Operation JADE

Transcript of video

Colonel Darwin Gould, Deputy Chief of Staff, United Nations Truce Supervision Organization

This mission — UNTSO, which is the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization — has 153 military observers from 23 different troop-contributing countries. This is the oldest peacekeeping mission that exists in the U.N., since 1949, and it represents the only real agreement between the Arab countries and Israel since the creation of the state of Israel. We have a total of eight Canadians here now: four on the Golan, two of which are on the Israeli side of the Golan, two on the Syrian side of the Golan, and we have three Canadians right now in Lebanon.

Captain Doug Levandier, United Nations Military Observer, Golan Heights

Well, essentially the Golan Heights was taken over by the Israelis in 1967, in the Six-Day War. In 1973, Syria attempted to retrieve the Golan in what became known as the Yom Kippur War. This war lasted for 16 days, at which point in time the ceasefire agreement that was proposed by the United Nations Security Council was signed by all parties involved, and that brought a ceasefire to the hostilities. The following year, 1974, the Agreement of Disengagement was signed, and this Agreement of Disengagement gives the U.N., and specifically the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, its current mandate, which is essentially to assist both Israel and Syria to observe the provisions of the 1974 Agreement of Disengagement.

The United Nations Military Observer — his task in achieving this mission is to conduct patrols, to observe, to report, and inspect installations, both military installations on the Israeli-occupied Golan, and in the Syrian, Arabic, armed forces area.

Captain Andrew Bailey, United Nations Military Observer, Australian Army

In the Area of Separation, we’re looking for any violation that’s taking place in that area, so that can include anything from shepherds crossing the Alpha Line right down to things like Syrian soldiers entering the Area of Separation, or other armed people who are not supposed to be in this area. As part of our duties, we’ll also patrol within the Area of Limitation, which is actually in Israeli territory, out to about 25 kilometres into Israeli-occupied Golan, where we’re looking for other violations that are taking place, that are different to the ones in the Area of Separation.

We observe and we report the violation, and the violation is then responded to by UNDOF [the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force], who’ll send a patrol out to investigate what we’ve seen.

Colonel Darwin Gould, Deputy Chief of Staff, United Nations Truce Supervision Organization

I think the biggest success that we do have is staying in touch with the local population. We have interpreters that allow us to communicate with the local folks, and we eliminate any possibilities of flare-ups, of conflicts, by handling the small issues.

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Public Affairs Officer: Capt George Vriniotis
Camera: MCpl Jason Law
Editor: MCpl Jason Law
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