Inconvenient Truths: Cold War-Era Peacekeeping Experiences of Dutch UN Observers in the Middle East

Abstract The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in the Middle East, formed in 1948, is the longest-running peacekeeping mission to have been initiated by the United Nations (UN). This article, based on research in Dutch government policy and military documents, in private collections of Dutch former military observers, and in UN archives, examines UNTSO's performance during the first quarter-century of its existence, focusing especially on the role of Dutch personnel. In general, UNTSO often fell short in its performance in the 1950s and 1960s, failing to maintain a neutral position or to project credibility. The value of UNTSO mainly concerned the tactical level, where Dutch peacekeepers could intervene in ceasefire violations before they escalated into full-blown warfare. Throughout the Cold War, UNTSO was restricted to managing a deliberately created impasse. What remained was a bare observer corps that could not serve as an effective tool of international crisis management.