Australia asked to join UN force

[cal04]

AUSTRALIA has been invited by the United Nations to contribute to a planned international peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has said.

Australia is yet to decide whether it would join the force, but Mr Downer said any contribution would be "very limited".

He has already discussed the matter with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"She was very enthusiastic about there being some sort of an Australian contribution, though I told her that would inevitably be a very limited one if it were to happen," Mr Downer told the Nine Network.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19960021-1702,00.html

[bemildred]

1. It's a UN force? nt

[lebkuchen]

2. Australian protesters swarmed Howard's car the other day

for his support of the bombings of Lebanon.

Australia led the international force in East Timor during Clinton's presidency, when the East Timorese were attempting to vote and Clinton kept US forces safe at sea while Indonesia's Kopassus "militia" stormed the polls, a low point in Clinton's presidency, to be sure. Still, Australia's stepping up to the plate then makes that country an obvious choice to rescue the US from its inability to lead once again.

[joemurphy]

3. A Fool's Errand. n/t