UNiFEED Story: LEBANON / TRAINING EXERCISE (2.43), The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) carries out a live fire exercise in Southern Lebanon together with the Lebanese Armed Forces. It is the second exercise of its kind conducted since the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1701. UNIFIL

27 August 2008

LEBANON / TRAINING EXERCISE (2.43)

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) carries out a live fire exercise in Southern Lebanon together with the Lebanese Armed Forces. It is the second exercise of its kind conducted since the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1701. UNIFIL

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STORY: LEBANON / TRAINING EXERCISE
TRT: 2.43
SOURCE: UNIFIL
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 27 AUGUST 2008, SOUTH OF UNIFIL HHEADQUARTERS, NAQOURA, SOUTHERN LEBANON

SHOTLIST:

1.	Zoom out, UNIFIL artillery to whole site
2.	Wide shot, tent with officers waiting
3.	Med shot, Lebanese officers discussing
4.	Med shot, Maritime Task Force ship far out at sea
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Colonel Joseph Rodrigues, Head of Quick Reaction Force:
"UNIFIL's Quick Reaction Force is performing today its force artillery live firing exercise. This is the second one that it is conducting in very close coordination with Lebanese Armed Forces and namely the 65th Artillery Battalion."
6.	Med shot, Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and UNIFIL officers conversing
7.	UNIFIL peacekeepers keeping a look out from an APC
8.	Wide shot, UNIFIL canon firing
9.	Med shot, UNIFIL canon firing
10.	Med shot, LAF officers checking impact site through binoculars
11.	Close up, UNIFIL officer checking impact site through binoculars
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Colonel Joseph Rodrigues, Head of Quick Reaction Force:
"This is a very complicated exercise to mount and to coordinate it because we need to ensure security at sea with UNIFIL boats and Lebanese boats, we need to ensure security also in the sky and to create a safe box with no flight and we need to ensure security on the ground and because this is very complicated we need to do it in very close coordination with Lebanese Armed Forces and they take benefit of these organization to also train and practice."
13.  Wide shot, UNIFIL officers at APC watching
14.  Wide shot, four UNIFIL cannon firing simultaneously
15.  Wide shot, LAF canon firing
16.  Med shot, LAF soldiers loading canon
17.  Close up, LAF officer on phone communicating coordinates
18.  Med shot, LAF canon firing
19.  Wide shot, look out point with officers watching
20.  Med shot, LAF canon firing
21.  Wide shot, Deputy Force Commander arriving at site and shaking hands with LAF officers
22.  Wide shot, group of officers being briefed on exercise
23.  Wide shot, UNIFIL and LAF canons firing simultaneously
24.  Med shot, UNIFIL artillery moving position
25.  Wide shot, four UNIFIL canons firing simultaneously out to sea

STORYLINE:

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today conducted a joint live fire training exercise with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) near Nagoura in southern Lebanon.

In this second exercise of its kind carried out since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) 66th Artillery Battalion worked closely with UNIFIL's Quick Reaction Force Field Artillery Group.

SOUNDBITE (English) Colonel Joseph Rodrigues, Head of Quick Reaction Force:
"UNIFIL's Quick Reaction Force is performing today its force artillery live firing exercise. This is the second one that it is conducting in very close coordination with Lebanese Armed Forces and namely the 65th Artillery Battalion."

The joint exercise aimed to maintain the efficiency of LAF and UNIFIL field artillery units and achieve better coordination between them through improved procedures and mutual knowledge.

SOUNDBITE (English) Colonel Joseph Rodrigues, Head of Quick Reaction Force:
"This is a very complicated exercise to mount and to coordinate it because we need to ensure security at sea with UNIFIL boats and Lebanese boats, we need to ensure security also in the sky and to create a safe box with no flights and we need to ensure security on the ground and because this is very complicated. We need to do it in very close coordination with Lebanese Armed Forces and they take benefit of this organization to also train and practice."

In organizing the exercise, limiting any potential disturbance to the local population was a priority. The targets were located at sea in order to limit noise to any inhabited area, and the firing position was carefully chosen so as not to interfere with the local traffic. Safety in the maritime target area was ensured by UNIFIL Maritime Task Force and the Lebanese Navy.

The exercise is an example of ongoing cooperation between UNIFIL and LAF through coordinated operations and joint exercises in diverse areas of specialization, involving ground forces as well as naval and aerial units. A similar exercise was conducted by UNIFIL and LAF in March 2008.

UNIFIL was originally created by the Security Council in 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area. Following the July/August 2006 crisis, the Council by resolution 1701 enhanced UNIFIL and decided that in addition to the original mandate, it would, among other things, monitor the cessation of hostilities; accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy throughout the south of Lebanon; and extend its assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons.

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LEBANON / TRAINING EXERCISE (2.43)

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