Séries 15 - Peacekeeping Records in the Middle East

On September 29, 1982, President Reagan reported the deployment of 1200 marines to serve in a temporary multinational force to facilitate the restoration of Lebanese government sovereignty. On Sept. 29, 1983, Congress passed the Multinational Force in Lebanon Resolution (P.L. 98-119) authorizing the continued participation for eighteen months.

Since 1972, southern Lebanon had been the theatre of hostilities between Palestinian groups on the one hand, and Israeli forces and its local Lebanese auxiliary on the other. After Israeli forces invaded southern Lebanon in 1978 following a Palestinian commando raid in Israel, the Security Council called upon for respect for the integrity, sovereignty and independence of Lebanon, called upon Israel to withdraw, and established the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in March 1978. This Force was to confirm the withdrawl of Israeli forces, restore international peace and security, and assist Lebanon in re-establishing its authority in the area. Hostilities have continued and UNIFIL, for its part, has sought to contain the conflict and protect the population.

Iran and Iraq were at war for almost eight years before they agreed to a cease-fire in August 1988. It took until 8 August for the agreement to be signed with the cease-fire to begin on 20 August. The United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG) had the following mandate: establish and monitor the cease-fire line between the protagonists; investigate violations; negotiate a simultaneous withdrawal; supervise withdrawal to international boundaries; and gain agreement from both sides to avoid increased tensions.
UNIIMOG continued to perform its tasks until 17 January 1991, at which time the Iraqi-based observers and staff were removed in the wake of the Gulf War. On 28 February 1991 the Security Council allowed UNIIMOG's mandate to expire.