LEBANON: French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, holds talks with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said France will contribute 1,700 troops to the U.N. peacekeepers into southern Lebanon

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, holding talks in Beirut on Wednesday (August 16), said France will contribute 1,700 troops to the U.N. peacekeepers into southern Lebanon. Speaking following a meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Douste-Blazy urged for the release of the two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hizbollah a month ago. "Out of all the conditions which have been set, one issue seems very important on a human level, that is to obtain as fast as possible the release of the two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hizbollah on July 12th. We have always demanded that they be freed without conditions, also taking into consideration the issue of Lebanese prisoners who are today in Israeli jails," he said. Douste-Blazy said France, which might lead the strengthened UNIFIL, was ready to play an important role in the force, but said it was vital that many other countries contributed. The French army will provide the UNIFIL (UN troops) with 1,700 men, and after they have done their part in providing essential humanitarian aid, the French national defence will participate in delivering metallic bridges for Beirut," he said. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora hosted a lunch for Douste-Blazy and his counterparts from Turkey, Malaysia and Pakistan, some of which may also contribute troops to UNIFIL. Germany could contribute to the force but will not decide whether to participate until the exact nature of the operation is known, a government spokesman said in Berlin. Indonesia is ready to send 1,000 troops as part of the U.N. force for Lebanon, officials in Jakarta said. The Lebanese cabinet will order an immediate army deployment in the south, a senior political source said, adding that a 15,000-strong force would start taking up positions south of the Litani River, about 20 km (13 miles) from the Israeli border, on Thursday. Council last week adopted a resolution calling for a truce. It authorised up to 13,000 well-armed troops to augment the 2,000-strong UNIFIL force now in Lebanon. The United Nations said on Tuesday it wanted to deploy up to 3,500 new soldiers in south Lebanon within two weeks. Hizbollah, which fought an Israeli onslaught for 34 days until a U.N. truce took hold on Monday, has said it has the right to attack Israeli forces remaining on Lebanese soil. Hizbollah has shown no willingness to vacate the area south of the Litani, where its guerrillas have roamed for two decades. The group has promised to cooperate with Lebanese and U.N. forces, but has made clear it will keep its weapons -- although political sources say it has offered to keep them out of sight. Israel said it would stop withdrawing from south Lebanon unless Lebanese troops moved there within days, as diplomats worked on plans for a stronger U.N. force to bolster the truce with Hizbollah guerrillas.

ITN Source | August 17, 2006

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