Fed: Leading Muslims ask Lebanon to reject Aust peacekeepers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-12-2006
Fed: Leading Muslims ask Lebanon to reject Aust peacekeepers

SYDNEY, Aug 12 AAP - Prominent Australian Muslims have written to Lebanon's prime minister
asking him to reject any offer of Australian peacekeepers.

Muslim community spokesman Keysar Trad and Sheikh Taj Aldin Alhilali sent a letter
on August 10 to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in which they said an Australian peacekeeping
presence in Lebanon would not be in the best interest of Lebanon or Australia.

"Should Australian troops go into Lebanon, Australia's current counter terrorism laws
will severely hamper debate in Australia about Lebanon's right to defend itself and those
protesting to support Lebanon's independence may find themselves liable to imprisonment,"

the letter said.

"It's with this in mind that we ask the Government of Lebanon to refuse any offer of
military assistance in the form of a peacekeeping force from Australia."

In the letter Mr Trad and Sheikh Alhilali said Australia had continually supported
Israel, and the Australian government's position would compromise a fair peacekeeping
force in Lebanon.

"The (Australian) government has in parrot fashion repeated the mantra of the US government
and has not asked for a cease-fire like other fair-minded nations," the letter said.

"In addition Australia has invariably taken Israel's side whenever an issue concerning
that country is dealt with by the UN.

"We feel the Australian government's position would compromise a fair peacekeeping
presence in Lebanon, and that its participation would not be in the best interests of
Lebanon or the people of Australia."

Earlier today, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia would consider contributing
troops to a proposed United Nations peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon but it would
not be a large number and it won't be soon.

His comments followed today's unanimous UN resolution calling for an immediate end
to a month of bloody fighting between Israel and the Islamic militant group Hizbollah
and the deployment of a 15,000-strong UN force.

"We certainly couldn't provide large numbers of troops," Mr Downer said.

"All we could do is provide some sort of a niche capability or some logistical support."

France is tipped to lead the operation. The UN resolution, number 1701, also calls
for Israel to withdraw all troops after an end to the fighting. The timing has yet to
be agreed by Lebanon and Israel.

Australia currently has a dozen troops with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
part of the UN Truce Supervision Organisation which supervises the Lebanese, Israeli and
Syrian borders. This is both the UN and Australia's longest running peacekeeping mission.

AAP acb/apm

KEYWORD: MIDEAST AUST LETTER

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