(IsraelNN.com) Italy has become the latest country to demand that United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan be more specific about the rules of engagement that will determine the conduct of soldiers who participate in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon.
Italian Premier Romano Prodi spoke with Annan by telephone on Wednesday evening, asking him for detailed rules of engagement the international peacekeeping force will be expected to follow in the aftermath of the war between Israel and Hizbullah terrorists.
Prodi’s office said Thursday that Italy is willing to provide a “significant” number of soldiers for the peacekeeping effort; he has said he could dispatch up to 3,000 troops, quickly, as long as there is a clear picture of what the force can and can not do. The issue is one that has been raised several times by other potential participating countries in recent days. |