Qatar to contribute troops to UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon

Qatar would send 200-300 troops to join a UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad al-Thani said on Monday.

Qatar will be the first Arab country to participate in the expanded UN force designed to sustain a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in south Lebanon.

"We have decided that Qatar will participate in (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) UNIFIL by sending 200-300 military personnel and we believe UNIFIL must have specific duties on the ground," Sheikh Hamad told a joint press conference with UN chief Kofi Annan in Doha.

However, the foreign minister did not say when the troops would go to Lebanon.

For his part, Annan said that the United Nations hoped the expanded force would be a "manifestation of international solidarity" with Lebanon.

He also urged Israel to lift its siege of the country, saying it was unsustainable.

"We are using the UN influence to lift the embargo especially as Lebanon is trying to rebuild ... It has to be allowed to rebuild. I urge Israel to cooperate," he said.

Israel has kept an air and sea embargo on Lebanon after its 34- day-old war with Lebanon's Hezbollah ended on Aug. 14. Israel says the blockade was aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rearming.

All ships and aircraft require Israeli permission to use Lebanese waters and airspace. on Sunday, Qatar Airways said it would resume direct flights to and from Beirut.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, unanimously passed on Aug. 11, gave the authorization to UNIFIL to expand from its 2,000 troops to up to 15,000 soldiers.

Italian troops will make up the largest single contingent of the force deployed in south Lebanon after a truce took effect on Aug. 14.

Qatar maintains low-level ties with Israel and is meanwhile also a key U.S. ally hosting a major U.S. military base.

Source: Xinhua