Mideast Truce Gains Traction as EU Promises Peacekeepers

The European Union swept away a major hurdle to keeping the peace between Israel and Hezbollah by agreeing Friday to provide what U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the “backbone” of a French-led peacekeeping force of 15,000 soldiers in Lebanon.

The commitment of as many as 6,900 soldiers -- coming 12 days into the cease-fire -- eased concerns that the peacekeeping force might not materialize because of reluctance by many countries to send troops into the Middle East tempest without clear instructions or authorization to use their weapons.

Israel said it would lift its air and sea embargo of Lebanon once the United Nations force took control, a process EU officials said could take as long as three months. The blockade is meant to stop weapons from reaching Hezbollah, but it also is hindering deliveries of food, fuel and other goods.

About 150 French army engineers landed Friday at Naqoura in southern Lebanon, joining 250 fellow citizens who are among the 2,200 peacekeepers already in the country. Italy’s leader reportedly said late Friday that his nation’s troops could leave for Lebanon as early as Tuesday.

“Europe is providing the backbone of the force. We can now begin to put together a credible force,” Annan said after meeting with EU ministers.

“The troops are not going there to disarm Hezbollah. Let’s be clear about that,” he said. Annan said disarmament of the militant group was an issue for Lebanon’s government and “cannot be done by force.”

The international force is meant to give teeth to the Lebanese army, which has begun moving 15,000 soldiers into the south to assert the central government’s authority along the Israeli border for the first time in decades.

In Beirut, an official close to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said that his government welcomed the EU’s decision and that it would help restore stability.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said his country wanted to create an arms-free “exclusion zone” in southern Lebanon.

The promised 6,900 European soldiers do not include naval units, air support or peacekeepers already on the ground.

Most of the new troops are from Italy and France. Other countries committed smaller units. Belgium volunteered 400 soldiers, including land-mineremoval units. Germany and Denmark offered naval forces, and the Finnish foreign minister spoke of sending 250 soldiers, if parliament approves the move.

The United States, an ally of Israel, has ruled out providing troops, though it is expected to offer logistics support.

France, which commands the small peacekeeping force that has been in southern Lebanon since 1978, will lead the expanded force until February, when it will hand over command to Italy.