Saturday, August 19 2006 11:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: The UN has sent out an urgent appeal to Europeans to commit forces for its peacekeeping mission in Lebanon in an effort to get a mix of Western and Muslim troops which is acceptable to both Beirut and Tel Aviv.

The world body is in a hurry as it wants to put 3,500 additional troops on the ground in next ten days to ensure that fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hizbollah sustains and Tel Aviv withdraws its troops from the areas occupied by it during the recent conflict. The current plan is to deploy the entire contingent of 15,000 by November.

At a meeting of about 50 potential troop contributors Thursday, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia had offered troops but Israel has said it would not agree to troops from nations which do not recognize it and they include Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Muslim nations say Israel cannot have veto over the composition of the force and it is for the UN to decide. UN official agree but stress that it should be seen to be legitimate by both sides to ensure the Council decisions are implemented.

UN has already circulated the rules of engagement to potential troop contributors so that their governments can study them and come back with firm commitments.

The UN officials were visibly disappointed over France backing out of its earlier statements that it is prepared to contribute some 5000 troops but Italy has promised sending troops without committing specific number though its Prime Minister Romano Prodi indicated that it could send up to 3000 troops.