UN, US urge Europe to contribute troops: Force for Lebanon
By Our Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 18: Acknowledging that the United Nations was disappointed with the French government’s offer of 200 troops for the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UN Deputy Secretary-General Malloch Brown warned on Friday that it was vital to install 3,500 troops within 10 days.
“We want this force that we deploy to have a kind of multilateral character so it enjoys the confidence of both sides,” the UN official said.
“The particular appeal I want to make today is that Europe comes forward with troops for this first wave.”
Mr Malloch Brown said that about a third of the 23 countries whose representatives spoke during the meeting made ‘relatively firm commitments, while another third ‘made conditional commitments in which they felt there was still a relatively major hurdle to cross, and the remaining one-third ‘were much more cautious, offering just support in principle.
Many delegations will need to return to their capitals for parliamentary approval or some other form of acceptance from their domestic governments, before they can issue a clear commitment.
Agencies add: US President George Bush also expressed hope that France would send additional troops to Lebanon after Paris said it would deploy only 200 soldiers.
“France has said they’d send some troops. We hope they send more,” Bush said at the presidential retreat of Camp David. “There’s been different signals coming out of France. Yesterday they had a statement, today they had a statement.”
ITALY SENDING TROOPS: Italy approved sending troops and its defence minister said his country might eventually lead the mission. Officials said Italy might contribute up to 3,000 troops. Finland has promised 250 soldiers but not until November and both Germany and Denmark have volunteered maritime monitoring of the borders.
Spain and Belgium were among European countries considering sending soldiers after their defence ministries study rules of engagement presented at a meeting of 49 nations on Thursday, about 23 of them potential troop contributors.
Nepal, a predominately Hindu nation, has also offered troops, now in the UN mission in southern Sudan, and may be able to get them to Lebanon quickly, Malloch Brown said.
French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie has complained about troops being under UNIFIL command, rather than a separate force, which France insisted on during negotiations on the Aug. 11 resolution.
She also said troops would not have the the right to shoot to defend themselves, although the resolution says the force can “take all necessary actions” in resisting hostilities.
Still, Malloch Brown said France’s representative had confirmed that the rules of engagement “were very acceptable and correct and a reflection of the resolution that France had obviously been an author of.”
However, Israeli UN ambassador Dan Gillerman told the BBC on Friday it would be difficult “if not inconceivable” for Israel to accept troops from nations that do not have diplomatic relations with the Jewish state. This would exclude Malaysia and Indonesia.
But Malloch Brown said, “The issue I think is balance. The more we can fill this out with major nationalities (the) more Israelis can be asked to look at its overall composition rather than individual constituents.”
