1️⃣ What’s up with the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon? | 2️⃣ Mexico to make its own EV | 3️⃣ Farewell of the day |
Hi Intriguer. With the world the way it is, I did the sensible thing over the weekend and re-watched Cool Runnings.
And you know what? It’s got a great line I’d forgotten, from the coach of the first Jamaican bobsled team (played by the late John Candy): “A gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without one, you'll never be enough with one.”
So as you fire up for the week, maybe do what John Candy says, and try to enjoy the journey.
Now, let’s get you the latest on the beleaguered UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
PS - Don’t miss our next in-person event, presented by our friends at Samsung! It’s in DC at 6pm on Thursday, October 24. Register here!
China runs military drills around Taiwan.
The Taiwanese military remains on high alert as China surrounds the democratic island with war games involving its army, navy, air force, and rocket force. Beijing has called the drills a “stern warning” against “separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces”. It all comes just days after Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, gave a carefully worded speech in which he reiterated that Taiwan is “not subordinate” to China.
Hezbollah attacks Israeli base.
A drone attack on a military base near Haifa left four Israeli soldiers dead on Sunday. Meanwhile, Lebanese health authorities say Israeli strikes left 51 people dead on Sunday (Israel says it hit Hezbollah sites), while an Israeli strike on a Gaza school building being used as a shelter reportedly killed 15 more (Israel is yet to comment). And US President Joe Biden has now approved the deployment of an advanced ‘THAAD’ missile defence system to Israel, along with 100 US troops to operate it.
China’s stocks turn cautiously optimistic (again).
A key market index was up nearly 2% earlier today (Monday) after China’s finance ministry announced it was planning to recapitalise local governments and state banks, plus buy unsold property, as part of its efforts to revive the economy.
North Korea to destroy roads connecting to South.
Pyongyang is now reportedly planning to blow up roads connecting the two Koreas as tensions on the peninsula continue to simmer. Last week, North Korea warned it would “completely separate” its southern neighbour.
SpaceX flexes new booster manoeuvre.
Following the fifth launch of its massive Starship vehicle, SpaceX engineers managed to return the first-stage booster (aptly named Super Heavy) back to its launch tower with a little help from some giant ‘chopstick’ arms - a world first.
Key population centres in and near the UN peacekeeping mission zone. Credits: France24
The UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon issued a spicy statement yesterday (Sunday), saying "for the fourth time in as many days, we remind the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times."
What happened?
The UN Security Council set up the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) way back in 1978, after Israel invaded Lebanon in response to a series of attacks by Palestinian groups.
Unifil has been in southern Lebanon ever since, now overseeing the 1000 sq km (400 sq mi) area between the Litani River and the 'Blue Line' (the unofficial Israel-Lebanon border).
But after the last Israel-Hezbollah war of 2006, the UN Security Council beefed UNIFIL up to what it is today: 10,000 troops from 50 nations deployed across 50 positions throughout southern Lebanon.
What's UNIFIL's objective?
The basic idea has been to maintain a buffer zone between Israel and Hezbollah. That’s meant i) confirming Israel's withdrawal, ii) ensuring Unifil’s "area of operation is not utilized for hostile activities”, and iii) helping Lebanon re-establish control over the area (from Hezbollah).
But has UNIFIL achieved its mission?
Not really. While Unifil oversaw a brief, fragile peace, Hezbollah further entrenched itself, including in the Unifil buffer zone. And a day after the Hamas attacks last October, Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets at Israel claiming solidarity with Gaza — the two foes have been trading daily fire ever since, while thousands of civilians have fled.
So now, Israel has crossed back into the buffer zone, aiming to enable its own border-adjacent citizens to return home by pushing Hezbollah back behind the Litani River (per the UN's 2006 demands). As a result, there are now four separate forces in close proximity: Israel, Hezbollah, the Lebanese army (smaller than Hezbollah), and Unifil. Technically, only the latter two should be there.
And that gets us to the above spicy Unifil statement. What happened?
Wednesday: Unifil says IDF soldiers shot-out a UN base's cameras
Thursday: Unifil reported two separate incidents, including Indonesian Unifil soldiers being hurt after an Israeli tank fired towards their tower
Friday: Unifil reported another four incidents, including two Sri Lankan peacekeepers hurt "after two explosions occurred close to an observation tower"
Saturday: Unifil says Israeli forces "stopped a critical Unifil logistical movement"
Sunday: Unifil says two Israeli tanks destroyed another UN base's gate and entered, then 15 peacekeepers suffered "skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions" after several rounds landed 100 metres away and emitted smoke.
In response, the UN chief has suggested the above acts “may constitute a war crime”.
Meanwhile, Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a statement, voicing regret for "the harm caused to Unifil soldiers", while reiterating Israel's calls for Unifil forces to evacuate — switching to English, he addressed UN chief Antonio Guterres directly: "Get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately."
Why? Netanyahu argues Unifil’s continued presence has now rendered its troops a human shield for Hezbollah, which has continued to launch rockets at Israel this weekend. So Bibi and his supporters say that if Lebanon and Unifil can’t stop Hezbollah, then Israel will.
Is this the first time Unifil peacekeepers have been injured?
No. In fact, Unifil is the UN's most dangerous peacekeeping mission in history, recording ~337 deaths in its 46 years of operations. Just last year, for example, a Lebanese military tribunal charged five Hezbollah members over the killing of an Irish UN peacekeeper.
And how's the world reacting?
US President Biden says he's "absolutely, positively" urging Israel not to hit Unifil forces, while ~40 Unifil member states just dropped a joint statement to "strongly condemn recent attacks on the Unifil peacekeepers".
INTRIGUE’S TAKE
There are of course fair questions around Unifil's performance since 2006, but these kinds of peacekeeping woes aren't new, and they often go far beyond specific missions. Rather, they often reflect the international community's…
Bold aims (“just go and demilitarise southern Lebanon”)
Limited resources (“to do that, here's a force much smaller than Hezbollah”), and
Clipped wings (“oh, and here’s a bunch of rules around when you can and can’t use the few weapons we gave you”).
Where does that mixed messaging come from? All of us. It’s the result of an international community that collectively says it wants peace, but disagrees on how that should look, and individually doesn’t want to risk getting pulled into yet another distant strategic quagmire in the process. So peace remains perpetually over the horizon, while this ‘interim’ UN peacekeeping mission just gets more and more permanent.
Also worth noting:
The UN Security Council just renewed Unifil’s mandate for another year.
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix has appeared before the UN Security Council, criticising both Hezbollah and Israeli forces for establishing “military installations in the vicinity of UN positions.”
The largest contributors of Unifil troops are Indonesia (1,231), Italy (1,068), and India (903), while Nepal, Ghana and Malaysia all have 800+ troops, and Spain, France, China each have hundreds more. Unifil is funded out of the UN peacekeeping budget, which cites the US as its top financier.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan and the EU are due to kick off their 21st round of cooperation talks in Luxembourg today (Monday). Their ties have evolved as Russia’s influence has waned, with EU companies attracted to Kazakhstan’s oil, gas, and minerals, while Astana hopes to get easier EU visa rules for Kazakhs.
🇱🇹 Lithuania: The opposition Social Democrats (SD) have taken the lead in Sunday’s elections, allowing SD to attempt forming a new coalition to lead the NATO country. SD’s party head Vilija Blinkeviciute says Lithuania’s approach to the world will remain unchanged, as voters are spooked by neighbouring Russia.
🇱🇦 Laos: The US has accused Russia and China of blocking consensus over an East Asia Summit statement drafted by Southeast Asia’s main bloc, ASEAN. The draft had apparently called on countries operating in the South China Sea to abide by the relevant UN treaty, which a tribunal found does not justify China’s vast territorial claims in the region.
🇲🇽 Mexico: Newly inaugurated leader Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged that by the end of her term (six years from now), the country will have its own electric vehicle called Olinia, which is Náhuatl for “movement.” It’s part of Sheinbaum’s broader plan to modernise Mexico’s industry by focusing on tech, drones, semiconductors, and beyond.
🇰🇪 Kenya: Protesters in Kenya took to the streets on Friday against the government’s plan to build Kenya’s first nuclear plant in Kilifi. The proposed coastal site is home to sandy beaches and natural parks that drive eco-tourism in the area.
A town in Maine has attracted 30 couples for its annual Wife Carrying Competition, which is exactly what it sounds like (across 254m / 278 yards).
A UK farm has created a massive pumpkin mosaic in the shape of Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton.
Australian airline Qantas has apologised after a technical glitch led to its crew playing a mature-rated film (Daddio) to all passengers on a flight to Tokyo.
On the topic of Australia, a fireball has lit up parts of the country, with some astrophysicists suggesting it was a meteor.
And a speed camera has caught a driver wearing a Cookie Monster costume.
Credits: Secret Siam.
When an ambassador is about to wrap up their posting, they’ll often pen what’s essentially a goodbye note reflecting on their time in the host country. And it’s often pretty blunt, because you’re skipping town and only your HQ can read it, so why not?
But the example pictured above, from the British ambassador to Thailand in 1967, was actually so incendiary, it managed to offend Thailand 42 years later.
Interestingly, however, that’s not why the Brits put an end to the practice in 2006. Rather, it was because a British ambassador did the one thing worse than offending other countries: offending your own boss.
In a leaked note from 2006, the British ambassador to Italy lamented that the UK’s foreign ministry was becoming too bureaucratic: “Can it be that in wading through the plethora of business plans, capability reviews, skills audits, zero-based reviews and other excrescences of the management age, we have indeed forgotten what diplomacy is all about?” That’s what the kids call a mic-drop.
Where do you see Unifil headed? |
Last Thursday’s poll: Do you think Google should be split up?
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🔨 Yes, it's got too much power (60%)
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🙅 No, it'll have unintended consequences (36%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ✍️ Other (write in!) (4%)
Your two cents:
🔨 R.L: “Splitting it up could be one option, but should then be applied to other firms as well (ie. Apple, Amazon).”
🙅 N.L: “Punishing a successful company for being too big is a popular decision with far-reaching consequences. There's still plenty of space for disruption in the tech industry.”
🔨 J.M: “It all started when they dropped the ‘Don't be evil’ tagline. Since then the unofficial motto has been ‘don't get caught being evil’.”
✍️ D.L: “Google is far more integrated into important business and government entities than can easily be known. The unintended consequences could be catastrophic.”
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