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Israel, Lebanon hail E.U. troop plan

Vaiju Naravane

Kofi Annan settles the thorny issue of who should lead the peacekeeping force

Paris: European Foreign Ministers at a meeting in Burssels on Saturday pledged up to 7,000 troops to a strengthened peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan also attended the meeting.

The thorny question who would lead the force (France and Italy had both offered their services) was settled by Mr. Annan who said France would retain command until its mandate expires at the end of February 2007 after which an Italian commander will take over.

Italy has promised to send 3000 soldiers, the first of whom should begin arriving in Lebanon on Monday, while France upped its contribution to 2000 from its current deployment of 400.

Both Israel and Lebanon said the increased commitment would go a long way in implementing Security Council Resolution 1701 which put an end to hostilities between Israel and the Hizbollah. However, very few Muslim countries had so far pledged troops.

Offer refused

Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh have offered to send soldiers but Israel has refused the offer since these countries do not recognise the Jewish State.

Another stumbling block could be the failure to deploy troops along the Lebanon-Syria border.

E.U. Security Chief Javier Solana said the U.N. troops would not be expected to deploy along that frontier. Syria has warned that any deployment would be seen as an act of aggression. On the other hand, Israel has said it will not lift Lebanon's sea and air blockade unless the Lebanese border with Syria is made secure to prevent Hizbollah arms from coming in through Syria. French President Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised both the Syrian threats and the Israeli blockade which they described as "highly prejudicial to the Lebanese economy."

Mr. Annan, who is due in Beirut on Monday to discuss the deployment with Lebanese leaders, also hailed the E.U.'s decision. "We may have a unique opportunity to transform the cessation of hostilities into a durable ceasefire," he said in Brussels.

While U.N. peacekeepers are usually allowed to use lethal force only when directly threatened — a limitation which hobbled its peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia and elsewhere — French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said France had received assurances that troops could use force in other situations.

Though comment in European media was generally favourable, most European papers described the mission as "highly risky" and pointed out that grave dangers lay ahead.

The Italian press was full of praise for Prime Minister Prodi but also stressed the dangers of the mission.

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