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Italy set to lead Lebanon force
21/08/2006 14:15 - (SA)
Beirut - A truce between Israel and Hezbollah fighters entered its second week on Monday as Italy emerged as potential leader of a beefed-up UN force charged with helping keep the peace in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, due to host senior UN envoys in Jerusalem later, spoke to Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi late on Sunday and said he would be happy to see the Italians in charge.
"Italy should lead the international force and send troops
to also oversee the Lebanon-Syria border crossings," a statement
from Olmert's office said.
Italian initiative
Prodi also spoke to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora as
diplomats strove to shore up the truce, which ended a fierce
34-day war which killed nearly 1 200 people in Lebanon and 157
Israelis.
The Lebanese cabinet was due to meet on Monday to welcome
the Italian initiative. A senior Lebanese political source said
2 500 Italian soldiers would take part in the UN contingent.
France only offered 200 troops
Earlier this month, France offered to lead the force but
then dismayed the United Nations by offering only 200 extra
troops to those it already has in an existing UN force in
Lebanon.
Since then, the initiative appears to have swung towards
Rome, although the Lebanese source said details still had to be
worked out with both France and Italy.
Deployment in southern Lebanon
The UN force will work alongside a similar-sized Lebanese
army contingent gradually deploying to the war-shattered towns
and villages of southern Lebanon.
Around 15 Lebanese tanks rolled into the southern port of
Tyre, witnesses said on Monday - the first deployment of tanks
since the truce took hold.
Few significant offers
The UN already has 2 000 soldiers in the area with a force
known as UNIFIL. Under the terms of security council resolution
1701 which ended the war, it has committed itself to getting
another 3 500 there by September 2.
So far, few countries have made significant offers of help.
Some have complained that the rules of engagement under which
their soldiers would operate are ill-defined.
- Reuters
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