Threats to the security of Polish military contingents in the UN forces on the example of the PMC in Lebanon – experiences and perspectives

Abstract

This paper attempts to identify threats to the security environment of Lebanon and the prospects for their changes, affecting the activities of Polish military contingents and their personnel, taking into account historical aspects, internal and external threats and contemporary conditions of the security environment of the region and Lebanon. It uses the results of research conducted by the author in the years 2012-2020. Included in the study there are Polish military contingents operating as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) between 1992 and 2009, such as: the Polish Military Medical Unit, the Polish Military Contingent in Lebanon (PMC Lebanon/PMC UNIFIL), and the “new” PMC in Lebanon, which began performing mandated tasks in November 2019. Polish contingent operations in Lebanon have been affected by the aftermath of the never-ending conflict with Israel since 1948, the civil war in Syria, the growth of terrorist organisations in the Levant region, Shiite Hezbollah, growing in terms of military strength and political influence, and nearly two million war refugees. These factors resulted in a significant increase in threats to peacekeepers and observers serving in Lebanon, and the primary source of these threats is the direct impact caused by the enemy using various heavy weapons, aviation and other arms in attacks on the bases, patrols and posts of the contingent’s subdivisions. UNIFIL forces, together with the PMC Lebanon, are likely to face the problem of “participation” in another armed conflict, whether small or large-scale. The PMC soldiers, due to their deployment and the nature of their tasks, are likely to be exposed to possible personnel loss and material damage.