France and Italy pledge UN troops to help ceasefire h

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http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...4484&printer=1

France and Italy pledge UN troops to help ceasefire hold

Sunday August 13th 2006


ANGELA DOLAND

FRANCE, Italy and New Zealand were among the nations that said yesterday they were ready to send peacekeepers to a bigger, stronger UN force in Lebanon, and consultations were expected to start quickly to hammer out the force's make-up and mandate.

Governments worldwide urged Israel and Hizbollah to seize the opportunity for a ceasefire, a day after the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution seeking a "full cessation" of hostilities. As fighting continued, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the resolution "a chance . . . that must not be wasted".

The resolution, drafted by France and the US, authorises 15,000 UN peacekeepers to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon, a Hizbollah stronghold, as Israeli forces that have occupied the area withdraw.

Observers say France would be well-suited to lead such a force, given its diplomatic success in acting as a go-between with the US and Lebanon, a historic ally.

As France had pushed for, the resolution strengthens an existing force - UNIFIL, which has 2,000 troops and has been in place since 1978.

The beefed-up mission will monitor the cessation of fighting, ensure aid reaches civilians and back up the Lebanese army. The Security Council also said UNIFIL's mandate could be "enhanced" in a later mandate. The US and Israel, worried about UNIFIL's historic ineffectiveness, had pressed for another solution - deployment of an entirely new multinational force separate from UNIFIL - leading up to an Israeli withdrawal.

French President Jacques Chirac said France will "play a role in putting the new resolution into place, particularly in regard to the new UNIFIL". France will determine how many peacekeepers to send to Lebanon after evaluating the force's mandate, he said.

Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told Le Monde that France planned to consult with other European countries on the issue.

"We want to do it in a European spirit," said Douste-Blazy, who has visited Beirut three times since fighting broke out July 12. The conflict has killed more than 800 people, destroyed much of Lebanon's infrastructure and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

By leading a peacekeeping force with a large European presence, France could strengthen its own role in the Middle East, which could in turn benefit the EU - and ensure France a greater role in carving out the bloc's foreign policy, said Barah Mikail of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations, Paris.

Finland, holder of the EU presidency, welcomed the resolution and the chance to enhance UNIFIL's mandate.

Italian Premier Romano Prodi and his foreign minister, Massimo D'Alema, confirmed Italy's willingness to take part in the force. They said Italy wants to "participate from the start in the consultations . . . to determine the composition, articulation and mandate" of the force.

Swedish Foreign Minister Jan Eliasson said he did not rule out Swedish participation, adding that the government must discuss the issue. In New Zealand, Prime Minister Helen Clark said her country is ready to consider a role.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Ankara would look "very favorably" toward sending peacekeepers, but only after a full ceasefire was achieved.