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Down Under
Australian peacekeepers may be headed for Lebanon
2006-07-25
AUSTRALIA would participate in an international peacekeeping mission to Lebanon only if it guaranteed to help secure a long-term settlement, Prime Minister John Howard said today. As Australian evacuation efforts in Lebanon wind down, Mr Howard has indicated Australia would consider any request to join a United Nations force but there would have to be definite outcomes from the mission.

"We would consider it," he told ABC Radio. "I'd want to know what the conditions are. I'd want to know what the objective is. I'd want to know that it's going to make a contribution to a long-term settlement. The problem in the Middle East is there is never an attempt to bring about a long-term settlement. The fundamental cause of the current outbreak is the refusal of the entire Arab world to accept Israel's right to exist."

Meanwhile, the Government is warning Australians wanting to leave Lebanon to get on board chartered ships today because there may be no further vessels organised. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says no further ships will leave the war-torn country after today.

EU foreign and security affairs chief Javier Solana has said that sending an international peacekeeping force to Lebanon would be a difficult but crucial part of an overall solution to end the country's political instability. Mr Solana said it was not easy to put together an international peacekeeping force but that "several European Union nations" would contribute troops and hardware.

UN chief Kofi Annan said he would press for a truce and establishment of a buffer force at a crisis meeting on Lebanon in Rome on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is to meet Rice today, has said would accept a peacekeeping force in Lebanon made up of troops from EU nations.
Posted by:Oztralian

#15  Use this as an Oppurtunity to help the displaced in Dafur. Train them how to fight here (in lebanon), then send them back to the Sudan, able to fight for themselves.
Posted by: plainslow   2006-07-25 12:42  

#14  
Need to get the acclimated too. 12 weeks or so in Arizona, a month in Central Florida. Cross training in beautiful Beaufort...


Twelve weeks in monument Valley (Arizona), a month in Disneyland (Florida), cross training with Americans on drinking each other's beers in beautiful Beaufort. And then back to Australia.
Posted by: JFM   2006-07-25 11:44  

#13  What JohnQC said.
Need to get the acclimated too. 12 weeks or so in Arizona, a month in Central Florida. Cross training in beautiful Beaufort.....
Posted by: 6   2006-07-25 11:06  

#12  This is a joke, right? I mean, you guys aren't really that dumb.
Posted by: mojo   2006-07-25 09:53  

#11  long-term settlement

An oxymoron in that part of the world I'm afraid.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-07-25 09:51  

#10  TW, you called it. Howard is saying with a real solution we are there. Otherwise, it's a blatherfest.
Posted by: phil_b   2006-07-25 09:15  

#9  We should send a large compliment of special forces and a whop of F-18's and maybe a few frigates to assist the Israelis, no peacekeepers are required.
Posted by: GizzardPuke   2006-07-25 08:27  

#8  The Aussies should be invited to the States for a holiday first. There's plenty of time for peacekeeping later. Don't want to rush into this peacekeeping stuff without a great deal of forethought and consideration. Besides, the Israelis have a great deal of preparations to do before any peacekeeping can really be done. What's the hurry. Have some cheesecake and tea. Have a bagel and creamcheese.
Posted by: JohnQC   2006-07-25 07:46  

#7  So many pots of gold (to loot), so few rainbows.
Posted by: cruiser   2006-07-25 07:37  

#6  Fox reported this morning that the UN spends 100 million dollars a year on the "Observers" in South Lebannon. Usless Ninnies.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2006-07-25 07:30  

#5  AUSTRALIA would participate in an international peacekeeping mission to Lebanon only if it guaranteed to help secure a long-term settlement. "The problem in the Middle East is there is never an attempt to bring about a long-term settlement. The fundamental cause of the current outbreak is the refusal of the entire Arab world to accept Israel's right to exist."

The good Prime Minister gets it. And he's laying it out for everyone else. The only thing that could be more clear would be saying, "We aren't interested in another hudna -- call us when the various parties have signed peace treaties with Israel."
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-07-25 07:05  

#4  I can't forget the story of the 47 Irish peacekeepers killed there since 1978.

I certainly don't wanna see any of our Aussie mates used up and spit out that way.

Why not send Zimbabwean "veterans"? No one gives a toss about them.
Posted by: JDB   2006-07-25 04:10  

#3  Feel good politics, I reckon.
Posted by: twobyfour   2006-07-25 03:22  

#2  Australian peacekepers are heading for Lebanon in order to protect those who would gladly kill a thousand Australian civilians and who have been giving demos of Lebanese rape to Australian women. Anyone understands?
Posted by: JFM   2006-07-25 03:01  

#1  So much about UN "peacekeeping" would have to change first. The ROE, the force levels and armament, the actual mission with no "creep", command authority, etc.. Being either shooting gallery bears or useless tits on a boar hog, i.e. what has passed for this in the past, just don't cut it. Stinks, John. Go real slow, buddy.
Posted by: cruiser   2006-07-25 02:30  

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