Germany to send troops to Israeli conflict zone

Published on Wednesday 16 August 2006 11:53

GERMAN troops are set to the enter the Middle East for the first time where they risk coming into direct conflict with Israelis.

Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to deploy troops to join the 15,000-strong Unifil peace-keeping force as the United Nations scrambles to find suitably-trained and equipped peacekeepers to send to war-torn Lebanon.

The UN says 2000 peacekeepers already in southern Lebanon can start overseeing the withdrawal of Israeli troops and deployment of the Lebanese army very quickly if all parties agree.

But it hopes 3500 international troops can reinforce the UN contingent within ten days to two weeks to help consolidate the fragile cessation of hostilities and create the conditions for Israeli forces to head home.

Some 3000 German troops are expected to be sent to the hotspot, of which 1000 will be Pioneers with heavy earth-moving equipment to help to rebuild airports and harbours.

The German Border Service could possibly patrol the Lebanese-Syrian border to stop the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah.

Germany's decision to join troops from nations such as France, Italy, Spain, and Turkey is its most delicate foreign policy move since being held to account for the Holocaust in 1945.

German commentator Werner Sonne said: "If German troops guard Israel's borders, they are there to protect Jewish lives. Frankly, there has never been a better reason to bring in soldiers in German uniform."