Controversy in Norway over troops offer for Lebanon
Lebanon-Israel-Norway, Politics, 8/18/2006

The Norwegian government's offer to contribute troops to the newly planned UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon has provoked controversy because it has not been approved by Oslo's parliament.

Norway has offered to send four naval "Hawk-class" vessels and 100 troops to patrol the coast of Lebanon.

Espen Barth Eide of the Defense Ministry said the naval vessels and their crews could be in place by the end of September.

But Aftenposten daily said Friday that dissent was brewing over the military offer by the government amid concerns in parliament over Norway's role in the military build-up.

Even though one of the three parties making up Norway's coalition government is traditionally opposed to military deployment overseas, the Socialist Left apparently went along with the Labor and Center parties in agreeing to propose a naval contribution, the daily said.

But Siv Jensen, leader of the conservative Progress Party, was said to be angered by the government's offer since it lacked parliamentary support.

"It's the Parliament that decides whether Norway shall take part in this type of international operation," Jensen said.

In this case, forces have been offered to the UN, "without parliamentary groups being informed or consulted," she said.

Oslo's parliament is currently not sitting due to the summer recess and its president Thorbjorn Jagland has said he will not grant Jensen's call for an extraordinary session to handle Norway's contribution to the UN force.

"But the final decision does lie in the Parliament," Jagland conceded, adding that he expected the government to contact the leader of the foreign relations committee.

He also told news bureau NTB that it would have been "an advantage" if the government had met with the committee to discuss Norway's contribution before it was announced in the media.

Aftenposten said that there was also concern because Norway was already facing a shortage of officers and soldiers at home with around 500 soldiers in Afghanistan and a few hundred others expected to be sent to Sudan.

This only left the Navy as the arm of the country's military services with some capacity to help out with the peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon.

Previous Stories:
  Rice said Hizbullah needs to disarm or face international pressure   (8/16/2006)
  Lebanon: UN emergency aid distributed in Tyre, fuel supplied to hospitals   (8/16/2006)
  Lebanon orders army to move south   (8/16/2006)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search