly you must havenoticed the many small boys playingwith plastic guns, as if thiswere the best and most appropriatetoy for children in thiscountry. What we did was to givesome of them new and differenttoys. They got more peacefulthings to play with, while wegently received their plasticmachine guns in return:'said TorPlanting in ann interview withLITANI.MACHINE GUN"OBS ESS ION""The machine gun toys refleetgenerations' attitudes. PersonallyI am convinced that it is no coineideneethat this type of toys havehad such a widespread distributionand success in this country.For small children the plasticmachine gun has been a highlyvaluable and welcome present toreceive. We want to turn the tideand make the boys of Lebanonwant to have other interests aswell. The machine gun obsessionhas to be replaced somehow,"saidCol Plantlng's "friendship fam/Iv" who w/J!be looked after also in the future ­This /s a tvpe of work which I feel is reallv personaliv reward/ng savs Planting.Col Planting.By gentie cooperation he hasbeen able over time to attraet people'sinterest and their keen collaboration.his pragmatic way. "Andremember, when we help the RedCross, we will help many.Besides, this way we can workhand in hand with Lebanon also inthe humanitarian field~'Mr. Akeel and his fam/Iv receiving food from Lt. Col Tor Planting and Mr HassanSiklawi.IFRIENDSHIP FAMILÆSThe capital needed is notsomething which we may receivefrom generous Finnish foreign aidbudgets:'said Planting. For myparticular purpose I have had tomobilise myh "beggar bowl" inwhich some fine Finnish peoplehave chosen to Dut some surplusmoney. But altogether this comesto small - however very profitableinvestment. Right now anew programme is initiated:Friendship families in Lebanonfor families in Finland~'FOR THE RED CROSSAmong the institutions now findingthemselves in receipt of ColPlanting's "coins in the beggarbowl" is the Lebanese Red Cross,an institution which is alwaysworking hard for people. li Theyneed much help~)Planting said inENJOYABLEllit is really enjoyable~he conc1uded.{(I feellike having such asplendid opportunity to get closerto the wonderful Lebanese people.And it pleases me to see thatour small effort gives results.Naturally this type of thing isspecially suited for liaison peoplelike me to carry out. Our contact iswith the people, and things in thehumanitarian line come almostautomatically. But I think thereare ample opportunities for manyothers as well, and many a goodproject is definitely carried out inthe battalions. There is a lot ofgood examples, and it's a pity thatso many of them seem to golargely unnoticed:'saidPlanting.Lt.Col TorMaj E.K. HoltetD/CMPIO113D

• .&:talti 6/8827-28 Jan 88. A/COS Log and Log/stics Staff paid a two-day inspection v/sit to Ghbau Capt Gbevlo-Lartey (in cap) OC Charlie Company explains a poinr to the team/8 Dec 87.Change of command atG'hanbatt AOIU-Col Nguah (leftJCO Ghanbatt29 says "weli done" to U-Col Okae CO Ghanbatt 2824 February /988. Ghanbatt vehic/e ran inro AE's ambush. Major Aryiku (second froright) 2/C Ghanbatt pays a visit to Cpl Amankwaah in hospital at Swedmed Cov20 march /988. The new Ghanaian Conringenr Commander Col RB Comme ypaid maiden visit to Ghanbatt AO Capt Osumanu 2/C Bravo Company explainsa poinr to the commander at posn 8-48.28 Mar 88. The FC Maj-Gen Gustav Hagglund v/sited Ghanbatt. The FC at Alpha Heaquarters.

Lt'talti- 6188 •IFCtakes the salute.U-CalDankoh IrtdJinspects a Guard of Hanour commanded by Mai Owusu-Ababia,GG HO Goy.Reviews the parade.A culruralDisplay by the GA Groupl A kan Group13April 1988. Ghanbatt won the UNIFIL Soccer Championship trophy at theInter-Cantingent Soccer Competition held at Irishbatt.Mr Garnapas inspects a Ouarter Guard maunted by a detachment of the HO Gay.Campiled by MAJ. J.K. AGBOTSE (PlO GhanbattJ

• Lttaltt' 6/88FORCE COMMANDER INSPECTION TOUROF UNITS AND DEPARTMENTS IN THEAOS AND UNIFIL HQ.For the second time in the year the Force Commander Maj.Gen Gustav Hagglund conducted an inspection tour of units and departments in the AOs and UNIFIL Hq.We bring to readers pictures of the FC's activities at the AG' s----25 Apnl, 1988 FC inspects Swedlog. At ane of the centry posts the FC inspectsa rifle belanging to ane of the soldiero-.On 27 Apnl, 1988, the FC vlsited Fijibatt. He is seen inspecting a quarterguard formed bV Fijibatt Hq.At Force Mobile Reserve IFMR) 2 Mav, 1988 the FC was given a demonstra·tion drive on an armoured car. With him right is the CO, FMR, Lt. Col H.O' Connor Left is the 2i/C Mai L.A. D. Norman va.On 6 Mav, 1988, the FC paid an inspection rour of the MP Cov. Pictureshows FC inspecting personnei of the COV.FC discussing a point in an Irish position during hls visit ro Inshbalt AG. The FC inspectlng the Frensh Defence plaroon0161,-- l

AI Ilalair Ihe CO Li. Col A. Ome11o explains a poinl 10 Ihe FC The heli above demonsIrales how a casuallV can be evacualed from a place which is inaccessiblela vehiclesFe INSPECTS NEPBATTwelcome FC after the occupa­is the of tradition AO by the of Nepban new bat­to Itiontalion. This time the new banalionknown as DEVIDUTT honouredthe Force Commander Maj GenGustav Hagglund. DEVIDUTTfeels proud to be in UNIFIL for thesecond time.The visit of the Force Comstartedwith the introduction ofthe officers present in the battalionheadquarters. The ForceCommander was presented withthe Guard of Honour in NepbattHO. After the inspection of differentquarters and stores of thebattalion, CO f Devidutt ... Lt. ColChiniya BDR Basnyat,briefed theForce Commander on theorganisational, operational andadministrative functions of thebattalion and was followed by NIOMaj. R.B. Vaidya and Maj. PawanPandey respectively. When thebriefing was over, the Force Commandertoured the followingposns 5-4, 5-7, 5-128, 5-15,5-30,5-27 and 5-18. During his inspectionForce Commander discussedthe operational readiness of eachpost. At the same time he discussedthe problems facing the variousOn 12 Apnl, 1988, Ihe FC visiled Nepba11 /5-18J O Company. He was conducled round by CO of Nepball L1.Col C.B.Basnyal.positions. During his visit respec- Gustav Hagglund expressed histive Coy Commanders were also great satisfaction towards profespresent.The Force Commander siGnal approach and high moraletook off from Tibnin for 5-18 D of Nepbatt XIV. Also he wished allCoy HO as programmed earlier. the Nepbatt members a happyand successful stav in South Leb­anon.At 5-18 he inspected with keen interest.Lunch was served after theinspection .... Nepbatt XIV feels very muchAt the end of the VISIt, Maj Gen honoured by the FC's· visit andvery much thankful for spendinghis valuable time inspite of hisheavy schedule. This is an inspirationgiven to all ranks and for hiscommendation for good work.Maj. R.B. Vaidya. PlO NEPBA TT)17C]

.Li~6/88fIt/~/t/f€/~/?t/i1t./-w-/-%./~/~/ ~ ISportijQ%J)Finbalts danger man No4 smashes a ball which was blocked by lwo forward players of Nepbalt. nis was during one of lhe exciling momems ofCHAMPIONSlhe malch.INVOLLEYBALLAftar a gruelIing and energy exhaustingvolley ball match betweenNepbatt and Finbatt at Nepbattvolley ball pitch on Wednesday4 May, 1988, Finbatt beatNepbatt· by three games to one toemerge the 1988 champions of theUNIFIL inter continental volleyball competition. Nepbatt won thefirst game by 15 points to Finbatt7. However in the second, thirdand fourth encounter Finbatt wonby 15-12, 17-15 and 18-16.It was indeed a tough and closebattle, but since in a game of thisnature one should win, by allmeans one has to bow to the betterside.In the first game Finbatt wonthe toss and Nepbatt took the firstservice and without much a-doshot ahead by 6 points toFinbatt's nil. Nepbatt quicklycapitalised on this early lead andmade light work of Finbatt bybeating them 15 points toFinbatt's7.In the second encounter Finbattawoke from the slumber and provedthat she is a force to berespected. Both teams foughtneck to neck for a time when suddenlyFinbatt pull ing all the tricksand tactics under their sleeveswent ahead from 12 points to beatNepbatt 15-10.The third and the fourth gamewas full of tension and excitement.With each team having onegame advantage both teams weredetermined to edge each otherout. They both have the fightingspirit and the ability to locate a100pt1OIe and strike. Besideshaving a balanced stri king powerboth teams could dribble, blockexpertly and baffle opponentsbefore smashing a ball. Theweakness in the Nepbatt teamhowever is the tendency at timesof creating a vacuum at the rear ormidfield. This Finbattcapitalisedon and consequently accountedfor the defeat of Nepbatt.In the third game Nepbatt in thefirst three minutes led Finbatf by3-0. Finbatt levelled up at 3-3 butwas over taken again by Nepbatt7-3. Finbatt levelled up a 7-7, andwent ahead of Nepbatt 8-7. Fromhere the game became a dingdongbattle. At 15-15 Finbatt finallyhad the edge over Nepbatt bybeating Nepbatt 16-15.The fourth game which wasequally energy exhausting andtension-packed was also keenlycontested and was again won byFinbatt at 18 points to Nepbatt's16.On the whole the match wasveryexciting and entertaining.Both teams understand the gameand did really show that volleyball is as entertaining as any othergame. But perhaps the greatercredit must go to the GhanaianUmpire WOI Joseph Huze whoexpertly handled the game to theadmiration of both the players andthe spectators.WOI E. ADIHLITANI REPORTERPhotograph byWOI TY MUSAH,LITANI Photographerc::JIRlI

!tI~tf!f€t~Jj;!i$i!~!~!Iff/~! ~!SportsyQ9Y)GHANBATT WHIPPEDBYFIJIBATTfrom UNIFIL arena FijibattSince has the slowly exit but of Senbatt surelyestablished itself as master inbasket ball. This assertion hasbeen confirmed when theyhumiliated Ghanbatt on theirown grounds befare their supportersin the finals of UNIFIL intercontingent basket ball competitions.The weather that forenoon was appropriate for bot hteams and the spectators. Ghanbattfirst appeared on the pitchand by their warm up exercisesone could see that they weredetermined to win the match at allcosts. Fijibatt on the at her handlooked relaxed and took thingseasy as if to say that victory was aforegane conclusion. The matchbegan with Ghanbatt bringing thefight to Fijibatt. They were fast,crisp and slippery in the initialstages of the match and it cameas no surprise when theyregistered the first basket and ledby 4-0 after five minutes of play.Ghanbatt continued hunting formore baskets but could notpenetrate the Fijibatt defence toregister the needed points. Fijibatttook things easy and allowedGhanbatt to exhaust itselfbefare switching on the fire workson Ghanbatt.Meanwhile Ghanbatt wasleading by 10 plants to Fiji 5. Atthe fifteenth min ute of the matchFijibatt levelled up matters andwas running neck to neck withGhanbatt with the scores at Ghanbatt10 Fijibatt 10. Ghanbatt sensingdanger quickly made a changebut this could not hault theonslaught of Fijibatt and it was nowonder that at the end of the firsthalf Fijibatt beat" Ghanbatt by 15baskets to 10.Boldened by this first victory,Fijibatt resumed the second halfwith vim and vigour. Ghanbatt onthe other hand with their defeatcame back in the second halfresolved to win the second matchand quickly led by a baskets to Fijinil. This early lead however couldnot last lang. Fijibatt quicklylevelled up matters and led by 9baskets to 4. At this stage Fijibattbecame master of the pitch andcould do anything with the ball.The height advantage and therobust structure of the Fijianscompletely dwarfed theGhanaians, and the only thing theGhanbatt players could do was tobe effective at the midfield. TheFijians adopted a strategy ofbuilding a stalwart defencearound their net which did not onlyImake\ it impossible for theGhanaians to score but also madethem to commit many faultswhich cost the m dearly. Try asthey did the Ghanbatt team couldnot get a balanced posture andwere beaten by 26 baskets to 12.Final scores were Fijibatt 41 Ghanbatt22.Text: WOI E. ADIHLITANI REPORTER-:"\'-- -.----'----~/....~.A Ghanbatt plaver is about to throw the ball into the net while a Fijian plaver checks him from scoring.

• -"'ta," 6/88LibraryThepowerful communicationcentre UNIFIL of knowledge HO Library and is aentertainment. From the initiativeof Col. R.B. ' Commey, the thenCMPIO and the current DeputyChief of Staff A & P and alsoGhanaian Contingent Commander,the seed of UNIFILlibrary was sown in 1980.The first stock of 1,000 bookswas purchased to lay a firm foundationfor the growth of thelibrary. From such humble beginningthe library continued to growbigger and richer with additionalinteresting and educative books,periodicals and other relatedmaterials in French and English.The library now has a video sectionwhich has a sizeable numberof video cassette tapes coveringadventure, action, war, espionage,suspense, horror,Western, musical, erotic, comedy,etc. It is interesting to notethat this section of the library isheavily patronised by a majority ofHO staff officers as well as thecivilian staff. It is also importantto mention that theReference and Periodicals sectionsare richly stocked with quickreference material, periodicals andnewspapers ideal for a mediumsizelibrary serving a cross-sectionof the population in UNIFIL:civilian and military alike.There is enough accommodationin the ante-room with aseating capacity for twentyreaders at a time.Since the inception of thelibrary the clientele has increasedtremendously with the Irish at theforefront followed by the Frenchand Fijians.The purpose of the UNIFILlibrary is to provide access torecorded information and ideas tobot h UN servicemen on peacekeepingoperations in SouthernLebanon.As a communication mediumthe library has a tremendous roleto play in developing militarystrategies capable of breakingwith old methods as knowledgecontinues to change rapidly.D201Miss Mary Roth of Finanee SectionIt is appropriate to reiterate thatin the provision of militaryknowledge the library plays a uniquerole in the moulding of servicemento improve and developtheir skilis and promote innovationin military activities.The library should therefore notbe seen or regarded as a mereplace of relaxation but should beseen as an investment in personneiand community developmentsince without its services it willhardly be possible to get full valuefrom a vastly greater investmentin military education and researchprogrammes.Not only does the UNIFILlibrary serve soldiers with its richstock of books, periodicals,newspapers, films, etc. but it alsobrings servicemen in the peacekeepingarea to explore, discoverand share together the wisdomand experience accumulated inbooks and other related materials.in UNIFIL HO dona ting books to the library.With the continuous increase instock, the UNIFIL HO library willbe doing all that it can to eliminatethe boredom that peace-keepingentails.As an outgoing librarian I wishto seize this opportunity to renderon behalf of the CM PlO, U.Col.Ouayson, and on my own behalfsincere thanks to the following fortheir personal donation of booksto the UNIFIL library to augmentthe stock:- Miss Mary Roth - FinanceSectionComdt. Schappascher ­Logistics Branch- Capt. Hynes - OM Sect.- C/Ch Howard Philips - Fr.OPS Room- C.Ch Nicolas -.Fr. Def. CoyI wish also to pat the shouldersof the following servicemen fordisplaying high standard ofdiscipline and courtesy any timethey came to the library for filmsor books:WOI Sosivets BollaCMPO Office- Cpl T. McKay - UNIFIL Ops- Sgt. P. Ouigley - MP Coy- Pte. S. Murtagh - OMStoresThe statistics of the libraryrecord book indicate a largenumber of readers but the followingare the fast readers:Cpl. Mckay: Sgt. Ouigley; MajorDaniel Mayeras; Capt. Sanchez;Lt. Pequignot; Lt.Col. J.Martin, WOI Samuel Yeboah andLt. Col. D.B. Karki.Finally my profound gratitudeto all and sundry who patronisedthe library during my tour of dutyfor their maximum cooperationaccorded me. Wishing all thereaders happy andenjoyablereading.WOI S.C. KorantengUNIFIL LibrarianI

THE STORY OF THEINTERNATIONAL MESStional Mess occasionallyThereferred historyto ofasthethe Interna­"HOMess" ,can not be completewithout the name of Mr. ChristosEleftheriou, a Greek Cypriot. Thisis his story~••"The Mess began with theestablishment of UNIFil in 1978.It was located in its present placewith a small bar, dining room andsomething comparable to a kitchen.The Mess started feedingabout two hundred military andcivilian staff and all the serviceswere done in tentage outside. Itwill interest readers to note that atthe initial stages, the resourcesavailable to run any meaningfulmess was far from satisfactory.For instance there were no otherkitchens apart from the Frenchlogkitchen which was in tents. It wasa period of innovation and the inexperiencedlocal staff had to begiven in-service training at least tobring them up to an appreciablestandard of acceptance."The HO camp was notsecured and everything was at themercy of thieves and the weather.The situation became more alarmingdue to indiscriminate shellingand firing at the camp. The winterwas unbearable and work had tobe done without all the facilitieswe see around today. The uncertaintyof the staff reporting for dutywas always entertained by theauthorities and every day thatpassed was a blessing."It was during the month ofNovember 1978 that changeswere gradually seen taking place.The construction of new prefabsto house the dining room andother important facilities wereprovisioned. The recruitment ofthe international staff to man themess began in this periodtoget her with accelerated training."How were supplies obtained inthese difficult periods? This is aquestion a lot of us will ask.Frankly, UNIFil had a big depot atAkko in Israel where dry rationswere collected. Meanwhile, freshThe manager Chriss E1eftheriou ro the left, discussing rodaV's menu with his staff (from left to right!. SibilniHousen, Aminimi Atenevam, George DoodV, Samuel Aninikora (all cooks! and ro the right Michael Muller (messsupervisor!. (Phoro: WOlllsaac Okvere!.vegetables, milk and bread werecollected from Nahariya, with theFrenchlog supplying frozen meatwhich was stored in small deepfreezersmounted on vehicletrailers."In the operation of the Messitself, the methods employedwere but conventional.Everythingwas done practically by hand. Thepeeling of potatoes, vegetables,etc. was all manually done not excludingwashing. To recall thehistory of the International Messwill be as if you are telling a fairytale but it is true. The Mess yousee today has gone a long waysince March, 1978. Today, onecould easily say with bride that theoutfit has served the purpose forwhich it was established."It goes without saying thecountless functions the Mess hasundertaken. Apart from provisionof normal meals, it has, and continuesto offer catering servicesfor VIPs, national days and specialoccasions. It also used to cater foremergencies as was done inNovember 1981 when the mainroad from Rosh Haniqra and theswing gate were closed and bothmilitary and civilian staff had tostav in Naqoura for'three days andalso no local staff allowed toenter. On this occasion, the messbecame indeed the "saviour" aswell as home for the confinedstaff. All the same, arrangementshad been made with HO CampCommand to assist in suchemergencies as it happenedrecently when the local staff wenton strike."looking into the future, wesee a very bright light at the end ofthe tunnel. It is the hope of theMess to satisfy all nationalities ifpossible and prepare to meet thevarious religious and sectarian requirementsof all military andcivilian staff working both in theHO including casual visitors fromthe AO."It is our wish to modernise ourkitchen by refurbishing andreplacing old and obsolete equipcment. But here it must be notedthat the Mess had not been ableto install a washing machine sinceits inception because the powerproduced by the generator cannotsustain it. As such washing is stilldone by hand. Furthermore, nostructural developments are envisagedin the near future buthopefully some renovations arepossible options."I as an individual, despite thehardships and other problems encounteredin the early stages conc1udeby saying I have enjoyedworking in UNIFil since I arrivedin 1978. I have also believed thathaving the welfare of people entrustedto you at heart is half thebattle won in any establishment. Ihave confidence in my staff andthey have the same in me."I appreciate the cooperation Ihave received from all sections of. UNIFil to make the Int. Messwhat it is today. I have been in thistype of job since 1952 and haveserved in various countries but Ithink here in UNIFil has beenmore exciting and full of thrilIs."

• Lt'taAti 6/88Maj May Carlsson is the newForce Medical Supply Officer(FMSO). She took over the appointmentfrom Lt Col Rolf IvanSjoquist who has left UNIFIL forhome. Maj Carlson was bom inSweden and graduated as a pharmacistin 1980 from the Universityof Uppsala.Even though she has no militarybackground, she had previous UNservice in UNIFIL as Chief Pharmacistat Swedmedcoy fromFebruary 1985 to February 1986.She took up the present appointmenton 15th April, 1988. LITANIwelcomes her to the "big family".DEPARTURESThe under-mentioned officersleft UNIFIL during the month ofApril and May, 1988. UNIFIL1. Col RE McCorley2. Col V. Yrjola3. Lt Col G. Jervas4. Col A. Carlstrom5. Lt Col Dunne6. Lt Col E.J. Ek7. Lt Col G Torresi8. Lt Col JJ Farrell9. Col J. LundgrenLt. Co!. Rolf Ivan Sjoquist, theForce Medical Supply Officer, hasleft UNIFIL for Sweden. Lt. Col.Sjoquist arrived in Naqoura inMarch 1987 and took up the appointmentof Force Pharmacy Officer.During his tour of duty inUNIFIL HO, he devoted his entiretime to restructuring the MedicalCell within the Logistics Branch ina more pronounced staff positionin the organisation, administrationand planning for the medicalunits. He also changed themedical procurement fromSwedish sources to Lebanese tosave money in this era of tightcontrolledbudget. We wish himbon voyage and success in hisnew appointment at home.wishes them the best ofeverything in their new careersand appointments.MA to FCDCOS (Liaison)Chief Humanitarian OfficerChief Medical OfficerForce Welfare OfficerChief Supply OfficerChief Air Staff OfficerCO IrishbattSwedlogpopularly known as DD inS short /Sgt was DavidbomDokon Dong 22ndApril 1946 at Congo, a village 10miles on Bawku road nearBolgatanga in the Upper EastRegion of Ghana. He was enlistedinto the Ghana Army on the 24thday of June 1964 after completinghis elementa ry education in theyear 1963 at Zuarungu MiddleBoarding at the age of 16 years.After his basic Military Training atthe Armed Forces Training Centrein Kumasi, he was posted to 4 InfantryBattalion on 25th January1965 at Michel Camp, Tema.In 1980, he served with Ghanbatt13 in Blatt from April­December. He is presently withGanbatt 29, UNIFIL Headquarters(SMIO) as Chief Clerk for thatCell. This is what he had to say"To me, working side by side withforeign soldiers from differentparts ot the World has affordedme the chance to gain a lot of experiencewhich a formal educationcould not have given me. My adviceto serving troops in UNIFIL isthat the mission which has beengiven must be accomplished andtherefore everybody must workhard, be fair but firm and alsocourteous at all times. I also advisedmy fellow soldiers to learn a lotof lessons from the presentLebanon situation".He is married with six children,four boys to defend the countryGhana and two girls to increasethe population of Ghana. Hishobbies includeclosing late fromoffice, listening to world news,music and viewing picturesespecially video.TRIBUTE TO LATE MR OSEIBONSU AGYEMANG - FSOThe above-named FSO died athis home in Nahariya, Israel on 12April, 1988. He was forty-sevenyears old.Mr Osei served with the GhanaArmed Forces for eighteen yearsbefare being recruited by the UNto serve in UNIFIL in 1979. He wasassigned to various Sections includingProcurement, Operationsand Engineers where he last worked.In a short tribute in his honourat a pre-burial service held on 20April, 1988 at UNIFIL HO, NaqOL,the CAO, Mr Rotticci Vittoresllid among others that MrOsei endeared himself to all hiscolleagues and that he will not beforgotten.Mr Osei Bonsu left behind awidow Mrs Faustina Osei BonsuAgyemang and four children. Mayhis soul rest in peace.CJ221~---------~-=-=================:J1

fhe p­CSharedDet'or!2§rsl3urdensDemocracy, Bureaucracy, PlutocracyThey all mean nothing to me.Socialism, Capitalism, CommunismThey never ring a b;ell in my earsAll I know is that one and one is twoThat the sun rises in the East and sets in the WestThat North and South are Poles apartAnd South - south the new order.1also know that a hungry stomach has no earsAnd a hungry man is essentially an angry man1have also concluded that my roof must not shelter on ly meThat my farm must not bear for only meWhatever 1have 1must share with my needy neighbourThat is the essenee of communal livingEach being his brothe(s keeperOne man'ssadness is everybody's sorrowOne man's joy is everybody's ecstasyThat is the way we areThat is how we wereAnd that is how we shall beFor we know that where heads are manyThe burden is easier to bearCapt a.F. Kusi(GHANA) UNIFIL HOSendHome

-• Lt't&ti 6188SpecialProjects Unit- attends toour needsl- Wholtakes care of the technical equipment and installations neededfor keeping up the everyday life in UNIFIL? Who carries out the repairworks when the toilet gets out of order? Who are responsible for checkingthe taps in the showers? And the prefabs of Camp Tara?The answer is: Special projects units (SPU) of the General ServicesSection.charge of the Special Pro­Unit Projects (SPU) Officer is Mr. inThejectsChiefJack VOQelsang, who is amechanical engineer' by profession,He was born in Jakarta, Indonesiain 1930 and educated inHolland, where he studied andobtained a degree in MechanicalEngineering. After having workedin Holland for several years, heemigrated to the USA 30 yearsago and lives in San Jose, California,near San Francisco. He ismarried and has two marriedchildren. He has worked in theMiddle East since 1978 in Iran,Kurdustan and Saudi Arabia asConstruction Manager and joinedUNIFIL in 1983.The Special Project Unit of theGeneral Services Section hasbeen in existence for quite a time.Many hitherto have confused thisunit with the various forceIengineers, units.LITANI: Mr. Vogelsang, Canyou brief us on the function of this •unit?MR. VOGELSANG: First Iwould like to mention that in myopinion the name "special projects"is a misnomer There isnothing special about this unit. Itprovides a basic, vet essential service.It carries out repair,maintenance and alterations ofbuilding structures and premisesin the Camp Command area ofUNIFIL HO in Naqoura. It further-more operates and maintains theentire UNIFIL water supply anddistribution system, the waterchlorination system and thesewage drainage and treatmentsystem. The unit consists of 36members of which 30 are localstaff members, and 6 internationalstaff members. All building tradesare represented and headed by aninternational staff member. Atpresent, Mr. Beci Tagi, Asst ProjectsOfficer from Fiji is in chargeof the weld shop, thewelders/lron workers, the masonsand the heavy equipmentoperators. Mr. Abdul Azis, fromGhana is in charge of theplumbers the water system andthe sewage system operators. Mr.Tony Talemaimaloya , from Fiji, isin charge of the carpenters shop,the carpenters,stores.painters and theLITANI: What are your responsibilitiesin headquarters as COrriparedto that of the forceengineers 1MR. VOGELSANG: As statedbefore, SPU carries out amongother things, the repair,maintenance and alterations (exceptelectrical work) of buildingstru'ctures and premises in Headquarters,specifically Italair, CampTara, Camp Martin (MP COY),French Def Coy, Camp Command,Buildings A,B,C and D, FCcompound, Transport and Communications.The ereas excludedare Swedmedcoy, Swedlog, Fren-chmaintcoy and French ArmouredCoy. These contingents are selfsufficient and have their ownmilitary maintenance crews at thecontingents.THE PAINTERSThe force engineering Le. theCEO office and the GhanaEngineer Coy, although mainlyresponsible for the .Area ofOperation (AO) are also involvedin the HO area in work such aserection of new prefabs and rubbhalls. Once in place, SPU instalIsthe sewage drain pipes, the plumbingsystem and hooks up waterservices (in case of ablution units)and further maintains thebuildings. The force! ehgineersfurther carryout with the help oflocal contractors, such works asthe construction of security walls,pillboxes and bunkers andasphalting of roads and lots. Withregards to the -carpenters andpainters work, aside from carryingout the essential repair andc::J24l_

practices are adhered to the BMUto collect and dispose the rubbishand to keep the buildings andgrounds clean. Water is providedfrom two deep wells, i.e. BoreHole 1 on the hill near Naqouravillage and Bore Hole 2, on the hillabove the UNIFil gas station.Each deep well pump station has achlorination plant which isoperated and maintained by SPU.The chlorine content in the wateris checked daily to ensure that thespecifications are met. The ForceHygiene Team inspects the qualityof water for the specified chlorinecontent at various pointsthroughout HO. Too little chlorinewill be reasons for complaintsfrom the FHT and hospitals; toomuch chlorine in the water will bereasons for complaints from all foHO, especially from the kitchensabout the bad taste of the waterand the coffee. Water is also providedby UNIFil, for humanitarianreasons, to the local population inNaqoura village and the Mingishops. Water is hauled away intank trolleys to as far as Almaa'Shab. And that water is used bythe villagers for flooding and irrigationof the fields. The totalwater consumption is astronomical.Some 700 to 1000 cubicmeters is consumed per day. Thatis, some 700,000 to 1,000,000liters per day, depending on thetime of the year.AN ARTS PAINTERLITANI: I understand you arebesides an engineeralso a finearts painter . Is this not unusual?maintenance work, these tradesare full time occupied in theconstruetion and painting ofmyriad of odds and ends such ascabinetry, map and bulletinboards, shelving units, signs etc.for the various military and civilianoffices.LITANI: Water and sewagesystem is a vital cell in your outfit.Can you elaborate?MR. VOGElSANG: Howeverimportant the maintenance andrepair of the buildings are, themost essential, yet basic functionof SPU is the operation andmaintenance of the water supplyand distribution systems, thewater chlorination system and thesewage drainage and treatmentsystem, throughout all of UNIFil,inlcuding Swedlog andSwedmedcoy.SAFE WATERFor obvious reasons, it is essentialthat safe water is continuouslyprovided and that the outbreak ofdi'seasel is prevented. Therefore,close cooperation in these areas isrequired between SPU, the ForceHygiene Team and the GSbuilding maintenance unit (BMUl,i.e. SPU to ensure that all theabove systems and equipment arefunctioning properly, the ForceHygiene Team (FHTl to continuouslyinspect the quality ofthe water, the prevention of environmentalpollutionland that thegeneral 'good house keeping'MR. VOGElSANG: I am a finearts painter. It is more than a hobby.It is a philosophy that remindsa person that there is more to Iifethan what gets people excited intheir daily struggles. The practiseof arts has great therapeutiepowers, it improves ones selfdiscipline and enables a person toentertain himself, rather than beingentertained by others andtherefore be less dependent in thisrespect on others or things in hisprivate life. To be good at art (anyform of art) requires not on ly hardwork. One must live it. There areno set working hours. There is acontinuous inter action betweenthe conscious and sub consciousmind, which enables a person tobe critical of himself and of hiswork and be honesl to himself.An artist perhaps the most ofhimself and his work. He mustsatisfy himself in the respectbefore he can satisfy others. Hecan not help but that some ofthese attitudes are reflected in hisdaily responsibilities towards hiswork and fellow man.)25CJ

• Lttald 6188Commanding Officer ofC ol Finbatt. Kari Hoglund He assumed is the new thisoffice on 4th June, 1988.Col Hoglund was born on 3February 1943 in Kemi in northernFinland. Aftera year's compulsorymilitary service, he attended theReserve Officers course andgraduated in 1962. He then undertookthe Field Artillery course atthe Cadet School. After graduationfrom the Cadet School in1965, Col Hoglund undertook theCaptains course in 1970. He alsoattended the 5taff Officers coursefrom 1974-77. He has held manyappointments in the FinnishDefense Forces. He was a BatterySection Commander in a Brigadein Kainun provice.Col Hoglund is not new to UN~ssions. He served in UNIFIL asThe new Chief HumanitarianOfficer is Lt Col Seppo ILVA fromFinland. He was born on 17thJune 1940. He went throughvarious stages of Finnish educationalsystem. He enlisted into the'Finnish Armed Forces on 9th October,1962 and was commissionedon 20th March 1965 into the Infantry.In his military career, Lt col livaattended various courses includingCaptain, Staff oHicersand UN military observer courses.Deputy Commanding Officer inFinbatt from 1985-86. Beforethen, he had served as a militaryobserver in the Middle East.He is marred with a daughterand sonIRISHBATT new BattalionCommander is Lt Col. StephenAnthony O' Grady. He was bornin Ballylongford, Co Kerry, andjoined the Irish Army as a cadet.He was commissioned and postedto the Infantry Corps and stationedin the Gurragh as a subaltern inthe 3rd Infantry Battalion. Lt Col.O' Grady has served in many appointmentsbot h staff and line.Apart from experience gainedwhile working in Army Headquarters,Lt Col. O' Grady's lastnumber of appointments werenoteworthy. He commanded the27th Infantry battalion based inDundalk. This battalion is co m­mon ly known as a border battalionbecause of the proximity ofDundalk to the border betweenthe Republic of Ireland and NorthernIreland. The operationaltasks carried out by the borderbattalions are saen as a vital partof Irish National Security. Prior tohis Overseas posting Lt Col. O'Grady commanded the 5th InfantryBattalion. This Battalion isbased in Irelanos Capital City,Dublin.Lt Col. O' Grady has also servedwith the UN in several missionareas. In 1961 he served in theCongo with ONUC. In 1968/69 heserved with UNTSO on the SuezCanal. He is on his third trip toSouth Lebanon. He served as aCompany Commander with the44th Infantry Battalion in 1978/79.In 1986 he served with the 59th InfantryBattalion as Second inCommand. Some two yearslater, he is back as Battalion Commander.He brings a wealth of experienceto the mission area andlooks forward to spending thenext six months in IRISHBATTAO working with UNIFIL. He ismarried and has three children.He also held various appointmentsincluding Platoon Leaderand Company Commander in aninfantry battalion. Signal Officerin the HO of a military district. Hewas also a leader at a training officein a mechanized battalion aswell as in a military police school.He was awarded the Order of theKnight of White Rose of Finland,a medal for military units.Lt Col liva is a UN veteran. Heserved in UNTSO from 1972-73 asCapt S Raivoce, the formerADC to the FC has been promotedto the rank of Major and isnow serving with Fijibatt in thea milltary observer and In UNEF I1first as a company Commander in1978-79 and eventually as a CommandingOfficer. He was ChiefOperations Officer of Finbatt inUNIFIL from 1982-83. He is marriedwith two sons and his hobbiesare skiing and tennis.AO. Litani wishes him the verybest in his new appointment as'OC HO Company.

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