Pak may send troops to Lebanon

[RAPTOR]

Monday, August 07, 2006

Lebanese PM wants Pakistan troops in UN force
* FO says Pakistan may send troops if conditions met
Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has proposed the inclusion of Pakistan in a proposed international peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
In an interview with Geo television in Beirut on Sunday, Siniora said that a United Nations peacekeeping force was “urgently” required in Lebanon.
He praised efforts by President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to bring the war to an end. Siniora particularly appreciated the two leaders’ efforts for a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) on the issue. He also thanked the people of Pakistan for their demonstrations against “Israeli aggression”, and expressed his pride in Pakistan’s friendship.
“We have no connection with the kidnappers of the two Israeli troops by Hezbollah. So we can’t be held responsible for that,” he said. “But if Israel attacks us on the pretext of just two soldiers, then we demand that several of our innocent civilians captured by Israel be released. No compromise with Israel is possible unless it evacuates our areas, releases our people and provide us the map of landmines planted in the Lebanese areas.”
Siniora said that Israel was “the enemy of Lebanon’s prosperity, but the Lebanese people would never bow before the enemy. We are contacting countries which can send their forces, and I am sure the Pakistan government will have no problem in sending troops to Lebanon,” Siniora said.
Speaking to Geo television later, Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said that Pakistan would send peacekeeping troops to Lebanon if the UN asks, and if its personnel are acceptable to all stakeholders in the conflict. She said that Pakistan would only send troops if a UN Security Council resolution to this effect were approved.
She said that Pakistan was the biggest contributor to peacekeeping missions around the world. A number of options were being discussed regarding a peacekeeping force in Lebanon, and no clear ideas had emerged yet, Aslam said.

Courtesy http://www.dailytimes.com.pk

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

She said that Pakistan was the biggest contributor to peacekeeping missions around the world.

Despite the large number of contributors, the greatest burden continues to be borne by a core group of developing countries. The 10 main troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations as of February 2006 were Bangladesh (10,172), Pakistan (9,630), India (8,996), Jordan, Nepal, Ethiopia, Uruguay, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_26

One should know the facts as an official spokesman. Apparently hallucinating or deluding or even obfuscating!

It is so well known a fact that Bangladesh leads that I had to check and update. And it shows that the woman has let her imagination take a ride!

 

[Sid]

Apparantly, the lady is stuck in late 2004 or early 2005 when Pakistan was actually the biggest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations. She should've checked the statistics again to update herself.



Note: Raptor, quit acting like a Mod or telling what Mods should do or shouldn't do. You are risking another certain ban.

 

[RAPTOR]

Apparantly, the lady is stuck in late 2004 or early 2005 when Pakistan was actually the biggest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations. She should've checked the statistics again to update herself.



Note: Raptor, quit acting like a Mod or telling what Mods should do or shouldn't do. You are risking another certain ban.

Then take care of the hideous language being used to describe the foriegn office spokeswoman...to say shes hallucinating, deluding..............surely there are better words to describe her, so she made a mistake, big deal!

 

[Munir]

Then take care of the hideous language being used to describe the foriegn office spokeswoman...to say shes hallucinating, deluding..............surely there are better words to describe her, so she made a mistake, big deal!

shhhhhhhtttt. I might agree. This is a forum. Not a place for Indians nationalists to degrade Pakistani people.

>>>One should know the facts as an official spokesman. Apparently hallucinating or deluding or even obfuscating!

Don't you have manners. Personal barking.

>>>It is so well known a fact that Bangladesh leads that I had to check and update. And it shows that the woman has let her imagination take a ride!

I don't care but you are warned clearly. Since you attack political active Pakistani you get a cooldown period. I have nothing against Indians but degrading remarks and personal bashing are somehow typical for this group on international forums. Raptor don't act as a mod. Just give us signs and we do kow how to act.

 

[master_fx]

dont go to tat hell place there's already one chinese UN observer died during the conflict.......

aussies UNs left tat place already they wrap their arse faster than u can say "losers"

 

[Thunder]

If we want good relations with them, then this would be one of the steps towards it. Besides, another friend never hurts anyone, you never know when you might need them.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

It is reported that Israel is not keen to have any contingent that does not recognise the state of Israel and Malaysia and Indonesia has been named in particular.

The logic possibly is that countries that do not recognise Israel would not be too concerned if actions are taken by the Hizb to destabilise the peace and causing another confrontation.

There is no doubt that Israel is not in a position economically or otherwise to solely devote itself to confrontations with its Arab neighbours. The military success that has in the past been their trademark has also allude them this time when the Hizb held them for 30 days. That, too, would be worrisome to the Israelis and already the PM is in dire straits back home. It would thus not be in the interest of Israel to have a force that does not enforce the peace, since Israel has to do much rebuilding as also revamp its military.

The Lebanese Army has deployed itself along the Lebanese border including opposite Syria. However, the Lebanese Army is not much of a fighting force in its current avatar.

Lebanon too requires peace to rebuild since it has been devastated.

The choice for contingents for the UN Force because of this Israeli objection would seriously constrain the UN.

However, it is the prerogative of the UN to decide the composition. Yet, if one of the parties oppose, what would be the character of peace that they can hold?

 

[Owais]

Only friendly countries can participate in UN force: Israel


JERUSALEM (updated on: August 21, 2006, 13:16 PST): Israel on Sunday said Italy should play a key role in peacekeeping in southern Lebanon, while other countries' troops were not welcome.

"It is important that the multinational force arrives in the region as quickly as possible and that Italy is a fundamental part of it," Israeli premier Ehud Olmert said during a telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

He asked Prodi to supply an Italian contingent that would patrol "border posts between Syria and Lebanon," according to an Israeli official statement.

Prodi said that he "intended to send a logical contingent that would be able to fulfil its mission and that he would submit the matter to parliament for consideration."

But another government statement said that others were not welcome in the force.

"Israel doesn't want to see within the multinational force soldiers from countries whose governments supported Hizbullah," said a statement following the weekly security cabinet's meeting.

"Israel is opposed to the participation in the multinational force of contingents from states with which it has no (diplomatic) relations," Olmert was quoted as saying on the Yediot Aharonot newspaper website.

Israel's UN ambassador Dan Gillerman and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have both said it would be difficult to accept participation in the UN force of countries that have no relations with Israel, such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

EU nations have been stalling to offer troops to boost the already-existing UN forces on the ground to 15,000 as called for in UN Security Council Resolution 1701, over concerns about the rules of engagement along the volatile border between Israel and Lebanon.

France, the former colonial power in Lebanon, has begun to deploy a contingent of 200 troops, a much smaller number than expected by Israel and the international community.

Olmert also expressed hope Sunday that Turkey would contribute troops to the international force after a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

"I hope Turkey will play an important role in the multinational force in south Lebanon," Olmert told national public radio following the meeting.

"Turkey has Israel's trust and can play a stabilizing role in the region," he added.

 

[Officer of Engineers]

One should know the facts as an official spokesman.

Sir,

What did you expect from a REMF?

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Good one Colonel!

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 E-Mail this article to a friend Printer Friendly Version

No ties with Israel until Palestinian state established, says FO

* Spokeswoman says Matiur Rehman not arrested
* Britain terror plot probe continuing, results will be revealed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel until it moves towards a peace process and a free Palestinian state comes into being, Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told reporters on Monday.

Ms Aslam said that Matiur Rehman, the prime accused in the assassination attempt on President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, has not been arrested and reports that he is in Pakistan’s custody are baseless.

She said that the investigation into the plot to blow up trans-Atlantic passenger jetliners was continuing and the “full picture” will be eventually revealed to the public. Ms Aslam criticised the media’s “continuing speculation” about the case, adding that most reports were baseless. “It is in the larger interest of everyone that we get to the bottom of this plot and are able to ensure that no link remains unearthed and no link is missed,” she said.

Ms Aslam said that Pakistan has not shared any evidence with any country on the involvement of Al Qaeda in the plot. Citing unspecified reports, she said “Al Qaeda leaders and members are present in the bordering regions inside Afghanistan but no one knows their exact coordinates.”

To a question, the FO spokeswoman said that militancy and extremism are not increasing in Pakistan. “We imposed a ban on militant groups and have taken several steps to curb extremism and terrorism in the country,” she said.

Ms Aslam said that Pakistani and Indian experts were due to meet in Islamabad on August 23-24 to discuss the Sir Creek issue, but India had not informed Pakistan about its delegation so far.

Ms Aslam said that President Pervez Musharraf had made it clear in his interview with an Indian magazine that Pakistani intelligence agencies were not involved in the Mumbai blasts and such allegations should not be made without evidence.

She added that the government is not considering any proposal for talks between the intelligence agencies of Pakistan and India. She said the government was also discussing with India a ban on Pakistani diplomats from moving outside New Delhi without prior permission.

She said that Pakistan had proposed enhancing contacts between people from both Kashmirs to India, but Kashmiris living on the Indian side of Kashmir were complaining of difficulties in the travel procedure. She asked India to simplify the process.

Ms Aslam said that King Abdullah of Jordan would arrive in Pakistan today (Tuesday) and the government would discuss the situation in the Middle East with him. She added that a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) delegation is currently in Islamabad to discuss a treaty on provision of assistance to Afghanistan. agencies
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\08\22\story_22-8-2006_pg7_1

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 E-Mail this article to a friend Printer Friendly Version

No decision on troops to Lebanon yet

ISLAMABAD: The decision to dispatch Pakistani troops to Lebanon will be taken after taking ground realities into account, Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told reporters on Monday. “Pakistan is not going to become part of the peacekeeping force in Lebanon yet. All reports published in this regard are baseless,” Ms Aslam said, adding that Pakistan will agree to send troops under the UN umbrella and after acceptance of a mandate by all parties involved in the conflict. online
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\08\22\story_22-8-2006_pg7_2

Apparently, because Isreal has indicated that it will acquiesce to contingents from countries that do not recognise Israel, that the Paksitani spokeswoman has stated that reports published so far is baseless.

However, because Pakistan is an ally of the US, there is a good chance of Israel agreeing to a Pakistani contingent and Gen Musharraf will ensure that the contingent is fair in its dealing since he vales the US tie as also has addressed the Jewish leaders in NY proving that he is person who has no hatred or animosity of the Jews, no matter what may be the popular perception of what is believed to be the equation.

 

[Jay_]

For all the propenents who wants Pakistan to send PA to Lebanon, its not peace keeping but peace enforcing mission.

Colonel has stated how their hands were tied in Yugoslovia, so it aint that easy. Also the mission is to secure peace in South Lebanon, make sure that there is no attacks in to Israel. Would PA fight Hizbollah if they fail to heed??

Also, if UN Force cannot maintain peace along the border, they are risking a war with Israel.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Peacekeeping is easy since it is glorified poodlefaking.

Peace enforcement is messy. The UN has a very rough time in Rwanda as also in Sierra Leone; and they were basically tribal and ethnic forces which had no international quotient of concern in the way Lebanon and Israel would demand.

On the one hand, will be the western interests and on the other, the Islamic interest. Both are formidable entities. Therefore, it will be the clash of not Lebanon or Israel, but the clash of interest of these two entities mentioned.

The situation that would emerge is best encapsulated in the Chinese proverb - When Big Fish fight, little Fish eaten!

 

[Neo]

NEW DELHI: August 24, 2006:

India is considering withdrawing its existing peacekeepers from southern Lebanon, a minister said, even as the UN tries to persuade nations to commit troops to enforce a cease-fire.

"We are considering withdrawing our troops from Lebanon," Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.

Mukherjee, however, said the 775 Indian soldiers would not leave before UN reinforcements arrive.

An Indian foreign ministry source said New Delhi had despatched a senior official to the region to "get a sense of the situation" there.

A decision on pulling out troops could be taken after that, he added.

Earlier this month, India welcomed the UN Security Council resolution calling for a "cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Lebanon.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a statement to parliament last month condemned in the "strongest possible terms" Israel's offensive against Lebanon.

Singh also announced that India would provide 100 million rupees (2.2 million dollars) worth of aid to Lebanon.