U.N. PEACEKEEPERS TURN TO HEZBOLLAH FOR PROTECTION

UN Peacekeepers Turn to Hizbullah for Protection - Nicholas Blanford
The UN peacekeepers in Lebanon are led by elite European troops, but a year on, UNIFIL finds itself under threat not from the Shiite Hizbullah, but from radical Sunni militants possibly inspired by al-Qaeda. Some UNIFIL contingents are now seeking the cooperation of Hizbullah, which also views militant Sunnis as a threat, to help provide tacit security for the peacekeepers, Hizbullah and UNIFIL sources say. Last month, six Spanish and Colombian soldiers serving with UNIFIL were killed when a car bomb exploded beside their armored vehicle. Last week, a UNIFIL jeep was damaged when a bomb exploded nearby, confirming fears that last month's bombing was not a random act. In both attacks, radical Sunnis are the prime suspects. (Christian Science Monitor)