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Italy Finalizing Plans for Lebanon Deployment
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&ctl=13AFC62:A6F02AD83191E160FF3C93198F0542E89574F7DCC14957C0 Italy to
participate with 3,000 soldiers in UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon,
largest troop contribution among Europeans The Italian Cabinet is
meeting to discuss and vote on deploying Italian troops in





Italian Navy ship San Giorgio leaving Brindisi military harbor,  as
part of departure preparations of Italian UN peacekeepers contingent
for Lebanon, Monday, August 28, 2006Lebanon. Italy has pledged the
largest contingent for the U.N. peacekeeping force. 

Approval of the decree giving the go-ahead to Italy's mission to
Lebanon is widely expected.

Italy has already said it is prepared to send up to 3,000 soldiers,
the largest pledge by a European nation for the U.N. peacekeeping
force that is to secure the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
guerrillas in south Lebanon.

The decree will also give details of the measures to help
reconstruction efforts in Lebanon. Italian government officials are
stressing the importance of the Italian mission.







Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema Foreign Minister Massimo
d'Alema says Italian troops are not leaving for a war. He said they
are going to defend and consolidate peace.

A naval task force to transport the Italian troops is scheduled to
depart from a southern Italian port Tuesday and to reach Lebanon on
Friday.

Italy will run the mission's new mini command center in New York
immediately, but will assume command of peacekeepers in Lebanon in
February. Until then France will be in charge.

Europe has pledged up to 7,000 troops. Non-European soldiers will help
expand the 2,000-member UNIFIL force that has been in Lebanon since
1978, to 13,000.

The international force will provide support to the Lebanese Army,
which has begun deploying 15,000 soldiers in the south to assert the
authority of the central government along the Israel border for the
first time in decades.


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