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Indonesian Troops Bound for Lebanon join UN Peacekeeping Force


Tuesday September 05, 2006

Indonesian troops will join the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon this week after Israel set aside objections to the world's largest Muslim nation taking part, reports Indonesia’s Trade and Industry News released by the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy. 

The UN announced the inclusion of 1,000 Indonesian troops in the 15,000-strong peacekeeping mission on Saturday (
2/9/06). A 12-member advance mission will leave Jakarta for within two to three days, with the entire force expected to be on the ground within a month. 

The deployment is the biggest by
Jakarta since 1992-93 when it sent several thousand peacekeepers to as part of a UN force. 

Israel earlier opposed offers from Indonesia
, Bangladesh and Malaysia to send troops to because none of the three Muslim countries has diplomatic relations with the Jewish state. 

But Defense Minister
Juwono Sudarsono said on Thursday that Jakarta had been in contact with Tel Aviv via "third parties" and that "there are clear signs" the Israelis were setting aside their objection to Indonesia sending troops.

While the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations,
Jakarta recognises Israel's right to exist, he said. "Indonesia recognises the two-state solution over Palestine in contrast to other Islamic countries which in their rhetoric want to drive into the sea. We have never taken that position." 

Officials in
Jakarta have said Indonesian peacekeepers would not take part in any efforts to disarm Hezbollah. Sudarsono said wanted to see Hizbollah and its weapons "absorbed" into the Lebanese army "because Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese
government". Such a move, he said, would be "commensurate with
fully withdrawing from Lebanon.”