Our peacekeepers deserve to be honoured.
LAST Saturday three unarmed UN military observers and a Lebanese interpreter were injured by an explosion near Rmeish inside Lebanon’s southern border with Israel.
One was an ADF member serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) staunchly denied initial reports it was responsible.
That Friday the IDF claimed to have eliminated a “senior Hezbollah commander” in a targeted drone strike in the town of Bazouriye, 32km to the northwest.
The IDF alleged Ali Naim directed attacks against Israeli civilians and released footage of that strike.
On January 12, 1988 ADF Captain Peter McCarthy was killed in South Lebanon when his jeep struck an anti-tank landmine.
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Failure to recognise those who serve their nation is evidenced by the lack of a Memorial to honour veterans of Timor, Iraq, or Afghanistan. The Army National Memorial in Canberra stands in recognition of 20th Century conflicts (up until Vietnam). The Government’s intention is to demolish the existing Memorial (relocating the statues) and to build another to honour soldiers who have served in all conflicts, including future ones. The intention had been to unveil the new Memorial on Army’s 125th Anniversary (1 January 2025). Lack of available funding and the low priority allocated to the project, however, mean that this is no longer possible. How can this be?