Lebanese Naval Force Takes Shape

An Israeli government spokeswoman confirmed on Friday that Tel Aviv had handed over the monitoring of Lebanon's coastal waters to the Italian naval force. The end of the maritime embargo comes a day after Israel lifted its air blockade.

"The naval blockade has lifted," Miri Eisen from
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said. "The UN naval force led by Italy has taken control of the sector in complete coordination with the Israeli military and will be implementing the embargo on arms intended for Hezbollah," she added.

Israel began its siege of Lebanon on July 13, a day after it
responded with a massive offensive to the capture of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border attack by the Shiite militia. The war -- which killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly
civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers -- also shattered
Lebanon's economy, with the blockade almost completely cutting off the country from the outside world.

The move came amid a rush of international diplomacy aimed at shoring up the three-week-old UN-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon and pushing for a revival of the stalled Middle East peace process.

A force led by Italy and including French and Greek ships will now patrol Lebanese waters before the German navy arrives to take over. The aim will be to thwart gun running to the Shiite Muslim guerrillas, in line with UN Resolution 1701 that silenced the guns after a month of fighting.

"A constructive contribution"

The lifting of Israel's naval blockade was welcomed by German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier on Friday. Currently on a Mideast tour, Steinmeier called the move "a constructive contribution by Israel."

Germany is to take the lead in patrolling the Lebanese coast and the German parliament is expected to vote next week on the historic deployment of the German army in the Middle East.

The German cabinet is also set to finalize the exact size and nature of the mission in the coming week. Up to 3,000 troops and some 13 vessels are then planned to be sent to the troubled region. They are to prevent sea-based arms smuggling mainly from Syria to Hezbollah militants.

German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said he was confident that pending questions on the deployment at the international level would be cleared in the coming days and that German conditions surrounding the mission would be fulfilled.

Confusion over the role of Germany, which has offered to lead the naval component of the existing UNIFIL force in the region, arose after Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora failed to formally ask the United Nations for German help.

But Steinmeier told a press conference in Beirut Thursday that Siniora had indeed written to UN chief Kofi Annan saying, "Lebanon accepts that Germany will take charge of aiding the Lebanese authorities supervise its territorial waters, and we have agreed to do it."

The Lebanese government last week also said last week that German naval forces can only be deployed seven miles off the Lebanese coast. That would make an efficient search for arms smugglers difficult, according to experts.

Germany insists on a clear request from Beirut coupled with a robust mandate from the United Nations. On Thursday, Steinmeier said that final details needed to be ironed out with the Lebanese government.

"There will be effective patrolling on the basis of deployment rules that will be decided on by us as well as the Lebanese government."

The United Nations said Thursday it hoped to finalize "as soon as possible" maritime rules of engagement for UN forces in Lebanon that will enable Germany to deploy naval forces under UN command "within two weeks."

Additional German forces?

According to sources close to Germany's conservative-social democrat coalition, 1,200 sailors have already been put on standby for the mission, along with an unknown number of medical staff.

Military officials quoted by Tagesspiegel newspaper said in addition 800 airforce personnel would take part, mainly with the task of maintaining the squadron of six Tornado reconnaissance planes that will assist the German fleet.

The same officials said Germany will send two frigates -- the Mecklenberg Vorpommern and the Karlsruhe -- as well as up to four torpedo boats, three mine-sweepers, three supply vessels and a communications vessel.