A feature of international diplomacy since the Second World War has been the multi-national Peacekeeping Force. Normally such a force involves military personnel to help maintain or restore peace in areas of conflict. The military personnel are provided on a voluntary basis by different countries with the consent of the host governments and usually with the consent of other parties directly involved. The Peacekeeping Force has the role of an objective and impartial third party that helps to create and maintain a cease-fire or form a buffer zone between conflicting sides. The forces usually fall into two broad categories; unarmed military observers, or lightly armed infantry units of battalion strength. These infantry battalions of one country are usually supported by logistic units provided by another country. Australia has supported peacekeeping operations in the Middle East with military observers and logistic support units, but not with infantry units.
Section 68(3) VEA defines Peacekeeping Forces as forces raised or organised for peacekeeping purposes and described in Schedule 3 VEA, or as so designated by the Minister in a notice published in the Commonwealth Gazette. All Peacekeeping Forces that have had an Australian contribution, including those forces that no longer operate, are listed in Schedule 3. All the forces in the Middle East were organised by the United Nations except for the Sinai Multinational Force and Observers. References for the United Nations missions include Michael Harbottle, The Blue Berets, Stackpole Books 1971 and United Nations Department of Information, The Blue Helmets, United Nations Publications 1985
The first peacekeeping operation in the Middle East was the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) which continues to operate to this day. It was created during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 to supervise the truce called for in Palestine by the United Nations. In 1949 its military observers remained to supervise the Armistice Agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbours which formed the basis of an uneasy truce in the area for many years. The activities of UNTSO from its beginning have been spread over the territory of five countries; Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The functions of the military observers have altered to meet the changed conditions caused by wars in 1956, 1967 and 1973 but observers have stayed in the area to act as go-between for the hostile parties and so prevent isolated incidents from escalating into major conflicts.
In early 1972, tension heightened on the Israel-Lebanon border as a result of Palestinian attacks across the border into Israel and reprisals by Israel in Southern Lebanon. At the request of the Lebanese Government, UNTSO observers were stationed on the Lebanese side from April 1972. Five posts were established with a strength of 34 observers and, since UN observers are never armed, the Lebanese army established a check-post next to each UN post.
In 1975, civil war broke out in Lebanon and the Lebanese army disintegrated, leaving the observers manning the posts on their own in an increasingly dangerous situation. The UN secretary-general asked the observers to continue to operate as before in spite of the changed conditions. On a number of occasions, observers' vehicles were hijacked and their observation posts were forced into one faction or another but, on the whole, the fighting factions respected the status of the observers. Reports by the observers made no mention of the Lebanese civil war since they were only concerned with the cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon. The UNTSO observers remained at the border until March 1978 when they were withdrawn after Israel invaded Lebanon.
The UNTSO headquarters is in Jerusalem with UNTSO military observers attached to the Peacekeeping Forces in the area. Observers are attached to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force on the Golan Heights and, in Southern Lebanon, to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. When United Nations Emergency Force II was withdrawn in July 1979, five observation posts were established in the Sinai and manned by UNTSO observers and a liaison office opened in Cairo in an arrangement that continues to the present. In 1982, the Observation Group Beirut was formed with 50 observers. This was reduced to 18 observers in 1985. In addition to helping Peacekeeping Forces in the Arab-Israeli area, UNTSO helped organise the United Nations forces in the Congo in 1960 and in Yemen in 1963.
Seventeen countries presently provide military observers to UNTSO which has an authorised strength of 298. Australian Army officers have served with UNTSO since 1956 and today thirteen are serving. UNTSO is listed in Schedule 3 VEA, with 1 June 1956 as the date Australians commenced with that Peacekeeping Force.
On 6 October 1973, war broke out again in the Middle East when simultaneous surprise attacks were launched against Israel by Egyptian troops crossing the Suez Canal and Syrian troops attacking in the Golan Heights. The Egyptians advanced east of the canal. The Israelis counterattacked and, when a cease-fire came into force, both the Israelis and Egyptians had forces on either side of the canal.
The first United Nations Emergency Force had served as a buffer between Egyptian and Israeli forces from November 1956 until withdrawn at the request of Egypt prior to the June 1967 war. Australia did not contribute troops to that force. The United Nations Emergency Force II (UNEF II) was formed to supervise the cease-fire following the October 1973 war. Following agreements between Egypt and Israel on 18 January 1974 and 4 September 1975, UNEF II was given the responsibility of supervising the redeployment of forces and manning and controlling the buffer zones east of Suez and in the Sinai Peninsula that were established by those agreements.
Australian contribution to UNEF II commenced in July 1976 when four helicopters and 46 air crew and support personnel joined the force. The termination of UNEF II occurred as a direct result of the peace treaty concluded in March 1979 between Egypt and Israel under the auspices of the United States. That treaty provided that, upon completion of phased Israeli withdrawal over three years, security arrangements on both sides of the Israeli-Egyptian border would be made with the assistance of United Nations forces and observers. The intention of the parties was to have UNEF II perform these duties but strong opposition to the treaty from the PLO and many Arab states and opposition from the Security Council caused the mandate to lapse on 24 July 1979. UNEF II forces were quickly repatriated although the Australian helicopter unit remained in the area until October in order to assist in the winding up of the Force. UNEF II is listed in Schedule 3 VEA as commencing on 1 July 1976.
After the end of the October 1973 war, tension on the Israeli-Egyptian front quickly eased after an agreement was negotiated and UNEF II formed. On the Syrian Front in the Golan Heights, where Israeli counter-attacks had gained additional territory, tension remained high. The situation became increasingly unstable in March 1974 and remained so until 31 May 1974 when the mediation mission of the United States Secretary of State resulted in a Disengagement Agreement between Israeli and Syrian Forces.
The United Nation Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was formed to maintain the cease-fire, to see that it was strictly observed and to supervise the agreement with regard to the areas of separation and limitation. The United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) had set up temporary observation posts in the Golan Heights in October 1973 which continued until UNDOF was formed. UNDOF then assumed command over 90 UNTSO observers in that area. Six countries have contributed forces to UNDOF which continues in operation to this date. Australia has not supported UNDOF with forces but it is listed in Schedule 3 of the VE Act. This would be to cover Australian UNTSO observers who have been or may be allotted to UNDOF. There are presently 8 UNTSO observers assigned to UNDOF. Schedule 3 VEA lists the commencement date of UNDOF as 1 January 1974 but, as noted above, the Agreement that led to the formation of UNDOF was not signed until 31 May 1974.
The UN Security Council set up the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon on 19 March 1978 for cease-fire observation along the Israel-Lebanon border. Although Australia has not contributed units to this force (which continues to operate), it did supply the arms and ammunition for the Fijian contingent. Since UNTSO military observers are attached to UNIFIL it is possible that some Australians have provided assistance to UNIFIL. UNIFIL is listed in Schedule 3 VEA as commencing on 23 March 1978.
Although the March 1979 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt caused UNEF II to disband, the role was taken over by the Sinai Multinational Force and Observers. In an annex to the March 1979 treaty, the United States undertook to organise a multinational force of equivalent strength to UNEF II if the United Nations was unable or unwilling to provide the forces envisaged by the treaty. In February 1982, Australia announced that is would contribute to the force by providing a helicopter unit. The unit was formed at El Garah in the Sinai on 22 March 1982 and comprised eight Iroquois helicopters and 100 air crew and support personnel. The Australians were withdrawn in March 1986.
The preceding Peacekeeping Forces all related to the Arab/Israeli wars. The other Middle East United Nations peacekeeping operation was in Yemen. Civil War broke out in that country in September 1962 after the army overthrew the monarchy and proclaimed a republic. The civil war quickly became an international issue with Egypt supporting the royalists. A United Nations peace initiative eventually led to the establishment of the United Nations Yemen Observation Mission (UNYOM). A demilitarised zone was to be established to a distance of 20 kilometres on each side of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen border with UNYOM observers stationed there to check on the observance of the terms of disengagement. Australian observers joined the mission when it was formed and stayed until November 1963 when the personnel and equipment requirements were reassessed. UNYOM was finally withdrawn on 4 September 1964 without having achieved its aim but relations between the parties improved shortly after withdrawal of UNYOM and the problems were resolved. UNYOM is listed in Schedule 3 VEA as commencing on 1 January 1963 although the mission did not commence until 4 July 1963.
Service rendered as a member of the ADF assigned for service on or after 21 April 2003 with Operation Paladin is non-warlike service under subsection 5C(1) [10] of the VEA.
This determination (view copy in the Service Eligibility Assistant in the Legislation Library [11]) was made by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs for and on behalf of the Minister for Defence on 17 June 2003.
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