2ND Berlin considers plans to join Lebanon peace mission

Published: 08/16/2006 1:17:51pm

Berlin- Germany has moved closer to joining an
international Middle East peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon
with government leaders agreeing Wednesday to contributing to the
effort to find a solution to the region's conflict.
However, key members of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling
coalition stepped back from deciding to dispatch members of the
German army (Bundeswehr) to join the United Nations-led force.

The agreement to participate in the mission follows a meeting
between Merkel and leaders of the parties making up her grand
coalition government in the southern German city of Bayreuth.

In a declaration after the meeting, the government leaders said
the nation's efforts in helping to meet the UN push to create a
security zone between Lebanon and Israel would involve humanitarian
help as well as measures aimed rebuilding Lebanon after more than 30
days of fighting.

Berlin is also proposing a "contribution to securing the Lebanese-
Syrian border," which military analysts would involve the German
navy.

Merkel interrupted her holiday in the southern German state of
Bavaria to join senior members of her government to consider
proposals for dispatching a German military contingent to the Middle
East.

German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said Tuesday he wanted to
submit to a UN meeting on Thursday concrete plans for Bundeswehr
members joining the peacekeeping force.

But he insisted that Berlin remained open on the question of
deploying troops in Lebanon.

The UN has called the meeting in New York so that countries
willing to participate in the peacekeeping mission can set out their
troop commitments.

However, ahead of the UN meeting, a German government spokesman,
Thomas Steg said: "The government will not be writing any blank
cheques."

Steg went on to say that a final decision from Germany would not
be possible until the UN spelt out details of its plans for the
military force.

Wednesday's talks between German government leaders came as a
fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas
remained in place.

The discussions between German government leaders coincided with a
visit to the Middle East by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter
Steinmeier.

Earlier on Wednesday, Steinmeier met his Saudi counterpart Prince
Saud al-Faisal in Jeddah after abruptly cancelling his planned trip
to Syria.

Following their talks, both Steinmeier and Saud insisted that a
stable government was an essential part of any settlement in Lebanon
expressed hope for peace in the region.

Despite opposition from Germany's two key allies - France and the
US - the German foreign minister had resolved to visit Damascus as
part of Berlin's efforts to open a diplomatic door to Syria.

But Steinmeier was forced to cancel his planned two-day trip to
Damascus in response to a hard-hitting speech by Syrian President
Bashar Assad, in which he mocked Israel's military action in Lebanon
and praised Hezbollah.

"We now have to wait for a signal from Syria to see if it had
thought about a role for the future," said Steinmeier.

The meeting in Bayreuth also follows an intense debate in Germany
about whether to join the peace mission, with signs of discord
emerging in both the Merkel-led coalition and the opposition about
sending troops to the Mideast.

But in the light of the nation's past, German military involvement
in other nations or regions is always a particularly sensitive issue
in the country. In this case, it is more sensitive as it involves
Israel.

However, Israel has welcomed Germany signing up to the UN force
with many political analysts saying that Berlin would be unable to
turn down a request from Israel to help shore up its border security.

Government officials said that key ministers planned to brief
German parliamentary party leaders on the state of the coalition
talks over joining the mission on Thursday.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur