WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The Pentagon has sent a single military planner to the United Nations to begin preparations for an enhanced Lebanese peacekeeping force, a top official said.
U.S. involvement in a peacekeeping force is likely to be limited to just logistics support, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton suggested to reporters Tuesday that other nations are not eager to commit troops to the 15,000-man force.
"I think that obviously the decisions have to be made by individual countries and their taking into account the circumstances of the mission, the extent of the mandate, the operational difficulties. I did see a story from -- I suppose I should say one wire service from Rome today quoting an Italian military official as being rather skeptical of being involved in a U.N. force. But in any event, this really is a responsibility of the Secretariat. We're doing everything we can to help support the generation of new contributions, but that's what the Department of Peacekeeping Operations really is there to do," Bolton said.
The international force would supplement a Lebanese force of 15,000 meant to control Lebanon's borders and the southern swath of the country now being occupied by Israeli forces.
Although France spearheaded the effort to get international agreement for a peacekeeping force, it is not clear that the country will command the unit, as has been posited, Bolton said.
"I think the decision on who the force commander will be will depend in large part on what country makes the most significant troop contribution. And my understanding from various parts of the French government is they have not yet made a decision on whether and at what level their force contribution will be made," Bolton said.
"This is really a test for -- for the Secretariat in getting the enhanced UNIFIL in place and the decisions that have to be made by the government of Lebanon," said Bolton.
