UN plea for European peacekeepers
BayBak, Azerbaijan | 2466 days ago | Saturday, 19th August , 2006 , 01:34 [am] | International
The UN has urged European countries to come forward to contribute more troops for the peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown thanked Asian nations for their firm commitment but added the force had to be “multinational” in character.
The call came after Israel said it might be “inconceivable” to accept nations that [...]
The UN has urged European countries to come forward to contribute more troops for the peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown thanked Asian nations for their firm commitment but added the force had to be “multinational” in character.
The call came after Israel said it might be “inconceivable” to accept nations that denied its right to exist, such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
A 15,000-strong UN force is planned to police the truce in southern Lebanon.
Under the terms of the UN ceasefire resolution which ended the month-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the expanded UN force should work alongside about 15,000 Lebanese troops to keep the peace.
‘Prudent’ force
Mr Malloch Brown said the commitment of troops by Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Nepal among others was “enormously helpful and a major contribution”.
UN TROOP PLEDGES
France – leadership and 200 troops
Bangladesh – two battalions (up to 2,000 troops)
Malaysia – one battalion (up to 1,000 troops)
Indonesia – one battalion, an engineering company
Nepal – one battalion
Denmark – at least two ships
Germany – maritime and border patrols
Sources: UN diplomats
But he added: “We want this force that we deploy to have a kind of multinational, multilateral character so that it enjoys the confidence of both sides.”
Mr Malloch Brown also tried to spell out the terms of the deployment after a number of countries called for clearer guidance on the exact nature of the mission.
France, which had agreed to lead the force if its mandate concerns were addressed, said it would send only 200 extra troops immediately, far fewer than expected.
French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie had said: “You can’t send in men telling them: Look what’s going on but you don’t have the right to defend yourself or to shoot.”
Mr Malloch Brown said the new force would not be “offensive”.
“It’s not going to go in there and attempt large-scale disarmament. Rather it is going to police the political agreement which triggers disarmament called for under the resolution,” he said.
Use of force would be “prudent” and only exercised if combatants forcefully resisted a demand to disarm, Mr Malloch Brown said.
A 3,500-strong vanguard is planned to be in place in the next 10 days.
European powers have so far been reluctant to sign up but Italy on Friday confirmed it was approving sending troops to Lebanon.
Defence Minister Arturo Parisi said Italy could even “assume the responsibility of leading the operation”.
Germany has offered a maritime task force. The UK and the US say they will provide logistical support.
US President George W Bush said on Friday he hoped France would send more troops, saying it had been sending out “different signals”.
Mr Malloch Brown’s call came after Israeli UN envoy Dan Gillerman said it would be “difficult if not inconceivable” to accept nations that did not recognise its right to exist.
Mr Gillerman said Israel would be “very happy” to accept troops from Muslim countries they have friendly relations with.
“But to expect countries who don’t even recognise Israel to guard Israel’s safety I think would be a bit naive,” he said.
Malaysia said Israel should have no say in the make-up of the force.
Refugees return
After dark on Friday there were reports of heavy Israeli overflights in the Bekaa Valley, in eastern Lebanon.
Lebanese media reported pilotless drones and fighters patrolling the skies, but there was no immediate confirmation of any offensive strikes.
Earlier, Lebanese troops reached the southern border with Israel – a vehicle carrying a Lebanese flag made a symbolic pass a few metres from the border at Kfar Kila.
Israel says it has now withdrawn from two-thirds of its positions in southern Lebanon, including the port city of Tyre and villages of Qana, Hadatha and Beit Yahoun.
As Israel withdraws, Lebanon is slowly returning to normal.
The UN says 400,000 people have returned to homes in the south and in the heavily bombed southern suburbs of Beirut.
Hezbollah members in the suburbs have been handing out $12,000 (£6,300) to people who lost their homes in the bombings, some residents said.
Residents who earlier signed for aid were handed stacks of bills from suitcases. Hezbollah has not said where the money came from but has pledged to help Lebanon’s reconstruction.
One recipient of $12,000, Ayman Jaber, told Reuters: “People already had faith in Hezbollah, this will strengthen their faith.”
But at his presidential retreat in Camp David, Mr Bush again condemned Hezbollah of “force of instability”.
“Sometimes it takes people awhile to come to the sober realisation of what forces create stability and what don’t,” he said.
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, Voice of a Nation[2] Print
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