Peacekeepers are groups of soldiers that go to a conflict area and try to keep warring parties apart. They do many things, for example, monitor elections, organize meetings between enemy factions or protect human rights. UN peacekeepers are often called Blue Helmets because of their headgear. The United Nations Security Council must approve of peacekeeping missions before soldiers are sent there. Sometimes it gives NATO or other military organizations permission to send peacekeepers to conflict areas. They are not always soldiers. Although they carry weapons, they are only allowed to fight back when attacked. The first United Nations peacekeeping operation took place in 1948; only three years after the UN had been founded. UN soldiers were sent to the Middle East to supervise the conflict between Israel, which had just become an independent country, and the Arab states. In 1953 UN forces lined up on the border between North and South Korea after the Korean War. Not all peacekeeping is controlled by the United Nations. Mostly American soldiers have been on duty on the Sinai Peninsula since Egypt made peace with Israel in the 1970s. In the 1990s NATO sent troops to Bosnia and Kosovo with permission by the UN. http://www.english-online.at/government /peacekeeping.and-other-missions.htm A. Comprehension 1. a. b. C. Are the following statement true or false? Write Tor F next to each statement and correct the false ones. The role of peacekeepers is to maintain peace only. The blue helmets can start missions after the permission of UN Security Council. The UN was founded in 1945. ​