Published monthly by the Public InformationOffice of the United Nations PeacekeepingForce in Cyprus, HQ UNFICYP, PO Box21642, Nicosia 1590, Cyprus.

Tel: 22864550/22864416/22864408Fax: 22864461E-mail: unficyp-blue-beret@un.org

blueberetcyprus@hotmail.comWeb site: www.unficyp.org

Editorial TeamBrian KellyMaj. Ingrid TomekováMiriam TaylorPhotographySSgt. George CséfalvayContingent Photographers

Unit Press OfficersSector 1 Maj. German LozanoSector 2 Capt. James SouthallSector 4 1/Lt. Ladislav Regenda

1/Lt. Peter Valastyán MDUNCIVPOL Garda Alice TierneyUN Flt Lt. Martin Romero MolinaMFR Sgt. Anthony BennettFMPU Capt. Fiona SmithThe Blue Beret is the in-house journal ofthe United Nations Peacekeeping Force inCyprus. The views expressed are those ofthe authors concerned, and do not neces-sarily conform with official policy.Articles of general interest are invited fromall members of the Force. Photographs,together with captions, should accompanythe articles.The copyright of all material in this journalis vested in United Nations Publications.Any article or illustration may be repro-duced with the written permission of theEditor.

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2 September 2003 - The Blue Beret

Towards Literacy For AllSeptember 8th marked the first Literacy Day ofthe United Nations Literacy Decade – the inter-national action campaign launched last Februaryto promote improved literacy rates around theworld so that they might grow by 50 per cent by2015.

Of the 860 million-plus illiterate adults in theworld today, two-thirds are women, hence thespecial initial emphasis on raising women’sliteracy as a stepping stone to the ultimate goalof literacy for all.

In his special message to mark the firstLiteracy Day, the Secretary-General points out:“Literacy unlocks the door to learningthroughout life, is essential to development andhealth, and opens the way for democraticparticipation and active citizenship.”

No society can be complacent. No societycan claim illiteracy has been fully eradicated.True, the challenge is greatest in developingcountries, however many developed countriesare experiencing modest but worrying levels ofilliteracy. Wherever it exists, “illiteracy isconnected to patterns of poverty, socialexclusion and inequalities”, the SG said.

It cannot be addressed in isolation. Rather, itdemands teamwork involving every level ofgovernment, civil society, the private sector,community groups, professional educators and,last but not least, family, friends and colleaguesof those seeking to develop their literacy skills.

Again, in the Secretary-General’s words:“Acquiring literacy is an empowering process,enabling millions to enjoy access to knowledgeand information, which broadens horizons,increases opportunities and creates alternativesfor building a better life. It is essential to theeducation of girls and the empowerment ofwomen, the most effective tools we know fordevelopment across all society.”

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Front Cover: Medals at Salamis

Back Cover: UN Day 2003

Contents

3September 2003 - The Blue Beret

Editorial/Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2SG’s Annual Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3SG’s Remarks on Baghdad/

International Day of Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4/5Medal Parades: Sectors 1 and 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.7Cultural Heritage of Cyprus: Part XIV –

Buffavento Castle – Defying The Winds . . . . . . . . .8/9FMPU Investigate/New CO UN Flt . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10In Praise of Police Departing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Limassol Liaison Office/

Three Senators on Green Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Visitors to UNFICYP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1310 Years of ARGCON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Jumping for Joy?/Senior Staff on Green Line Tour . . .15

In his latest progress report on goals set in 2000 at theUnited Nations Millennium Summit, Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 8 September called for

renewed world unity on security issues after the Iraqwar, increased momentum if global development targetsare to be met, and rededication by rich countries to fulfiltheir pledges to the poor.

The Millennium Development Goals, ranging fromhalving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal primary education can stillbe reached by the 2015 deadline if, during the remaining12 years, “we maintain and increase the momentum ofthe last three years”, the SG told a press conference atUN Headquarters to launch his Report on the Imple-mentation of the Millennium Declaration 2003.

“But it depends on Member States being really deter-mined to act on the commitments they have made”, headded.

On peace and security, the SG said: “I am not evensure whether the consensus and the vision that theMillennium Declaration expressed are still intact… Weseem no longer to agree on what the main threats are, oron how to deal with them”. He added that he felt theUN system was not working as it should, and he hasasked world leaders to come to the world body’s annualGeneral Assembly session debate armed with goodideas on how to make it work better.

The report begins with a reference to the “majordisaster” of the 19 August terrorist attack on the UN’sBaghdad headquarters which killed 22 people,including SRSG for Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello.

The attack was “a direct challenge to the vision ofglobal security, rooted in the United Nations Charter,”which inspired the Millennium Declaration adopted byall world leaders at the Millennium Summit exactlythree years ago, the SG says. It was the latest in a seriesof events which make the consensus they thenexpressed on world peace and security look “less solidthan it did three years ago”, he adds.

In the chapter on peace andsecurity, the longest in the report, hewarns that “the international securityarchitecture… must be able to adaptto the needs of our time”, but notes aworrying lack of consensus aboutwhat those needs are. While someStates focus primarily on terrorismand the spread of weapons of massdestruction, “for many around theglobe, poverty, deprivation and civilwar remain the highest priority”.

The SG says it is “vitally impor-tant that the international communitynot allow the differences of the pastmonths to persist, and that it findunity of purpose around a commonsecurity agenda”, which, he adds,“can only be achieved if States, inpursuing their national interests,show understanding and respect forglobal realities, and for the needs ofothers”.

The common security agenda, he continues, “shouldreflect a global consensus on the major threats to peaceand security, be they old or new, and on our commonresponse”, and “should not shy away from the need toimprove and, where necessary, change the structure andfunctions of the United Nations and other internationalinstitutions”.

The Security Council needs to “regain the confi-dence of States and of world public opinion”, he says,and will be better able to do so “if it is perceived to bebroadly representative of the international communityas a whole and of the geo-political realities of the con-temporary world”. The SG hopes, therefore, thatMember States will redouble their efforts to reachagreement on enlarging the Council’s membership.

In the chapter on development, the SG places parti-cular emphasis on the need for developed countries tomeet their commitments to the developing world in theareas of trade, debt relief and aid. The success or failureof all the Millennium Development Goals hinges onthis, and developed countries should agree on deadlinesfor fulfilling their pledges, comparable to the 2015target for outcomes such as halving extreme poverty andhunger.

In the chapter on human rights, democracy and goodgovernance, he says “there is a danger that we mayretreat from some of the important gains” made duringthe 1990s, as human rights come under pressure bothfrom terrorism and from the methods used by countriesto fight it.

The report concludes with a chapter on “reinforcingmultilateral institutions” in which the SG calls for “ahard look” at the existing architecture of internationalinstitutions and, in particular, a review of the principalorgans of the UN itself – not only the Security Councilbut also the General Assembly, Economic and SocialCouncil (ECOSOC) and perhaps even the TrusteeshipCouncil.

SG’s Annual Report Urges Post-Iraq Unityand Review of UN Structure

Aftermath of the Baghdad bombing

September 2003 - The Blue Beret 54

19 September 2003Dear friends,Let me start by thanking the families and friends who madethe journey to be with us today, and by sending my prayers tothose who could not be here. Spouses, mothers, fathers,children, siblings and others who have lost their loved ones –our hearts go out to all of you.

I probably speak for most of us in saying that the past monthhas been among the longest and blackest in our lifetimes.

Today, we share our shock and sorrow at the loss of peoplewe loved. We meet to bring their families together with ourUnited Nations family. We pray for those who were woundedin this tragedy, for their strength and their recovery. We prayfor those who survived, but who have to endure a trauma therest of us cannot imagine.

We meet to express together what cannot be enduredalone. Even for those of us who have experience in dealingwith human loss and suffering on a large scale, this tragedy isdifferent, because it is our own.

When we learned the names of those we had lost on 19th

August 2003, the very nature of loss became suddenly andacutely personal.

So many of us knew closely one or more of those whodied. Even if we ourselves did not, we knew someone elsewho did. We felt as if we knew them all.

That is why, a month on, we feel that a deeper meaning hasbeen given to the expression “United Nations family”.

And if people need an example of our United Nationsfamily at its best and its brightest, at its most committed andmost courageous, they have only to look at the men andwomen who perished in the Canal Hotel.

Many of them were at the height of their careers. Otherswere just beginning, and had yet to make their full mark whenthey volunteered for their assignment in Iraq. All of themwere in the prime of life. All of them leave a huge void.

They form a roll call of heroes that would be the envy ofany nation.

By no measure of the human imagination can I speak forthose who shared their lives. That unwritten history can beinformed only by the love of family, friends and closecomrades. It forms the most eloquent history of all.

I can speak simply as one who shares in the groundswellof grief, affection and respect that follows their passing. Inthat spirit, let me try to speak to every one of them today. - First, to our national staff – Raid, Leen, Ihssan, Emaad and

Basim – I say: you were not only invaluable to our work inIraq, and dear members of our UN team there. You formed aprecious human bridge between us and the Iraqi people. Manyof you had worked for the UN for many years, under difficultcircumstances, including at times when we were unable tokeep an international presence in Iraq. We can never repayyou for your courage. - To our international colleagues, I will speak one by one: - Reham, you were so young, yet had already achieved somuch. There would have been no limits to what you couldhave done with your life. You chose to work for the UnitedNations because you wanted to do something for others. Youwent to Iraq to make a contribution to the lives of your Arabbrothers and sisters. It is their loss as much as ours that youwere denied the chance to do that.- Ranilo, you were quiet, diligent, considerate,and ready towork all the hours God gave you. You showed generosity toeveryone around you. And you were such a devoted son andsibling to your family back home. You never let the distanceto your homeland, or the years spent away, stand between youand your loved ones. - Rick, as a passionate Arabist, you were driven by anequally passionate commitment to peace, justice and humanrights. You dazzled people with your brilliance and scholar-ship, but you also made friends for life through kindness andwisdom beyond your years. You devoted most of your career– and most of the waking hours in many of your days – tosearching for ways to help people in the Middle East and theArab world. And now you have lost your life while on amission to the region you loved so dearly. Its people have losta singularly gifted champion; we have lost a deeply belovedfriend. - Reza, in your dedicated work to ease the plight ofrefugees, you never shied away from challenges or difficultassignments. Nor did you ever fail to win people’s affectionthrough your warmth, your good humour and your gift forcooking good food. Your heart was as big as your smile – andthat was bigger than most.- Jean-Selim, wherever you went, you waged your waragainst indifference with a powerful weapon: a determinationto translate your ideas into action, to seek practical ways tohelp others. A true citizen of the world, you were living proofof what it means to come from a UN family. We grieve withyour wife, Laura, who is also our colleague. We send ourprayers to your baby son, Mattia-Selim.

- Christopher, you energized our work for childrenwherever you went, from Ethiopia to Kosovo to Iraq. Stillyoung yourself, you were such a gifted advocate of youngpeople’s right to health, education and a better future. Youwere a steadfast source of strength and support for your staff.You leave the finest legacy possible – a legacy of hope in thehearts of children you served.- Martha, you combined deeply held humanitarian idealswith healthy realism. Professional, never pretentious, humor-ous and hardworking, you were the best kind of colleagueanyone could wish for, in any UN mission to fight hunger andhardship. Your leadership qualities helped build team unity inthe hardest of circumstances. You were good at what you didbecause you believed in it so fervently. - Fiona, your talent took you from your native Scotland tothe Balkans, from New York to Baghdad. Throughout thatjourney, you were guided by your exceptionally clear head,steadfast principles, and infallible instinct for the right wayforward. Your no-nonsense approach was matched by anequal measure of warmth and compassion. When you weretaken from us, your young shoulders had already borne a greatdeal of responsibility. Invariably, they did so with strength,balance and poise. - Nadia, your wit, irreverence and laughter kept our spiritshigh. There was never anything affected about you; honestywas your defining characteristic. You set the standard in risingabove the fray through confidence and humour. In more than30 years with the UN, you inspired several generations ofyoung women – and men – by showing that there are no limitsto what a person with talent and courage could achieve. Andyou inspired all of us, regardless of age, by showing us thatone can be principled without being pompous. Nadia,whenever we get needlessly overwrought, we will rememberyour voice telling us to “get a grip”; and whenever we aretempted to take ourselves too seriously, we will remember thesound of your laughter.- Finally, Sergio, my dear friend: since you were taken fromus, there has been an outpouring of tributes to your achieve-ments, accomplishments and talents. But lest we forget: youwere a human being first and foremost. A human being whowas exceptionally caring; with an exceptionally strong senseof right and wrong; driven by an exceptional need to go outand right the wrongs of this world. - Sergio, if you showed great confidence at all times, it wasbecause you had so much to be confident about. Why did you

never seem tired, even while working 18-hour days? Why didyou never look crumpled, even after an 18-hour flight? Whywere you never sick? Why were you never grumpy? And youwere the only top official in the UN system known toeveryone by their first name. Even to those who didn’t knowyou personally, you were always just “Sergio”.- Now that you are no longer with us, my dear friend, wemust make do with your memory and your legacy. They shinebright, and they always will. Like you, they will never growtired, or crumpled, or weary. Thank you, Sergio, forilluminating our lives.Friends,Today, we also pay tribute to non-UN members of ourdedicated and extended family – Saad, Omar and Khidir, allIraqi nationals; Manuel, who sought to coordinate the work ofthe Coalition Provisional Authority with that of UN agencies;Gillian, who worked tirelessly for the protection of children incrisis; Arthur, who devoted his life to championing the rightsof the forcibly displaced; and Alya, who used to serve as oneof our most dedicated and experienced translators in Baghdad.Dear friends,

The work of our United Nations colleagues in Iraq wasdriven solely by a desire to help the Iraqi people build a betterfuture.

When we lost them, our Organization also sufferedanother loss, of a different kind: a loss of innocence for theUnited Nations.

We, who had assumed that our mission to help othersserved as its own and ultimate form of protection, now findourselves threatened and exposed.

We, who have tried from the beginning to serve thosetargeted by violence and destruction, have become a targetourselves.

That means we will need to adapt the way we work to ournew environment. We will have to learn to balance ourmission on behalf of other people with the need to protect ourown.

But our commitment – our pledge in the name of “we thepeoples” – must never change. Today, let us renew thatcommitment in the name of our irreplaceable, inimitable,unforgettable friends. Let us work to heal these unhealablewounds, by working every day to live up to the standard theyset us.

I now ask you to rise and join me in a minute of silence. Thank you very much.

September 2003 - The Blue Beret

International Day of Peace – 21 September

UN Nobel Peace Prize Memorial Fund

Staff members and other persons working for the UN, wishing to commemorate colleagues killed in the attack onthe UN compound in Baghdad on 19 August 2003, are encouraged to make donations to the United Nations Nobel

Peace Prize Memorial Fund. Donations may be made by cheques payable to “UN Nobel Peace Prize MemorialFund”. Cheques should be sent to the Treasurer, Secretariat Building, Room 2770A, United Nations, New York, NY10017.

The Fund was established effective 29 May 2003, to create a living memorial to UN civilian personnel who havebeen killed in the line of duty in the service of peace, and to provide a practical way of helping their families bymaking a grant to assist in the education of surviving children.

There is special poignancy and purpose in this year’sobservance of the International Day of Peace. The

troubling events of the last year – the conflicts, violence andhatred, the bomb attack on the United Nations itself inBaghdad, the deep divisions among states – have raisedfundamental questions about the efforts of the internationalcommunity to promote peace and well-being for all theworld’s people.

The International Day of Peace has been designated bythe United Nations General Assembly as “a day of globalceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and

peoples to honour a cessation of hostilities for the durationof the day”. It is meant to still the guns for some verypractical reasons: so that humanitarian assistance can bedelivered more easily; so that civilians can gain safepassage away from besieged areas; so that crops can beplanted, or shelter erected, free from the threat of instantdestruction; so that refugees and displaced persons canhave at least some respite from the hostilities that haverouted them from their homes.

But of course, the Day of Peace should also be a pausefor reflection by the wider international community on the

threats and challenges we face. In some parts of the world,the dominant threats to peace and security are seen as newand potentially more virulent forms of terrorism, theproliferation of non-conventional weapons, the spread oftransnational criminal networks and the ways in which allthese things maybe coming together to reinforce oneanother. But for many others around the globe, poverty,disease, deprivation and civil war remain the highestpriorities.

Our challenge is to ensure we have the rules, instrumentsand institutions to deal with all these threats – not according

to some hierarchy of “first order” and “second order” issues,but as a linked set of global, cross-border challenges thataffect, and should concern, all people. The divisions of thepast year have raised doubts about the adequacy andeffectiveness of those rules and tools.

On the International Day of Peace, let us use these 24hours – this brief period of what we hope will be relativequiet – to begin a peaceful dialogue, one that should continuein the General Assembly, to promote a global consensus onthe dominant threats to peace and security in our time – andmost of all, what to do about them.

SG Shares Shock and Sorrow at UN HQ Memorial Ceremony for Baghdad Victims

September 2003 - The Blue Beret 76

Sector 4’s return to Salamis for thefirst time since the Austriansdeparted in 2001 saw the

combined Slovak and HungarianContingents put on a sparkling display.Every move was carefully choreo-graphed against the stunning back-drop of soaring amphithreatre, allpaced to a medley of beautiful music.

Maj. Gen. Jozef Blizman, DeputyChief of the Slovak General Staff,joined the Chief of Mission, the ForceCommander, H.E. Mr. János Kisfalvi,the Hungarian Ambassador, and H.E.Dr. Ján Varso, the Slovak Ambassador,in presenting medals to the peace-keepers of Sector 4.

In his speech, the Chief of Missioncommended the return to the amphi-theatre, or the ancient city kingdom ofSalamis.

“Truly we are in one of history’sarchaeological cradles. Look aroundand we see ruins more than 2,000years old. Yet, as we gather here tocommend and celebrate our ownpeacekeepers for their dedication andservice, we cannot help but look toother ruins, sadly so much nearer us intime, and think about our colleagueswho paid the supreme sacrifice inBaghdad on 19 August.

“Our commendations to thosehonoured here today are heartfelt andsincere, but they surely understandthat – as one diplomat said – “todayour smiles are a bit forced”.

“While earlier UNFICYP peace-keepers found themselves in harm’sway, those of us here today knowourselves to be more fortunate. Still,we would do well to consider thespecial significance and poignancy ofthe UN medal we award here today aswe contimplate the sacrifice of thosewho died or were injured in Baghdad,and of those peacekeepers who overthe years have given their lives in theservice of peace here on this island.

“This UN medal represents anhonorable tradition of high standardsand sacrifice. It bears testimony toeach recipient giving of his or her verybest, to the demanding complexities ofservice as a peacekeeper.

“I salute each of you for the fair-ness, impartiality and dedication thatyou have brought to your exactingwork. In rising to the hallmarkstandards of peacekeeping, you havelaid the basis for our success here.”

Everybody knows that Sector 1 always brings aspecial flair to it celebrations. So it was on 12September when the Sector’s peacekeepers from

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru andUruguay paraded to receive their UN medal at CampSaint Martin.

Family and friends, UNFICYP colleagues andmembers of other contingents, all turned out in strengthto witness the presentation of the medals by the Chief ofMission, the Force Commander and the Chief of Staffamong others.

The parade was under the command of the COSector 1, Lt. Col. Giro Martín. Musical honours wererendered by the Argentinian military band, under thebaton of WO1 Rual Cardoso.

Later that evening, an ensemble of musical tradition,both vocal and instrumental, from the participatingnations was presented to the delight of the visitingguests, and included such numbers as El Condor Pasa(Peru), Way Ay Ay (Bolivia) and Zamba De MiEsperanza (Argentina).

In the ensuing revelry, everyone watched a sultryArgentinian duo hover in a sensuous tango, and wishedthey too could tango, while all marvelled at the replicaof Cyprus floating in the pool that had been constructedby the staff in Charlie Coy. The reception held by thepoolside included traditional South American delicaciesmixed with traditional Cyprus kebab.

September 2003 - The Blue Beret

8 9September 2003 - The Blue Beret September 2003 - The Blue Beret

Buffavento Castle stands at 954 metres abovesea level, on the second-highest peak in theKyrenia mountains, and records show that

the castle has existed since at least Byzantine times.In its original form, in the 10th century, it was likelya Byzantine watchtower. From its summit, sentriescould monitor the coastline, watching forapproaching ships. When any danger was per-ceived, beacon signals could be sent to Nicosia orto the castles of Kyrenia, Kantara and St. Hilarionby the lighting of fires at Buffavento.

Both chroniclers and travellers have pointed outthat a lot of effort must have been made to build afortress at such a height and on such dangerousterrain. Detailed descriptions of the castle under-line the fact that nature has done everything neededfor defence, and the aim seems to have been tobuild an inaccessible stronghold, rather than aproper fortress.

Another chapter in the castle’s historyopened when King Richard the Lionheartcaptured the island in 1191. It is said thatthe King of England, hearing that thedaughter of Emperor Isaac Comnenos wasin a very strong castle, took his army here.On his arrival, she came to meet him, andput herself and the castle at his mercy,whereupon he captured it, and all nearbytowns and fortresses of the ByzantineEmpire were surrounded.

Because of its inaccessible location,Buffavento was used as a political prisonin times of peace and a sure refuge for theLusignan kings in wartime. The firstdefinite information about Buffavento inLusignan times states that in 1232Eschive Montbeliard, the wife of Baliand’Ibelin, took refuge in the fortress. In1312, King Henry II, on his return fromexile, imprisoned his brother there. In1368, still under Lusignan rule, Peter Itransferred the unfortunate John Visconti,who had informed the King about theadultery of his wife, Queen Eleanor, toBuffavento, where Visconti was accusedof slander and left to starve to death.

As with the other Kyrenia mountaincastles, Buffavento was largely aban-doned when the Venetians (who con-trolled the island from 1489 to 1571 andused it mainly as a military outpost) con-centrated their forces in Nicosia and theseaport towns. The Venetians destroyedthe staircase that linked the two halves ofthe castle. Today, only one or two partlyruined rooms are preserved in theirentirety.

Buffavento Castle TodayBuffavento is the least accessible of the three castles that

sit atop peaks in the Kyrenia range, and it is also the leastwell-preserved. It is, however, very well camouflaged, asit blends almost indistinguishably into the cliffs from whichit rises, offering outstanding views. It’s approached fromjust west of Pendadactylos Peak, along a six-kilometre roadthat winds along the cliffs. A path cut into the mountain-side forms a 25-minute walk up to the castle itself.

The castle is divided into two distinct groups ofbuildings, all of which have been designed to fit the terrainon which they are built. An arched gatehouse, which is partof the fortification wall that protects the lower part of thecastle, is built almost into the hillside. Through thegatehouse, a path leads to the lower section buildings thatappear to have been dormitory-style barrack rooms andstorerooms.

A staircase cut into the rock leads to the uppersection, in the redoubt, which consisted of threegroups of vaulted buildings. The buildings at thislevel would have been residences and a church,with cisterns to hold rainwater. In one case, the topof a flat rock supports an isolated rectangularbuilding, inside which there are traces of plasterand painting. It could have been a chapel, but alsomight have been the so-called Queen’s Chamber.

Some of the castle’s gates and rooms, parti-cularly in the upper level, still show the redbrickwork that dates to Byzantine times, and whichis similar in style to some that can be found at St.Hilarion Castle, to the west.

At the castle’s highest point, a terrace is likelythe spot where the signal fires that linkedBuffavento with the other castles and with Nicosiawould have been lit.

The remains of two churches also stand in theBuffavento area, one dedicated to St. Chrysos-tomos, an Archbishop of Constantinople, and anolder church, said to have been built for St. Helenaafter her visit to the Holy Land. The former churchis believed to have been built as part of a monas-tery: shortly after Richard the Lionheart tookcontrol of the island, he sold it to the KnightsTemplar, who held it for approximately two years.The story goes that during this time, a Byzantineprincess discovered that a spring near the castleheld water that was healing her dog’s skin, and thatalso subsequently healed her. To give thanks, shefounded the monastery.

MemorialA stone memorial has been built on the path

leading up to Buffavento Castle, inscribed in threelanguages, to commemorate the victims of anairplane that crashed nearby in 1988. The spot isalso the site of an old olive tree, carefully ringed bya low stone wall.

Buffavento Castle

Buffavento Castle gained its name from theItalian buffare, meaning to blow, and vento,meaning wind. Over its long history, it hasalso been known as Buffevent, Castello deRegina, Castle of Leonde, Castle of theLion, The Hundred Chambers of theQueen, and The Hundred and OneChambers.

Indeed, traditional stories tell of thecastle having 101 rooms, the 101st of whichhoused the treasures of the Regina, or theQueen (this mythical queen seems to havereplaced the legends of Aphrodite inmedaieval times).

Only a few rooms remain in the castletoday, but it still lives up to its name,defying the winds of the Kyrenia mountains.It’s also the destination for this issue of theBlue Beret’s continuing series on thecultural heritage of Cyprus.

Lt. Col. Juan José Lambezat has awealth of experience, both as amilitary pilot and commanding

officer, to share with UNFICYP. Hetook over command of UN Flt fromLt. Col. Hector Fercher on 14 August2003.

Born in Buenos Aires on 17 Nov-ember 1959, he completed his highschool studies in 1977. Four yearslater, he graduated from the Argentin-ian Air Force Academy and, as amilitary pilot, was commissioned intothe VII Air Brigade.

In 1982, he attended and passedthe helicopter pilot’s course. He hasflown in different types of helicopters,but admits he has a soft spot for theChinook. He also diversified intovarious tasks such as search and res-cue, special operations, fire fighting,Antarctic scientific tours and commu-nity support in flooded areas.

In 1990, as an Exchange Officer,

he worked in the Sea King Squadronof the Argentinian Navy. In 1996 and1997, he attended the Command andStaff Course at the Air War School.

The following year, he wasappointed Officer Commanding of 2Squadron, VII Air Brigade. Hereceived flight training in the USA,Canada and Italy, and he plannedCombined Search and RescueExercises, Andes I, II and III with theChilean Air Force and Millennium Iwith UK Forces. Since 1999, he hasbeen working at the Air Force GeneralStaff in the Air Operation Commandand he flies the presidential helicop-ters VIP Bell 212, VIP S-70 BlackHawk and S-76 Spirit.

Married to Anahí Veronica Gonza-lez, they have two children Santiago(7) and Lucas Jesus (3).

Lambezat enjoys his free timewith his family and outdoor sportslike trekking, cycling and tennis.

10 September 2003 - The Blue Beret

FMPU InvestigateHi d d e n

withint h e

depths of the FMPUoffices is a dedicated

team of three investigatorswho are employed in the SpecialInvestigation Section. Presently, theteam consists of two Staff Sergeantsfrom the British Military Police and aMaster Sergeant from the SlovakArmy.

The role of the Section is to pro-vide both technical and forensicsupport to the investigation of all cri-minal matters and incidents invol-ving members of the UNFICYP. Toensure the necessary levels of com-petency and experience are readilyavailable, each individual within theSection has completed MilitaryPolice Detectives courses and relatedcrime scene examination and man-agement courses their in respectivecountries.

Following the reporting of anycrime, there is always a potentialcrime scene. This may be thelocation of an assault, a vehiclewhich has been broken into or anindividual and his or her clothing(both the victim and suspect).Locard’s Exchange Principle statesthat whenever two objects (regard-less of the material) come intocontact, there is always an exchangeof material from each to the other.Therefore, those items recoveredfrom a scene are used to create a linkin a chain of evidence, which couldassist in corroborating or refuting asuspect’s story.

This is why it is of the utmostimportance that immediately follow-ing the discovery of an incident orreporting of a crime, the area issecured and the matter reported to theFMPU. This prevents loss or altera-tion of evidence, whilst ensuringadditional material is not added to thescene, which would cause unneces-sary contamination.

Each crime scene examinerdeploys with a standard set of toolsand equipment. The kit includes a 35mm Nikon camera and ancillariesranging from a forensic box con-taining various packaging materialsand tools such as screwdrivers, ahacksaw and power drill, to afingerprint box containing severaldifferent fingerprint powders andbrushes required for the enhancementof latent fingerprint marks on avariety of surfaces.

On arrival at any scene, the crimescene examiner first conducts a vis-ual examination and makes writtennotes and a sketch plan detailingthose items considered to be ofpotential evidential value in relationto the enquiry. Each room or area isbroken down into segments andsearched in a methodical manner toensure that evidence is not lost oroverlooked. This often includesmaking a video recording of thescene for later use to brief the SeniorInvestigating Officer and members ofthe enquiry team.

Before anything is recovered ormoved, the area is then photo-graphed. Any object, mark or stainbelieved to be related to the offence

is photographed in situ before beingrecovered and packaged ready forformal forensic examination by ascientist, should this be necessary.

To sum up, as Hercule Poirotmight put it in an Agatha Christiewho-done-it, the crime scene exam-iner does not conduct the investiga-tion or solve the crime, but merelyensures that the necessary evidenceleft at a crime scene is correctlyrecovered, allowing it to be presentedas best evidence to link a suspect to ascene and an alleged offence. Fromthe moment of discovery of a crime,everything hinges on the actionstaken by those on the scene.

So remember to best help the crimescene examiner secure the scene,thereby preventing loss, alteration orcontamination of vital evidence.

What makesthese mugsdifferentfrom othermugs?They’remulti-purpose –can be usedfor drinking,or as a shavingmug!

Is my mug goodfor keepingmy loosechange in?I’ve got abrillianthead formoney –have younoticed thatslot in the top?

Is this a heat-activated thermalsensitive mug,and if not,how am Iexpected tokeep mybeer coolin thisweather?Doesn’t itlook cool ina silvermug?!

Where andwhen can Iuse this mug?Be advised:if you drink,don’t drive –don’t even

putt!

Can I have my favouritesong words printed on

my mug so I cansing along whilstin use?Yes, butremember twoverses of“twinkle, twinklelittle star” is all

that will fit – oryou may end up

swinging on a star

The UNFICYP tradition ofawarding silver mugs to

departing colleagues while“roasting” them with irreverentspeeches more noted for theirhumour than their diplomatic

language was upheld inSeptember when many familiarfaces from the police line-up ofUNCIVPOL – Australian andIrish – rotated on their way.

All the mugs at the Mug Out with their very proud owners

With respectto the mug

handle, Iwould havepreferredit on theother side...

With handslike that, who

needs handles?

Will we still need these mugs when we’re old and grey?Heck, my granny is over 80 and still doesn’t need glasses!

CCC

New COUN Flight

Former Finnish peacekeeper Esko Heikkinen, whoserved in Cyprus over three decades ago, paid avisit to the Public Information Office of the

UNFICYP Headquarters on 3 September. Esko had aparticular reason for visiting this office - he was theMilitary Public Information Officer from December1967 for a 17-month tour.

Esko graduated in journalism from TampereUniversity in Helsinki in 1967 and immediately joinedUNFICYP. “It was a hard task to take on the MPIO jobas I was young and inexperienced, but it was awonderful opportunity for me to travel so soon aftergraduating. We Scandinavians are wellknown sun wor-shippers!

“Being back in the UNPA was a very nostalgicexperience. I searched for my old accommodation blockand was sorry to discover it had been burned down inthe recent summer fires. But I was pleased to see thedancing area in the Officers’ Club is still intact, whichbrought back many happy memories of my tour here.”

Following Esko’s tour with UNFICYP, he returned toFinland and worked as a journalist with several well-known local magazines and newspapers. Nowadays heis retired but still works from home as a free-lancejournalist. His fact-finding trip to UNFICYP wasbecause he is currently working on a number of articles

for the Finnish Blue Beret magazine. This is a monthlypublication for the UN Soldiers’ Association whichkeeps past peacekeepers up-to-date with the UN andcurrent events in missions they once served in. Esko’sUNFICYP visit was to do just that for some of the morethan 10,000 Finnish soldiers who have served as peace-keepers here in Cyprus since 1964.

In 2004, it will be the 40-year celebration ofFINCON’s arrival in Cyprus, and there are plans aheadfor more than 100 retired Finnish soldiers, headed byGeneral Ahti Vartiainen, the UNFICYP ForceCommander from 1996 to 1999, to visit the island nextspring.

Two retired Australian police officers whoserved with UNCIVPOL over 35 years agorevisited the island with their wives earlier this

month.On 4 September, Mr. Peter Vaughan, with his wife

Patricia, and Mr. Bob van der Wolf, with his wifeLynn, paid a visit to UNFICYP UNCIVPOL. BothPeter and Bob are retired members of Australian PoliceServices who were part of the 4th AUSTCIVPOLContingent who served in Cyprus between May 1967and May 1968. After a short meeting with the ForceCommander, they were taken on a driven Green Linetour before spending a social evening with currentlyserving CIVPOL members.

The exchange of stories between the two eras wasvery interesting. While the UN Buffer Zone did notexist during their time, both veterans clearlyremember the Green Line in Nicosia and smaller “GreenLines” in other parts of Cyprus. They also told of therequirement to escort convoys from both communitiesthrough areas that were under the control of the other.

Both veterans commented on the significant changesin Cyprus, including the greatly increased development inall areas, the shift from village to city living, and a greaterlevel of tolerance between the two communities.

September 2003 - The Blue BeretSeptember 2003 - The Blue Beret 1312

Limassol Liaison Office

Three Senators on the Green Line

Back on the Beat

UNFICYP soldiers were at their smartest forthe visits of two Major Generals to the UNPA.

Maj. Gen. Josef Blizman, Deputy Chief ofthe General Staff, Slovak Armed Forces, visitedon 27 August, and Commander British Forces,British Forces Cyprus, Maj. Gen. P.T. Pearson,CBE, on 2 September.

Both inspected an honour guard, met with theChief of Mission, Force Commander and Chiefof Staff.

Both Generals visited their respectivecontingents and met with their troops.

Travelling Down Memory Lane

Ahigh-level US delegation, ledby US senators John McCainand Lindsey Graham, visited

the Green Line on 25 August. Thedelegation stopped off in Cyprus aftera fact-finding visit to Iraq.

Before setting off on their walk-about, the Senators, plus CongressmenJames Kolby and Dan Twining, USAssistant Secretary of Defence forLegislative Affairs Powell Moore,and the US Ambassador to Cyprus,Michael Klosson, were briefed by theChief of Mission.

Senior UNOPS officials respon-sible for the Nicosia Master Plan,including Miran Rechtor, ProgrammeManager of the Bicommunal Develop-ment Programme, were also present.

Esko Heikkinen with the Blue Beret’s own Miriam Taylor

From the left: Bob van der Wolf , Lt. Gen. Hwang,Peter Vaughan and Comdr. Geoff Hazel

UNFICYP has reopenedits Liaison Office inLimassol after four

years to handle a resurgence ofdemand among TurkishCypriots for assistance in thearea since the opening of thecrossing points last April.

Today, Limassol houses anestimated 700 Turkish Cyp-riots, of whom some 70 areoriginal residents who opted toremain in the town after theevents of 1974. Limassolappears to be a favouritedestination for Turkish Cypriotnewcomers arriving from thenorth. Since many claim theyhave difficulties in obtainingCyprus identity cards, a pre-requisite for welfare, accom-modation and health carebenefits, the Limassol office is now in the process ofworking to assist Turkish Cypriots in their dealings withthe responsible authorities in the south.

During its first two months of operation, the UNoffice was open only once a week. Demand for itsservices have been so great that the need is clear formore resources to enable it to open more frequently.Currently, it has a caseload of five to ten client requestsper office day, which are dealt with by Joana Alexandru,Civil Affairs Liaison Assistant, and Ersin Oztoycan, ourTurkish Cypriot colleague who has recently joined theCivil Affairs team to staff the office.

Most of the families approaching the office for helpare facing serious humanitarian difficulties. A case inpoint is that of a woman from the north, six monthspregnant, married to a Turkish Cypriot with a Cyprus IDcard. Because her parents come from Turkey, she hasbeen unable to obtain her own Cyprus ID. Lack of IDmeans the authorities do not recognize her entitlementto health care. Now, thanks to UNFICYP’s humani-tarian intervention, the authorities have promised to

reconsider her situation so that she may have access tomedical care.

Another case concerns a Turkish Cypriot family ofsix living for the last seven months in one room in ahouse ruled unfit for habitation, while continuing toseek official assisted housing in the Limassol area. TheLimassol district office has been unable to help becauseof lack of available housing.

Another recurring concern is the issue of educationfor Turkish Cypriot children in the south. Some childrenof Turkish Cypriot families have experienceddifficulties in schooling because of their inability tospeak Greek, and some parents have declined to sendtheir children to school in the absence of the availabilityof Turkish-language medium schooling. UNFICYP ispursuing the issue with the Limassol District Officer.

The UNFICYP liaison office in Limassol has evokedhigh expectations amongst the Turkish Cypriots livingin the south. However, much will depend on the readi-ness and ability of the authorities in the south to co-operate with UNFICYP in solving these problems.

Visitors to UNFICYP HQ

Some people say that parachuting is a dangerousand stupid sport and that they wouldn’t jump froma perfectly good plane (they would if they saw the

one I jumped from), but that’s what attracted me to it,whilst on a previous tour of Northern Ireland withanother regiment a few years ago.

So when my team commander on that tour asked ifanybody wanted to do a static line jump, I couldn’t havejumped any higher. When I actually got in the door, Iwas very apprehensive about jumping. As any personwith vertigo will tell you, they hate heights, but when Ileft the plane on the descent, it was calm and relaxing.

So now, out here on a Cyprus tour, I wanted to followup this early step. When my Battery Commander andBattery Sergeant Major asked the lads in the troops ifany of them wanted to jump out at 3,500 ft, they had notakers so I was told and volunteered to do it.

On 20 July, I was on thetransport down to DhekeliaGarrison where the coursewas being run, ready for theMonday morning start.

The first day was theboring – but essential –ground training. Without it,none of us would have beenpermitted to jump.

The actual trainingconsisted of learning aboutthe actual parachute – typesof malfunctions, exiting theplane, canopy control, etc.Most important of all werethe “Reserve Drills”, whichwe practised day after dayuntil we got it right.

By the end of the jump,only one of the original 12to start the course had fallenby the wayside. LCpl.Billingham looked as if he

had seen a ghost when he exited the plane, and 2/Lt.Bennett was far from pale, wearing one of her many warfaces.

Apart from a few “cream-ins” and some very bumpylandings, we all jumped time and time again. The mosttime-consuming part was the tedious job of packing ourown chutes. I found this to be the worst part of thecourse. The others thought it was funny that when Iactually started to fold the chute and put it back in thebag, I began to talk about such things as “chicken kebaband chips with gravy” or “an extra large pizza with extramushrooms and sweetcorn...”

That aside, and of course it is a key to parachutingsafety discipline, the whole course was great. We did atotal of 11 jumps. I would recommend it to anyone,even if you do scare yourself silly. When you’re floatingto the ground, it is relaxing and calm.

September 2003 - The Blue Beret 15

Jumping for Joy?By Gnr. K. Gardner

This year marks ten years since the first Argentiniantroops were deployed in Cyprus as part of UNFICYP.The Argentinian Contingent, ARGCON, took over

Sector 1 from the Danish Contingent on 25 September 1993.When the order to prepare troops for a peacekeeping

mission in Cyprus was first received in September of thatyear all the officers and soldiers felt slightly awestruck sincethis was a new kind of mission for them. “We will keep thepeace so far away from here, from our land”, was thethought that crossed their minds.

So far, more than 7,500 soldiers have served withARGCON. In October 1993, when the first contingent wasestablished and the Argentinian Forces were still taking theirfirst tentative steps in Cyprus, the then President ofArgentina, Carlos Saul Menem, visited the newly arrivedtroops on the island. On that occasion, apart from thesignificance that a head of state’s visit has, it was a clearindication to the troops of his support for the tasks that themilitary personnel had undertaken. Dr Menem said: “Ireturn to our country so deeply impressed, that I promise toreturn before the end of my term as President of Argentina”.And he did just that, returning in 1997 for his second officialvisit with the Minister of the Defence, Jorge Dominguez.

“It is with great pride that today, as President ofArgentina, as an Argentinian citizen and as Commander inChief of the Armed Forces, I see members of the Argen-tinian Army as representatives of the United Nationspeacekeeping forces”, Menem told his troops on hispromised return visit to Sector 1.

During the course of its peacekeeping duties, ARGCONhas had to deal with numerous incidents. The mostsignificant occurred in August 1996, when two GreekCypriot demonstrators were killed and several peacekeepers

were wounded. The incidents – the most violentrecorded on the island since 1974 – madeheadlines around the world including the frontpage of The Times.

ARGCON is a “Joint and Combined Contingent”.Active duty personnel come from the ArgentinianArmy, Marine Corps and Air Force. Since 1993,the contingent has also incorporated soldiers fromother South American countries including aplatoon from Chile (32), a platoon from Paraguay(30) and officers from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru andUruguay.

Medal parades are always memorable. TypicalArgentinian hospitality includes displays ofmilitary disciplines, and traditional dances withthe tango always taking top billing. And noArgentinian celebration would be complete unlessit features the traditional delicacies, empanadasand mate.

UNFICYP senior staff were given a custom-tailored Green Line tour, courtesy of the COSector 2, Lt. Col. Bob Caldwell and his line

officers on 11 September.

Those participating included the Chief of Mission,Force Commander, Chief of Staff, Senior Adviser,UNCIVPOL Commander, Chief Administrative Officer,Chief of Civil Affairs, Spokesman and the FC’s MA.

Senior Staff on Green Line Tour

September 2003 - The Blue Beret14