Italy is ready to send between 2,000 and 3,000 troops to Lebanon as part of the planned United Nations force to enforce a cease-fire, Defence Under-secretary Lorenzo Forcieri told Reuters on Saturday. Forcieri said it was "realistic" that Italy would be given vice-command of the force, which would be led by France.
Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema issued a joint statement earlier on Saturday to say Italy would take part in the force, which was approved by the UN Security Council on Friday. "We will probably be sending between 2,000 and 3,000 men from all the armed forces, said Forcieri.
The UN resolution authorises up to 15,000 UN troops to move into Lebanon to enforce a cease-fire in the conflict between Hizbollah guerrillas and Israel, expanding the existing UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).