Italy is willing to both commit 2,000 troops to the UNIFIL peacekeeping contingent in Lebanon and lead that force. The Italian Prime Minister,Romano Prodi, made the offer to Kofi Annan. It is still up to the UN to decide, but it certainly would be a better choice than the perfidious French.
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said on Monday his country was ready to lead a U.N. force in southern Lebanon, where the fragility of a week-old truce was underlined when Israeli forces fired at Hizbollah guerrillas.
"I confirmed the Italian willingness (to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan)," Prodi told reporters, adding that Annan would make a final decision on the command of the force this weekend.
The Lebanese government welcomed Italy's offer of 2,000 troops, the biggest commitment any country has made yet. Israel has already said it would be happy if Italy led the force.
Italy's right-wing opposition warned the deployment could prove a "kamikaze" mission.
I still think the entire effort is doomed to failure under the inept leadership of the UN, but it is a good thing that some European nations are willing to do more than grandstand and double deal.
