www.military.ie the defence forces magazine
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O
n 18th January 1979, un Secretary-general Kurt Waldheim
formally requested the Dutch government to provide an armoured
infantry battalion to unIFIl. the Council of Ministers agreed to accede
to the request and that the battalion would initially be deployed for one year.
the Ministry of Defence assigned the task to Zuidlaren-based 44 Armoured
Infantry battalion (Regiment Johan Willem Friso), which had been available
for un tasks since 1965.
Typical activities for Dutchbatt, and in effect UNIFIL as a whole, if not indeed
all traditional UN operations, were to actually prevent the threat and use of
force by what sometimes seemed like endless negotiation.
Nevertheless, UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura often made use of the ser-
vices of the FMR. Dutchbatt made a name for itself as part of the FMR in two
separate incidents. During the period between the Israeli invasions of March
1978 and June 1982, the IDF conducted several small-scale military operations in
the UNIFIL area. One was on 9th May 1979 in the town of Shaqra in the eastern
part of the Irish battalion sector. The Israelis arrived here with a mechanised
force of at least battalion strength to track down PLO sympathisers. The FMR,
which was conducting its first major assignment at Shaqra, stopped them.
Chief Operations Officer J Tjassens, who assumed command at the scene, used
a combination of talking and sabre-rattling to force the Israeli antagonists to
sound the retreat.
On another occasion, in April 1980, the FMR again showed what it was made
of when Major Haddad's DFF (De Facto Forces) tried to set up an observation
post in At Tiri, in Irishbatt's area. Irishbatt resisted and surrounded the intrud-
ers. Heavy fire by the DFF on the Irish prompted a decision by UNIFIL HQ to
send the FMR, under the command of Capt WJTM Jeurissen, to At Tiri. The
deployment of the TOW wire-guided anti-tank missile convinced Haddad's
men that withdrawal would be the best option. These were, however, inciden-
tal successes. It was by no means the case that UNIFIL was at all times able to
perform its task properly.
The helplessness of the peacekeepers was particularly distressing after June
1982, following the Israeli invasion into Lebanon. After June 1982, UNIFIL in ef-
fect had to operate in Israeli-occupied or Israeli-controlled territory, and the IDF
no longer took much notice of the UN presence.
On 20th June 1983, the Council of Ministers decided to terminate the Dutch
contribution to UNIFIL with effect from 19th October 1983, because UNIFIL
was unable to perform its tasks properly; certainly after the Israeli invasion
the previous year. Furthermore, the risk of clashes with Israeli military and
Israeli-backed militias was considered too high. Under enormous international
pressure from the UN, a number of Arab countries, and the US in particular, the
Council of Ministers decided at the last minute to reconsider its decision and
instead reduced the Dutch contribution to a reinforced company of 155 person-
nel, which carried out the same role as the withdrawn battalion.
On 4th October 1985, the Dutch government again decided to withdraw the
entire Dutch contribution to UNIFIL, and on 17th October Dutchcoy handed
over its responsibilities to Nepbatt and Fijibatt.
In March 1981 Dutchbatt received the Prince Maurits Medal from the Royal
Netherlands Association 'Our Army', and was awarded the Bronze Shield by the
commander-in-chief of the Royal Netherlands Army in October 1983. Dutchbatt
was also recognised for its efforts with the 1985 Carnegie-Waterler peace prize
in January 1986.
this is an abridged version of an article produced by the netherlands Ministry of Defence.
(Photos courtesy of www.unmultimedia.org) To read the full article visit: www.defensie.nl/english/topics/historical-mis-
sions/documents/leaflets/2011/01/20/united-nations-interim-force-in-lebanon-unifil-6
UNIFIL FC Maj Gen Emmanuel Erskine
inspects the Dutch Battalion at Bn HQ,
Haris. 1st May 1980.
Dutchbatt on patrol near As Siddiqin.
Dutchbatt personnel in Haris, May 1980.
UNIFIL monument in Tyre, Lebanon
