Should Fiji 軍隊／機動隊s be in Syria as UN （国連の）平和維持軍s?
SUVA, Fiji (AP) ― For years, Fiji's tiny 軍の 軍隊 has carried out two high-profile 仕事s: 主要な クーデターs, and peacekeeping. It's a mix that has drawn questions ― now more than ever, with 45 Fijian 軍隊／機動隊s 逮捕（する）d by Syrian 謀反のs.
The 軍隊 of just 3,500 is 充てるd 大部分は to peacekeeping around the world, but 欠如（する）s the sophisticated 金物類／武器類 other 軍のs rely on to keep their 軍隊／機動隊s 安全な. The 軍隊／機動隊s have not trained with their Australian, New Zealand and American 相当するものs since 2006, when the 軍の took 支配（する）／統制する of this relaxed South 太平洋の nation of 900,000.
Fiji wasn't even sure at first how many of its 軍隊／機動隊s were 逮捕（する）d last week in the Golan 高さs, where they were part of a U.N. 軍隊 that has 監視するd the 緩衝地帯 between Syria and イスラエル for four １０年間s. The U.N. 発表するd that 43 were taken. Fiji later said it was 44. By Monday, Fiji had raised the number to 45.
Jone Baledrokadroka, Fiji's former land 軍隊s 指揮官 who is now a visiting fellow at the Australian 国家の University in Canberra, said the Golan 高さs （軍隊などの）展開，配備 appeared 急ぐd.
"They decided to go in June last year, and by August they were in," he said. "It was やめる 迅速な. I knew they didn't have the 兵たん業務 and training for such a （軍隊などの）展開，配備, or for the 増大するing 暴力／激しさ in Syria."
The U.N. says its （国連の）平和維持軍s are 井戸／弁護士席 vetted.
"The training, 準備 and background of the 軍隊／機動隊s are looked at very carefully," said Osnat Lubrani, the U.N. 居住（者） 調整者／コーディネーター in Fiji. She addedthat "the 意向 of sending 軍隊／機動隊s is that they are not meant to be in danger at all."
Fijians this week have been 持つ／拘留するing candlelight 徹夜s for their 軍隊／機動隊s, who have been held by the al-Qaida-linked Nusra 前線 in an unknown 場所 since Aug. 28. The U.N. says it's 交渉するing with the 謀反のs, who have made several 需要・要求するs for 解放（する）ing the Fijians, 含むing 存在 taken off the U.N. テロリスト 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）.
Fiji has long taken on an outsized 役割 in the world's peacekeeping 義務s, even as it has been roiled by several 国内の クーデターs. The 軍の 約束s it will finally 持つ／拘留する democratic 選挙s this month.
The U.N. has been willing to overlook Fiji's 国内の problems when it comes to 受託するing its （国連の）平和維持軍s for dangerous and 人気がない assignments. For Fiji, the work means international prestige and 好意／親善.
In 2009, New Zealand's 外務大臣 Murray McCully called the U.N. "utterly hypocritical."
"It's very hard to see how they can 正当化する using 軍の people who have overthrown the 支配する of 法律 in their own country as the スパイ／執行官s to 施行する the 支配する of 法律 as （国連の）平和維持軍s somewhere else," McCully told The New Zealand 先触れ（する） newspaper.
McCully said Wednesday his position has changed now that Fiji has 約束d 選挙s, and New Zealand welcomes Fiji's peacekeeping 役割.
James Brown, a 軍の fellow at Australia's Lowy 学校／設ける for International 政策 and a former Australian 指揮官, said that 事前の to 2006, the Fijians were good 兵士s.
"Their basic 軍の 技術s were pretty impressive. They did lots of training in Fiji and lots of training with us," he said. "明白に, they lac k a lot of sophisticated 器具／備品 that other 軍のs have. They don't have the 知能 and 監視 systems."
Brown said he can't be sure how 井戸／弁護士席 trained the Fijians have been since the クーデター. He said he's aware they've been doing some training at a 国家の 弁護 university in 中国, which has become a の近くに 同盟（する） to Fiji in 最近の years.
Fiji 認めるs that some of its 逮捕（する）d 兵士s had no previous peacekeeping experience before 存在 placed in one of the world's most dangerous and volatile 地域s.
"There's a mixture of old 兵士s and new 兵士s," said Brig. Gen. Mosese Tikoitoga, the 長，率いる of Fiji's 軍の. "In every peacekeeping 使節団 we go to, we take new 兵士s 同様に."
He said his 兵士s have never before 直面するd the level of radicalism they've 設立する in Syria.
"These Fijian 兵士s have watched 武装した elements behead people beside their gate," he said. "That would have 弱めるd anybody in their 権利 mind."
Tikoitoga said the Fijians were overmatched with the firepower of the 謀反のs and he agreed with the 決定／判定勝ち（する） by the U.N. peacekeeping 指揮官 to 降伏する and turn over their 武器s.
"The question running through the 指揮官's mind was, 'Do I become a tiger and fight? Or do I become a cat and fight another day?'" Tikoitoga said.
The Philippine 軍の says it 反抗するd a 類似の U.N. request to 降伏する when its 軍隊／機動隊s were surrounded by the 謀反のs; they pulled off a daring escape instead. The Philippine 軍の says a U.N. 指揮官 should be 調査／捜査するd as a result.
Baledrokadroka, the former Fijian 指揮官, said it was "やめる 乱すing" to see the Fijians surrend er while the Filipinos escaped.
"It's the 義務 of every 兵士 to not be 武装解除するd, to resist 存在 逮捕（する）d," he said. "It's a shock to every former 兵士 like me to know this has happened. It's やめる a big blow to our 戦争の traditions. Fijians have been known as 軍人s 負かす／撃墜する through the ages."
But Philippine Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang said the Fijians may have had little choice because they were cornered after they 退却／保養地d to a （船に）燃料を積み込む／（軍）地下えんぺい壕.
U.N. peacekeeping spokespeople could not be すぐに reached for comment this week.
Fiji's 指揮官 says the nation won't abandon its 使節団 in Syria, and he is even willing to 取って代わる the 45 軍隊／機動隊s if they need to recuperate if and when they are 解放（する）d.
Baledrokadroka said he finds that 態度 staggering.
"This is incredible," he said. "When you look at other democratic countries, they're looking at pulling out, but this 政権 in Fiji is just doing things 片側だけに."
Austria and Croatia pulled their Golan 高さs （国連の）平和維持軍s last year over 恐れるs they would be 的d. The Philippines has said it's leaving in October, and Ireland has 脅すd to 身を引く. の中で the 1,250 軍隊／機動隊s remaining are those from India, Nepal and the Netherlands.
The U.N. 支払う／賃金s nations $1,028 each month per 兵士 ― not enough to 支払う／賃金 the 給料 of 軍隊／機動隊s in developed nations but above the going 率 in poorer ones like Fiji.
Baledrokadroka said his understanding is that while the Fiji 軍の used to pocket the difference, the Fijian 軍隊／機動隊s are now getting the 十分な reimbursement 率, which, in turn, is attracting plenty of new 新採用するs.
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Perry 報告（する）／憶測d from Wellington, New Zealand. Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, 与える／捧げるd to this 報告（する）／憶測.
