EU to Contribute Up to 7,000 Troops for Lebanon
25 August 2006
France's foreign minister says Europe will contribute between 6,500 to 7,000 troops to the enlarged international peacekeeping force for Lebanon.
Philippe Douste-Blazy was speaking in Brussels Friday where European Union foreign ministers met to discuss contributions to the international force.
There were no further details except that Belgium, in addition to France, Italy and Spain, has offered to send troops.
Earlier Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, also at the meeting, said he was confident he would get the required 15,000 international troops. A U.N resolution on ending the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas called for up to 15,000 U.N troops, alongside an equal number of Lebanese soldiers.
But France's President Jacques Chirac said the peacekeeping force does not need 15,000 troops. He called that number excessive.
Still at issue is who will command the troops. France says it wants to take the lead, but Italy also expressed interested in leading the force. In newspaper interviews Friday, Italian officials proposed a shared command.
On Thursday, France boosted its troop commitment to 2,000. A contingent of about 150 French troops reached southern Lebanon Friday.
Italy has offered up to 3,000 troops.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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