Filipino peacekeepers at golan trade fire with syrian rebels

[gearhead000]

How the hell could you surrender without handing over your weapons?!

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Yeah, and also.... how can they expect the soldiers not to shoot, and not be overrun and be taken hostage? Marami nga siguro na-Singhot na katol. LOL!

[Monseratto]

Duwag daw...

UNDOF commander: Filipinos' defiance unprofessional
By Camille Diola (philstar.com) | Updated September 4, 2014 - 2:43pm


MANILA, Philippines — The Indian commander of the United Nations' (UN) peacekeeping force broke his silence on the Philippine military's accusations that he misguidedly ordered besieged Filipino troops to surrender their arms to rebels in Golan Heights over the weekend.

In an interview with a Noida-based newspaper, UN Disengagement Observer Force Commander Lt. Gen. Iqbal Singh Singha criticized the defiance of the 40 trapped Filipino peacekeepers as "non-professional."

Singha said the Filipinos' resistance further compromised the situation of the Fijian peacekeepers earlier abducted by the Syrian rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda.

"The non-professional actions of the Filipino troops have endangered the lives of the Fijian soldiers," Singha told the India Times in a report published Thursday (Manila time).

"They have defied orders at a time when we had negotiated a ceasefire with the rebels to ensure that all troops in the conflict area could exit," he added.

The military leader's statement coincided with the UN's denial that the order was issued. The organization said, however, that it backs Singha's decisions during the siege and commended him for sending a quick reaction force to extract trapped men.

Singha, meanwhile, called what the Armed Forces of the Philippines dubbed the "greatest escape" of 40 troops from Position 68 nothing but an "act of cowardice."

"The higher UN echelon as well as the Indian Army agrees with me that the decision was correct. It is an act of cowardice to desert posts especially when a delicate ceasefire was in place," he said.

He also insisted that the troops broke the chain of command and overstepped the UN leadership's authority when their safety and the release of the hostages were still being negotiated for.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday called on "countries with influence" to press the insurgents to release the peacekeepers from Fiji abducted last week.

The council also welcomed the news that all Filipinos were safe and commended the UN peacekeeping mission's quick reaction force for extracting them to safety.

with reports from AP

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/20...unprofessional

[straker]

^For once I absolutely agree with your wicked mind.

Sa CnC nga siguro nag-training undof commndr.

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Once lang? Ibig sabihan di ka sangayon sa ibang kong posts dito

Singhot is a spy...Syrian rebel scum :burn:

[baludoy]

Bravo, AFP!
Category: Opinion 04 Sep 2014 Written by The BusinessMirror Editorial

WE sometimes think that if the rest of the world looked at the “Filipinos,” rather than the “Philippines,” their perception of who and what we are would be more positive.

Certainly, there are times when we shine and can take pride in the accomplishments of individuals and groups, such as our sports teams and academic competitors. But rarely does it all come together when our people, our culture and, believe it or not, our government rise to the occasion.

A week ago, three outposts of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (Undof) in the demilitarized zone of the Golan Heights area separating Israel and Syria were attacked by elements of the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front.

Two of the camps were manned by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and another by troops from the Republic of Fiji. The militants demanded these forces to lay down their arms and surrender, and assured them of safe passage.

Undof commander Maj. Gen. Iqbal Singha of India ordered the Filipinos and Fijians to surrender. The Fijian forces complied and were taken hostage and have not been seen since. The Filipinos, apparently after consulting with headquarters in Manila and under the direction of their local commanding officer, refused to obey Singha’s orders. These brave members of the AFP repulsed at least one attack by the rebels and stood their ground. They were subsequently able to leave their posts and head for safety with the assistance of other Undof forces in the area.

The Al-Nusra Front probably believed that the Filipinos were like most of the other foreign troops in the area who would do exactly what the UN commander, wanting to avoid a confrontation, would order.

What the Al-Nusra group did not consider was that the AFP, under various names, has been fighting “fronts” for over 100 years. Our experiences with the Spanish, American, Japanese and our homegrown, foreign-funded insurgent fronts have taught the men and women of the AFP to trust no one and assume nothing when a potential enemy asks them to surrender.

Rather than in the custody of the Al-Nusra, “in a safe place, and in good health,” we hope our troops are drinking San Miguel beer and sleeping in their own bunks.

We wonder how many religions, dialects and provinces were represented in the AFP contingent. We also wonder what the Philippines might be if we could work together like that here at home.

Prior to the attack, the Philippine government had announced that we would be bringing home all our peacekeepers from the region. After this event, it is clear that the Undof does not deserve the participation of peacekeepers of the caliber and dignity of the Filipino.

BusinessMirror - Bravo, AFP!

[Ry_Tower]

Once lang? Ibig sabihan di ka sangayon sa ibang kong posts dito

Singhot is a spy...Syrian rebel scum :burn:

Ikaw din ba si macsd?

Sa post niya ako nagreact eh.

[CVT]

UN trying to save face with their incompetent field commander.... What was he sniffing? (Singha-ot)..


“The measure of a man is what he does with power – LJIOHF!”
24.2K:hook1:

[Syuryuken]

Fiji army chief defends troops surrender | World | 3 News
Fiji's army chief has dismissed a "sick" suggestion the Pacific island's Muslim minority will face a backlash if 45 UN peacekeepers taken hostage by Islamic rebels in the Golan Heights are harmed.

Brigadier General Mosese Tikoitoga also defended the action of his troops in surrendering to al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front rebels, even though a contingent of 75 Filipino peacekeepers who defied an order to lay down their weapons all escaped unscathed.

Tikoitoga, speaking to reporters in Suva just hours after the UN Security Council demanded the Fijians' immediate release, said the location of the Blue Helmets was still unknown.

He also revealed that talks with their captors had hit a "lull", but said specialised UN negotiators flown in from New York to deal with the crisis had told him this was normal in a hostage situation.

"They [the rebels] do not establish contact so that they can regain the initiative on negotiations," he said.

"But these are [just] tactics they use and I hope that we will resume discussions soon and we can get them back on the line."

The Islamic fighters have made at least three demands, including that the Al-Nusra Front be removed from the UN's list of terrorist organisations.

Former Fiji prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka told Radio New Zealand yesterday that Fiji's Muslim community, which numbers about 60,000 in an overall population of 900,000, could face retaliation if the islanders serving with the UN were harmed.

"If anything should happen to the 45 then the unsuspecting and probably undeserving people who will bear the brunt of the feelings of the people could be the Muslim civil society and community in Fiji," he said.

Tikoitoga said the Fiji military was committed to treating all citizens equally and accused Rabuka of inflaming ethnic tensions.

"It's very irresponsible and I think it's closing in on inciting violence in Fiji. We should condemn it ... it only shows the sick attitude of that individual," he said.

"The RFMF [military] will look after all Fijians and we don't hold anything against any Fijians for what's happening. This is a time we should all stand together, it is not the time to start pointing fingers at each other, especially internally."

Asked why his men surrendered, Tikoitoga said they were following a direct order from the commander of the UN Disengagement Observer Force.

"At no stage in an operation would I expect any of my officers not to follow the decisions of the first commander," he said. "The Filipinos chose to do so and the Philippines government have supported them for having chosen that path.

"We cannot criticise them for it, nor can we follow the decision they have made, we live by our own ethos of following command."

He said officers on the ground had to make a snap decision in a fraught situation.

kaya naman pala na hostage yung mga Fijians dahil sa order ni singhot

[IMm29]

Iwan daw sa sahig sabay walk out. Hehehe

[IMm29]

Shempre yung isang general kampi sa kanya. Kababayan nya.

[Monty]

Ano kayang rules of engagement ang ginamit ng commander na yun?

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[Syuryuken]

ceasefire tapos umaatake yung mga insurgents abay kalokohang malaki kung di mo ipagtatanggol sarili mo

[Ry_Tower]

ceasefire tapos umaatake yung mga insurgents abay kalokohang malaki kung di mo ipagtatanggol sarili mo

When the enemy started firing, that is when the ceasefire ends. Thus any soldier, in his right frame of mind, should indeed fight or escape if fighting is futile.

Buwisit na undof commander yan.

[Monseratto]

Buti di na tayo naipit at nadagdagan ng sakit ulo...

Al-Nusra Front threatens to try UN Fijian peacekeepers
WRITERSLazar Berman


Syrian al-Qaeda branch al-Nusra Front threatened to try 45 UN peacekeepers from Fiji abducted last week in the Golan Heights.

!According to the London-based daily Asharq al-Awsat,
the jihadist group said it would try the soldiers according to Sharia law.


The report added that there has been no progress in talks to release the Fijians.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council called on “countries with influence” to press the al-Qaeda-linked insurgents to release the peacekeepers.

A press statement approved by all 15 council members, after a briefing by UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, again demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the Fijian peacekeepers.

Heavy clashes have raged in the Golan Heights since Syrian rebels captured a border crossing between Syria and Israel near the abandoned town of Quneitra last Wednesday.

Ladsous told reporters the peacekeepers have shown “steadfastness and courage” and said the UN is working to obtain the swift and unconditional release of the Fijians.

“We are sparing no effort to obtain the release of the detained peacekeepers,” he said, but gave no details, stressing the importance of “discretion.”

Fiji commander Brig. Gen. Mosese Tikoitoga said Tuesday that the Nusra Front has made three demands for the release of the peacekeepers: It wants to be taken off the UN terrorist list; it demands that humanitarian aid be delivered to parts of the Syrian capital of Damascus; and it calls for compensation for three of its fighters who, it claims, were killed in a shootout with UN officers.

The Nusra Front accused the UN of doing nothing to help the Syrian people since the uprising against President Bashar Assad began in March 2011. It said the Fijians were seized in retaliation for the UN’s ignoring “the daily shedding of the Muslims’ blood in Syria” and even colluding with Assad’s army “to facilitate its movement to strike the vulnerable Muslims” through a buffer zone in the Golan Heights.

UNDOF was established in May 1974 following intensified firing on the Israel-Syria border after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967, and Syria has campaigned for decades for return of the land. For nearly four decades, the UN monitors helped enforce a stable truce between Israel and Syria, but the Golan Heights has increasingly become a battlefield in the more than three-year-old Syrian conflict.

The mission currently has troops from six countries: Fiji, India, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands and the Philippines. A number of countries have withdrawn their peacekeepers due to the escalating violence.

AP contributed to this report.

Read more: Al-Nusra Front threatens to try UN Fijian peacekeepers | The Times of Israel Al-Nusra Front threatens to try UN Fijian peacekeepers | The Times of Israel
Follow us: *timesofisrael on Twitter | timesofisrael on Facebook

[donbuggy]

Maybe Lt. Gen. Iqbal Singh Singha believes in passive resistance like Gandhi.

[Monty]

Based on the UNDOF's website, it's mandate is 1. Maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Syria; 2.
Supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces; and
3. Supervise the areas of separation and limitation, as provided in the May 1974 Agreement on Disengagement. Out of place ata ang passive resistance...

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[Helios]

fight or flight than become another pow/mia, any soldier will react naturally in battle. i personally think a maj gen who 'probably' never fired a single shot against an enemy combatant in his entire military career shouldn't be making foolish orders like such, even if that's what he learned from his master's deg in tactics

the thing is, i'm just a civilian and my opinion doesn't apply to soldiers like them. it was still a valid command, albeit mega lame

accdg to international law, the white flag may simply represent a desire to parley (or negotiate) with the enemy which may or may not result in a formal surrender

and the soldiers supposedly disobeyed it

assuming they immediately came under fire, a soldier who collaborates with another soldier to disobey a direct command is deemed seditious and must be court-martialled to determine whether it was an obligatory disobedience (good), or a failure of the chain of command (bad for the superior and his men)

laws of war and the rules of engagement evolve and adapt over time. the jury might exonerate them from this crime, otherwise, a dishonourable discharge wouldn't sound so bad, either

at least they don't have to be the lions for lambs anymore

[IMm29]

Go Duterte!

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/re...nder-shot-head

[Monty]

AFP chief happy with UNDOF commander’s change of tune
Frances Mangosing

*FMangosingINQ
INQUIRER.net
6:24 PM | Sunday, October 12th, 2014
35


SULU, Philippines — The Philippine military chief is pleased that United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Iqbal Singh Singha has finally acknowledged the Filipino peacekeepers’ “bravery” in Golan Heights.

“Thank you very much,” Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr. told reporters in the sidelines after he spoke to troops at the 2nd Marine Brigade Headquarters in Jolo on Sunday.

Singha earlier labeled the Filipino peacekeepers’ escape in Golan Heights as an “act of cowardice.”

This was after Catapang sought investigation on Singha’s supposed orders to Filipino troops to surrender their firearms. The Filipinos refused to oblige and Catapang claimed this decision of Singha put the lives of the Filipinos in danger.

After taking hostage dozens of Fijian peacekeepers in Golan Heights last August, Syrian rebels tried to do the same to Filipino peacekeepers and asked them to surrender their firearms to which they refused. This led to a standoff and a firefight that raged for a few days, but Filipino peacekeepers managed to escape while the rebels were sleeping.

But just this week, Singha lauded the Filipino peacekeepers in Golan Heights that refused to surrender their firearms and engaged with Syrian rebels.

“The Filipino and Fijian peacekeepers bravely faced the situation, and exhibited raw courage, resilience and patience,” Singha said last Thursday in New York.

Filipino peacekeepers pulled out two weeks earlier than scheduled last month due to the escalating tension in the region.
“You know we all have our interests. National interest, United Nations interest. So I think all is well that ends well. Bati-bati na lang muna tayo,” Catapang said.

Read more: AFP chief happy with UNDOF commander's change of tune | Inquirer Global Nation
Follow us: *inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

[Jun aka Pekto]

fight or flight than become another pow/mia, any soldier will react naturally in battle. i personally think a maj gen who 'probably' never fired a single shot against an enemy combatant in his entire military career shouldn't be making foolish orders like such, even if that's what he learned from his master's deg in tactics

the thing is, i'm just a civilian and my opinion doesn't apply to soldiers like them. it was still a valid command, albeit mega lame

accdg to international law, the white flag may simply represent a desire to parley (or negotiate) with the enemy which may or may not result in a formal surrender

and the soldiers supposedly disobeyed it

assuming they immediately came under fire, a soldier who collaborates with another soldier to disobey a direct command is deemed seditious and must be court-martialled to determine whether it was an obligatory disobedience (good), or a failure of the chain of command (bad for the superior and his men)

laws of war and the rules of engagement evolve and adapt over time. the jury might exonerate them from this crime, otherwise, a dishonourable discharge wouldn't sound so bad, either

at least they don't have to be the lions for lambs anymore

I wouldn't trust any party that has a history of beheading their captives. Putting themselves at the mercy of such people is the worst thing the Philippine peacekeepers can do. Their only leverage were their weapons and they were smart enough to hang on to them, idiot (UN) commanders be damned.

[badkuk]

assuming they immediately came under fire, a soldier who collaborates with another soldier to disobey a direct command is deemed seditious and must be court-martialled to determine whether it was an obligatory disobedience (good), or a failure of the chain of command (bad for the superior and his men)

i've always had this notion that a military court isn't that hampered with legal technicalities, i.e. their rulings don't necessarily follow the letter of the law...and in a sense, is fair and just. Wala lang ngang appeal appeal ^_^