UN Force Must Be Deployed Immediately, Says Bush

George Bush called yesterday for the urgent deployment of a UN force in southern Lebanon, while offering American help with logistics, communications and intelligence. He also urged France to contribute more troops.

Mr Bush was speaking as the week-old ceasefire was in danger of unravelling, following an Israeli raid into Lebanon and an increasing reluctance among European countries to contribute soldiers to an expanded UN force.

Under the terms of a UN resolution passed this month, the force was to number 15,000 and be joined by a similar contingent of Lebanese government troops at the southern border, providing a buffer between Hizbullah and Israel.

But France, which was supposed to lead the expanded UN force, has offered only 200 troops, while Israel has blocked the participation of countries with which it has no diplomatic relations, ruling out Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

Romano Prodi, Italy's prime minister, said yesterday he was willing to accept Israel's request for it to command the peacekeeping force, but said that the UN secretary general would have the final say in who should lead the peacekeepers.

"International force requires international commitment," Mr Bush said at a press conference. "The need is urgent. The international community must now designate the leadership of this international force, give it robust rules of engagement and deploy it as quickly as possible to secure the peace. America will do our part. We will assist the new international force with logistic support, command-and-control communications and intelligence." He called on France to contribute more. "France has had a very close relationship with Lebanon. I would hope they would put more troops in ... they understand the region as well as anybody," Mr Bush said.