UN postpones meeting to plan new Lebanon force

U.N. officials said the gathering of potential troop-contributing countries, which had been scheduled for Monday afternoon, was delayed because the force planning process was getting ahead of Middle East diplomacy.

"Like any force that comes after a conflict, that force will be there to implement whatever has been agreed among the actors," U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno told reporters. "You cannot discuss the mandate in isolation of the political process, which in a way underpins the mandate."

The world body hoped to reschedule the meeting later in the week, but the timing remained uncertain.

Separately, the council on Monday unanimously approved a 30-day extension of the mandate of the existing peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, the 2,000-strong U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, even though the force has been largely ineffectual for many years.

Council members said the short-term extension would give them more time to work on the outlines of a new force.

UNIFIL has been in the area since 1978 but has been powerless to prevent cross-border violence between Israeli forces and Hizbollah.

Annan had announced the meeting of potential troop-contributing countries last Friday, saying it was time for the international community to step in.

However, Annan said the discussions would only be preliminary because the Security Council has not yet set out a mandate for the international force, defining the mission's goals and the troops' rules of engagement.

Major powers have said a force could not be deployed while fighting continued and without the consent of Israel, Lebanon and the Hizbollah organization.

The force would aim to implement a peace plan that has yet to be outlined by the 15-nation council. Only after the council has approved a mandate for the new force will countries actually decide whether they will participate.

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