Army may end role in Lebanon in favour of Darfur

Irish troops may be withdrawn from the United Nations mission in Lebanon in six to eight weeks in favour of deployment to Darfur as part of a proposed new international military mission in the war-torn region of western Sudan.

If the move is recommended by senior officers within the Defence Forces and approved by Cabinet, Irish troops would be withdrawn from Lebanon as early as October and could be on the ground in Darfur in the first quarter of next year.

Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Dermot Earley is currently reviewing the continued participation of 165 Irish troops in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).

He visited the troops in Lebanon last month as part of his review and is now consulting with his two deputy chiefs of staff, Maj Gen Pat O'Sullivan and Maj Gen Pat Nash.

The three men are preparing a report for Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea. That report will be finalised next month and if withdrawal from Lebanon is recommended, as is likely, Mr O'Dea could immediately bring the matter before Cabinet.

The Irish troops currently in Lebanon were deployed for an initial 12-month period to October, with their participation beyond that time subject to review.

The Irish are providing security for a Finnish force that is carrying out reconstruction and bomb disposal work close to the Israeli border. The Finns have indicated their intention to withdraw in October, meaning a new role would have to be found for the Irish if they stayed on.

Military and Government sources have repeatedly said the mission was likely to be a short one because the Irish had only withdrawn from Lebanon in 2001 after 23 years in the country.

Since the troops returned following a fresh outbreak in fighting between the Israeli forces and Hizbullah last summer, the number of Lebanese and UN troops in Lebanon has increased greatly to over 22,000, from 6,000 in 2001.

If Irish troops are withdrawn, the number of Defence Forces personnel serving overseas would be at the lowest point for a number of years following the withdrawal of the Irish from the UN's Liberia mission in June.

It would mean Ireland would be free to supply a contingent of troops to a new UN and African Union mission to Darfur, where 200,000 have been killed in fighting.

The 26,000-troop force was agreed last week by the UN Security Council. It is expected it will take up to six months to assemble and will, among other duties, be tasked with monitoring the illegal use of arms.

The Government has already received a request from the UN for an expression of interest in the Darfur mission.