UNIFIL Spokesman: We Don't Feel Threatened

The spokesman of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, Andrea Tenenti, has denied that the peacekeepers had received any threats, and stressed the strong cooperation between them and the Lebanese army

“We don't feel threatened and security measures haven't changed,” Tenenti told As Safir newspaper published on Thursday.

“Security is in good order,” he said when asked about fears that extremists could target UNIFIL.

Tenenti stressed that the residents of the area south of the Litani river where around 11,000 peacekeepers are deployed “know us for the past 35 years.”

They “are also aware of the details of our mission since 2006,” he said. “Along with UNIFIL and the Lebanese army, they have a single goal to protect peace and stability in the South.”

UNIFIL was deployed in 1978 to maintain stability at the border between Lebanon and Israel. It was expanded in 2006 following a devastating war between Hizbullah and Israel and now numbers some 11,000.

“There hasn't been any change in the daily lives of the troops and the residents,” the spokesman told As Safir. “There are on average 250 patrols carried out daily with full coordination with the Lebanese army.”

“We don't do anything without its support,” he said.

Tenenti said the UNIFIL leadership wants to increase its support for the Lebanese military by providing it with “advanced equipment to make it more effective although it has an excellent performance at all levels.”

“UNIFIL only coordinates with the Lebanese army, in addition to Lebanese authorities led by the president, the prime minister and the speaker,” he said.

“We don't have ties with any other party except for mayors and municipal chiefs,” Tenenti added.

His comments came after a decision by the European Union's foreign ministers last week to blacklist Hizbullah's military wing.

“Nothing has changed since the last EU decision,” he said.