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Italy hands over UN Lebanon naval force to Germany
 BEIRUT - The Italian navy Sunday handed over to German command the UN naval force tasked with patrolling Lebanons coastline to prevent arms smuggling following Israels war with Shiite movement Hezbollah. Italys Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi passed command of the beefed-up force to Germanys Admiral Andreas Krause during a ceremony aboard Italys flagship Garibaldi aircraft carrier in Beirut harbour.The ceremony was also attended by United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) commander Major General Alain Pellegrini who hailed the Italians mission which helped end a crippling Israeli blockade of Lebanon as a real success. Germany has agreed to send up to 2,400 military personnel to Lebanon in the countrys first mission in the Middle East since World War II. Although Germany has sent a maritime fleet to Lebanon, having UN troops on the ground is a more sensitive issue because of the potential of conflict with Israeli troops. Posted by: Steve White 2006-10-16 |
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