The Sinai Peace Front: UN Peacekeeping Operations in the Middle East, 1973-1980

Hardcover, xx + 236 pages, numerous b&w photos and maps in text, NOT ex-library. Book is clean and bright throughout, untanned, with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. A touch of rubbing to board edges. Bright dust jacket with a couple of tears (treated with transparent tape). -- Sweden, a neutral state since early in the nineteenth century, has made an active contribution, with forces and observers, to most of the United Nations peacekeeping operations. The benefit has been mutual: for the UN the commitment of a prosperous state with a tradition of military preparedness despite its neutrality, and for Sweden the opportunity to practise military leadership and test its soldiers in in complex situations, often involving actual fighting. Sweden's important activity in this field has been little documented, and hardly at all in languages other than Swedish. This is now remedied with a comprehensive case-study of a model UN operation which directly affected the political result - which was the transformation of Sinai, a classic theatre of war, into a peace front. The study is in two parts. The first is chronological, and begins with the establishment of the UN Emergency Force (UNEF II) after the October War of 1973; the political antecedents involving the Secretary-General, the Security Council and the countries approached for contributions; the interposition of "mini-battalions" between the Egyptian and Israeli front lines; the UNEF build-up, the complex separation of forces, the establishment of the blue helmets in the buffer-zones, routine activities and incidents, and finally after a peace treaty the winding-up of the UN force. The despatch of a Swedish advance guard to a new peacekeeping force in Lebanon in 1978 is also described. The three levels and locations of command - UN headquarters in New York, UNEF headquarters, and the fourteen successive Swedish contingents are all given their due weight. The second part is analytical, looking not only at the course of events, but at the different concerns of the military staff: operational, logistical and personal. The final chapter sums up the essential experience and lessons of the operation, with some proposals for improvements. -- Contents: Chronology of UN interventions in the Middle East; UNEF II: basic data; Part I. Course of Events 1. Background of war [Palestine, Suez, June Wars; War of Attrition & October War] 2. UN intervention 3. "Fire brigade" from Cyprus 4. Battalion from Sweden [Interrupted training; Two battalions in co-operation; Baptism of fire & transfer of responsibility; Fragile armistice; Assignments in Alexandria and Suez] 5. Troop separation [Change of scene to Geneva; Peace conference & Military Working Group; Strength & weakness of UNEF; Sinai I becomes Operation Calendar; What did they do at battalion level?] 6. First buffer-zone 7. Further into Sinai 8. Lebanon calling 9. Peace and winding-up [Sadat-Begin-Carter; Tottering mandate; Changed task; Last UNEF contingent but; A new peace force underway] Part II. Functional Analyses 10. Operational functions [Flexible organization, fixed rotation; Violations by the parties. UN reactions; Intelligence: a dirty word in the UN?; Communications: everybody's business; Command at different levels; Relations, negotiations, co-operation] 11. Logistics & finance [Procedure & terminology; Weapons, clogs, "candy mountain"; Health & hygiene go together; Mail & money; Air safer than road; Financing the operation] 12. Personnel: the primary resource [Planning & results; Welfare in a desert environment; Broadcasting, newsletter & magazine; Physical training & field sports; Crime & punishment] 13. Odd functions 14. Conclusions and suggestions [The need for speed; Better equipment and logistics; Despite motley structure, despite delays]; Appendixes I. Places and Events II. Egyptian-Israeli agreement on disengagement of forces in pursuance of the Geneva Peace Conference; Sources and literature; Index.