Malaysian peacekeepers ready for prolonged Lebanon mission
The UN has invited the mainly Muslim Southeast Asian nation to send 360 peacekeepers to serve for six months.
By The Associated PressMalaysia is prepared to extend its participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions in Lebanon beyond a stipulated six month period, news reports on Saturday quoted a senior minister as saying.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted as saying he expects a prolonged mission based on Malaysia's previous peacekeeping experience in Somalia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and East Timor, the national news agency Bernama reported.
The UN has invited the mainly Muslim Southeast Asian nation to send 360 peacekeepers to serve for six months and the team is due to leave for Lebanon on Nov. 5.
"We are ready if the mission is extended," the New Straits Times newspaper quoted Najib as saying.
Malaysia had offered 1,000 troops for the mission, said Najib, who is also the defense minister, adding that the additional soldiers could go under future deployments.
Defense Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.
Under a UN-brokered cease-fire following fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, as many as 15,000 peacekeepers are to be deployed in southern Lebanon.
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hezb. had no problem hiding behind civilians. Now they can fire and hide behind Malaysian soldiers. what happens when we fire back? The cause and what continues to fuel this conflict is the Moslem world's refusal to accept Israel as Malaysia continues to do. What is currently happening in Lebanon is a footnote to a footnote.
Let's see. Muslim Chechens, Malaysians, Italians, Chinese? Shall we now introduce Apache Indians on horseback? Lebanon is now starting to look like that famous scene in the Woody Allen film, Casino Royale! Selah!
Israel have so many friends visit next door: Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Russia, China. play nice - not throw anything over fence, or maybe they throw something back. is four or five nuclear powers with troop in Lebanon now ?