Germany says it could have role in Lebanon force

BERLIN, July 24 (Reuters) Germany would consider sending troops to Lebanon as part of a UN force if certain conditions were met, its defence minister said today, a move which would be controversial given Germany's history with Israel. As Israeli forces and Hizbollah guerrillas continued to fight in south Lebanon, political leaders were discussing the possible deployment of an international force to stabilise the border.

Several European Union countries are ready to contribute to a peace force but problems remain about ensuring it can fulfil its mission, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said.

More than 60 years after World War Two and the Holocaust, in which the Nazis killed about 6 million Jews, Germany is still trying to define its global role, especially in military terms.

Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said if both sides in the conflict and the international community requested German participation, it would be difficult for Berlin to decline.

But he added there would be conditions, including the release of the captured Israeli soldiers, a ceasefire and the agreement of both sides to such a force.

''We could not refuse a peace mission of this nature if these conditions were met and if requests were directed to us,'' Jung told German television station N24.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had yesterday ruled out the immediate involvement of German troops.

Although Germany has sent troops to Afghanistan and Congo, deploying soldiers to the Israeli border would trigger a major domestic debate.

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who visited the region at the weekend, said talks about Germany's involvement were being treated with great sensitivity.

''I think this is appropriate given the difficult shared history between Germany and Israel,'' he told German broadcaster ZDF yesterday.

In the past, German intelligence services have helped arrange prisoner swaps between Israel and Hizbollah.

''Extremists are trying to drag the whole region into a spiral of violence to destroy any chance of a peaceful solution,'' Steinmeier said in a statement issued on his return.

''The world community must direct its efforts to preventing a fusion of the various regional conflicts in this unstable area.'' REUTERS MQA RK2200