"and three observation stations staffed by U.S. civilians in a UN-maintained buffer zone between Egyptian and Israeli forces."

Hmmmmm...having done MFO duty, let me set you straight on a few things.
One, the "buffer" zone is not maintained by the UN, as a matter of fact, the UN has nothing to do with it. That's why members of the MFO wear orange berets, not blue berets.
Two, the staff of the MFO is not US civilians. It is a multi-national military organization built around a US Infantry Battalion, and supported by a number of other nations, including the French.