![\"Fijians\"](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Fijians-300x168.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nTwo weeks ago, 45 Fijian Peacekeepers under control of the UN were captured by al-Qaeda Syrian rebels. Yesterday they were finally released, according to the Associated Press<\/a>;<\/p>\n Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said it played a role in winning the release of the peacekeepers through mediation. Qatar said it became involved at at Fiji’s request. The official Qatar News Agency reported late Thursday that the tiny Arab Gulf emirate had “succeeded in the release of the Fijian soldiers.”<\/p>\n […]<\/p>\n At U.N. headquarters, the Fijians’ release was greeted with relief and renewed indignation.<\/p>\n Fiji’s U.N. Mission tweeted a photo of diplomats celebrating with their thumbs up, reading: “Free at last! Thumbs up from the Fiji Permanent Mission in New York to our 45 brave Fijian UNDOF peacekeepers.”<\/p>\n Jordan’s U.N. Ambassador Dina Kawar said the idea of peacekeepers being taken hostage “is just impossible to accept because it will happen more and more, and that will make countries hesitant about sending their armies, so we were very happy.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Yeah, it sounds like someone paid a ransom, so that should stop the practice. <\/p>\n By the way, no Filipino peacekeepers were released, mostly because the Filipinos didn’t throw down their weapons<\/a> like they were ordered to do by their UN commander. The UN refutes that<\/a>;<\/p>\n In a press briefing in New York on Wednesday, Herv\u00e9 Ladsous, UN Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, belied the claims of the Filipino peacekeepers that they were ordered by their commander, Lt. Gen. Iqbal Singh Singha, to surrender their arms to the rebels last week.<\/p>\n Asked what order was given to the Filipinos, Ladsous replied, “Never to hand over weapons.”<\/p>\n The order was simply “not to shoot,” he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Yeah, that’s so different.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"