Filipino peacekeepers at golan trade fire with syrian rebels

[Ry_Tower]

^For once I absolutely agree with your wicked mind.

Sa CnC nga siguro nag-training undof commndr.

Posted via Tsikot Mobile App

[111prez]

Dapat i-persona non grata na yang si General Singhot

[Monseratto]

He said she said na naman... Baka bulol yung english ng bumbai...

http://alabangbulletin.com/2014/09/0...ce-arrest.html

U.N. denies Golan peacekeepers ordered to hand arms to Syria rebels
BY LOUIS CHARBONNEAU
UNITED NATIONS Wed Sep 3, 2014 6:49pm EDT


(Reuters) - The U.N. peacekeeping chief strongly denied on Wednesday allegations from the Philippines' army chief that Filipino peacekeepers in the Golan Heights were ordered to surrender their weapons to Islamist militants who had trapped them.

Filipino army chief General Gregorio Catapang said his soldiers had defended themselves against Islamist rebels last weekend in defiance of an order from their U.N. force commander to surrender their weapons, a move that would be highly controversial in the six-nation, blue-helmeted force.

The U.N.'s under-secretary-general for peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous, denied that any such order was given.

The back-and-forth underlines a rise in tensions in the U.N. peacekeeping force following weekend skirmishes with Islamist militants in Israeli-controlled territory on Syria's southeastern border.

Islamist fighters battling the Syrian army overran last week a crossing point in the line that has separated Israelis from Syrians in the Golan Heights since a 1973 war, the most recent escalation of Syria's civil war, now in its fourth year.

The fighters then turned against U.N. blue helmets from a peacekeeping force that has patrolled the ceasefire line since 1974. After 45 Fijians were captured on Thursday, 72 Filipinos were besieged at two other locations for two days by militants before they escaped.

The militants, believed to be part of an al-Qaeda-linked group known as Nusra Front, are still holding the 45 Fijian members of the United Nations' UNDOF Golan Heights force.

Catapang said that at one point while the Filipinos were trapped, UNDOF Force Commander General Iqbal Singh Singha of India ordered the soldiers to surrender their arms to prevent harm from befalling the captured Fijians.

Asked what order was given to the Filipinos, Ladsous replied, "Never to hand over weapons."

The order was simply "not to shoot," he said.

One U.N. official told Reuters that no force commander would order his troops to hand over weapons to rebels. If that were to happen, the official said, the commander would "be out of a job" since countries that supply weapons and materiel to the force would be reluctant to re-supply the mission.

Several Security Council diplomats said the issue of what orders might have been given was discussed on Wednesday in a closed-door meeting of the 15-nation body.

In that meeting, Ladsous expressed full support for Singha, diplomats who were present told Reuters. Ladsous later told reporters that Singha had "exercised good sound judgment all along" during the crisis.

Ladsous said the United Nations had not confirmed that the militants who attacked the Filipinos and are holding the Fijians belong to Nusra Front.

UNDOF troops were kidnapped twice last year and in both cases were released unharmed.

(Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in Manila; Editing by Jason Szep and Leslie Adler)

U.N. denies Golan peacekeepers ordered to hand arms to Syria rebels | Reuters

[Ry_Tower]

Naman oh, ang gulo na nila. Word war naman ngayon.

[straker]

^For once I absolutely agree with your wicked mind.

Sa CnC nga siguro nag-training undof commndr.

Posted via Tsikot Mobile App

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

[falken]

He said she said na naman... Baka bulol yung english ng bumbai...

http://alabangbulletin.com/2014/09/0...ce-arrest.html



U.N. denies Golan peacekeepers ordered to hand arms to Syria rebels | Reuters

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

Posted via Tsikot Mobile App