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Intense debate underway on provision of UN troops to Lebanon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New York, Aug 17, IRNA
UN-Lebanon-International Force
Intense debate is going on at the United Nations Headquarters on Thursday to make arrangements for provision of international force to be deployed in Lebanon.

After several weeks of procrastination, the United States could no longer resist the international community's outcry urging a ceasefire to be established between Lebanon and Israel and last Monday the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1701 calling for cessation of hostilities and deployment of the United Nations force in southern Lebanon.

France had said it is willing to lead the UN force so long as it had a clear mandate and sufficient strength, but Le Monde newspaper said Paris might send not the thousands of troops UN officials had hoped for.

The daily said France was considering sending a dozen officers and some 200 members of an engineering division. It would also offer a rapid reaction force but would not place the troops under UN control.

Currently, UN officials are working hard to convince France to anchor the force and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was expected to call President Jacques Chirac during the day to discuss the problem.

News of the French reticence surprised many UN officials and diplomats of several Security Council members commented that France had written most of the elements concerning the force in a UN resolution adopted last Friday.

Meanwhile, Italy, which could send up to 3,000 troops, said the UN force would help the Lebanese army impose its authority. "It is wrong to say that our soldiers are going to disarm Hizbollah," Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema told L'Espresso magazine.

Italy, like France, is demanding a clear definition of what the expanded UNIFIL will do and what powers it will have.

Indonesia and Malaysia have said they are willing to send 1,000 troops each although neither country has diplomatic ties with Israel.

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