Germany Extends its UNIFIL Troops Mandate
The German parliament voted Wednesday to extend the mandate of its troops in the naval component of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon for 15 months.
The maximum number of personnel Germany can contribute to the UNIFIL mission will fall to 1,200 from 1,400, however, due to what Berlin describes as progress made by the Lebanese military in building up its own naval force.
The new mandate approved by the Bundestag lower house runs until December 15 next year.
There are currently 230 German sailors deployed off the Lebanese coast. Germany held the command of the force from the start of its mission in October 2006 until the end of February, when Italy took over.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung both appealed to deputies to extend the mission, to prevent arms being smuggled to Hizbullah by sea. The UNIFIL mission marked Germany”s first military foray into the Middle East since World War II.