Defence Minister Kääriäinen: Assembling large Lebanon force could be difficult

Foreign Minister Tuomioja says small force not worth embarking on

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Finland’s Minister of Defence Seppo Kääriäinen (Centre) says that it might be difficult for Finland to assemble a large force of peacekeeping soldiers to be deployed in a United Nations operation in Lebanon.
      Speaking in Kuopio on Wednesday, Kääriäinen pointed out that relative to the country’s small size, Finland already has many peacekeepers on duty in operations around the world, and that it is hardly feasible to send any of them to the Lebanon operation.
      Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja (SDP) feels that Finland should not opt out of the operation, and that sending a small force would be a mere gesture, and not worth embarking on. He added that Finnish know-how in peacekeeping matters is appreciated.
     
Kääriäinen feels that there is a limit to the number of soldiers on active duty in Finland that can be deployed in Lebanon. The Minister of Defence says that a larger number of reservists than usual might be deployed in a Lebanon operation.
      "Normally the proportion in the forces is 40 percent of soldiers on active duty, and 60 percent reservists."
      Kääriäinen says that when assessing the size of the force to be sent to Lebanon, it is important to remember that next year Finland will also be in readiness for participation in the rapid deployment forces of the European Union.
      Tuomioja does not believe that recruitment problems will endanger Finnish participation in a Lebanon operation. He pointed out that Finland has never had any such problems before.
      It has been estimated that Finland could send up to about 200 soldiers to Lebanon. Kääriäinen says that the actual number might be smaller, depending on how many suitable volunteers are recruited.
      Kääriäinen and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) note that the size of the force depends on the task assigned to the Finnish peacekeepers.
     
The Ministry of Defence is currently assessing how many suitable volunteers are available, and what their specific mission might be. Kääriäinen said that military engineers who could help repair the damage caused by the fighting would be an appropriate contribution.
      "The forces cannot be engineers alone, because engineers require protection - that is, infantry."
      The government’s Foreign and Security Policy Committee and the President are expected to endorse Finnish participation in the peacekeeping operation at their meeting on Friday.
      Foreign Minister Tuomioja says that Friday should also reveal what kind of an input the EU countries will make on the Lebanese force. Tuomioja said that the EU countries are planning mutual coordination in the operation. "However, this is not an EU operation, but rather a UN operation", he emphasised.
     
According to Kääriäinen, the operation will be so extensive and so demanding that a mandate from Parliament will be needed.
      Parliament reconvenes after its summer break in early September, but if necessary, it can start work earlier. However, Vanhanen and Kääriäinen do not see the timetable issue as a problem, because it will take weeks or months to assemble the force. Tuomioja estimates that the Finnish forces could be in Lebanon in a month and a half to two months.
     
Prime Minister Vanhanen sees the conditions for the Lebanon operation as more difficult than usual.
      "Part of the problem is that an organisation and a state are pitted against each other", Vanhanen says.
      Finnish participation in the operation will require more funding in the state budget. Tuomioja said that the project "does not hinge on the millions".
      Tuomioja also notes that the recent death of a Finnish peacekeeper in Lebanon is a reminder that every peacekeeping operation involves risks.
      "Especially if there are those in the region who do not respect the UN flag."


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finns to be included in Lebanon peacekeeping force (16.8.2006)
  Tuomioja: EU countries prepare for Lebanon peacekeeping force (1.8.2006)
  Finland to recruit professional soldiers for rapid deployment special force (10.11.2004)

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