Introduction

After it became clear that the UN Security Council would not set up a peacekeeping force to fulfill the role envisaged for it in the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty--supervising the implementation of the treaty and preventing any violation of its terms--the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) was established in its place.

This book provides a detailed description of the structure and function of the MFO in order to evaluate its chances for success. In addition, the author has included various documents regarding the MFO's legal basis and organization.

The MFO is the first modern multinational peacekeeping force that is independent of any organization; in the future it may serve as a prototype for multinational peacekeeping forces in conflicts and areas in which the UN is unwilling or unable to become involved.