Germany Considers Troop Contribution To Lebanon Force
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Germany this week appeared to again be on board to contribute troops to a beefed-up multi-national peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. As the war between Israel and Hezbollah raged, politicians and commentators in Germany attacked the idea of putting German soldiers in a position where they could theoretically be required to aim their weapons at Israeli Jews. The memories of the Holocaust are still too fresh for that, they argued. But a foreign policy spokesman for Germany's ruling conservative parties told Reuters on Tuesday that his nation would indeed contribute to post-war efforts to rebuild southern Lebanon and prevent a future flare-up. Eckart von Klaeden said, "I think it is a given that we should contribute but what the contribution will look like will only come after ongoing talks." Some of the ideas being discussed include having Germany's navy help patrol the coast of Lebanon, or deploying soldiers to assist in rebuilding damaged infrastructure. The UN-brokered ceasefire to more than a month of fierce fighting between Israel and Hezbollah calls for the deployment of 15,000 foreign troops in southern Lebanon with a mandate to forcibly prevent further confrontation. While France has offered to supply the bulk of the needed forces, UN officials said they are still waiting for other nations to "step up to the plate."< |
