Irish president lends her troops moral support
Lebanon, Politics, 12/13/1997

Ireland's new president, Mary McAleese, spent the day Friday with her country's contingent in southern Lebanon in a show of affection and support for the peace keepers.

McAleese arrived in Lebanon Thursday on her first official visit abroad since becoming president of Ireland.

On Friday, McAleese, accompanied by her husband, Dr. Martin McAleese, Minister for Defense Michael Smith and Chief of Staff of the Irish Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Gerry McMahon, traveled to Tibnin in south Lebanon, headquarters of the Irish battalion in the U.N. peacekeeping force.

She was greeted on Arrival by Lt. Col. Colm Doyle, commander of the Irish troops, after which the Irish Battalion Pipe Band rendered her honors by playing the tune of her native northern Ireland region.

McAleese said the reason why she chose Lebanon for her first official trip abroad was that over 80 percent of Irish troops abroad were serving in Lebanon.

"Next year we celebrate 40 years of Irish service with the United Nations and I just thought it was important to come to them (our troops) as soon as possible after being inaugurated as president," she said at a press conference in Tibnin.

Ireland joined the United Nations in 1955. In 1958, the first Irish peace keepers landed in Lebanon, part of what was then the U.N. Troops Supervision Organization (UNTSO) dispatched to the Middle East. They returned as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in 1978 and have been in south Lebanon ever since.

Their job was to help in the implementation of U.N. Resolution 425, which calls for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from a border enclave in south Lebanon Israel still occupies to this day. Asked to comment on that, McAleese said the Irish president's role was "above politics."

"I don't have a political role but I think simply in being here and supporting our Irish troops abroad and in supporting the UNIFIL in Lebanon, I hope to give the message of how valuable their work is. If you like it's a moral support," she said.

The president said traveling through Beirut made her realize "how quickly a world can be demolished when passions run very far ahead of politics."

"It also makes me realize how valuable is the work of the peacemakers and how important it is."

"Being from Belfast, I have a very strong view that peace is something that we take far too much for granted," she added. The Irish battalion in south Lebanon is made up of 530 troops. Since 1978, 38 soldiers have been killed. 13 of them were killed in action while the rest died in traffic or shooting accidents. One soldier, Kevin Joyce, went missing in 1981 and is presumed dead.

McAleese spent the night in Tibnin and traveled by helicopter to Beirut Saturday for a meeting and a luncheon with President Elias Hrawi.

Previous Stories:
  Mysterious explosion targets U.N. post   (12/11/1997)
  Irish president in Beirut Thursday   (12/10/1997)
  Italian president visits south, calls for independence   (11/7/1997)

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