Lebanon force impossible without Europeans -Solana

BRUSSELS, July 25 (Reuters) An international peacekeeping force to police a ceasefire in southern Lebanon is impossible without European participation, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said today.

He said an international conference in Rome tomorrow the conflict between Israel and Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas should launch a ''ceasefire process'' leading to the deployment of a stabilisation force, and deal with urgent humanitarian needs.

''Without Europeans, without some Europeans, the force will not exist. To me it's fundamental that some European countries will participate,'' Solana told a group of reporters.

However, he acknowledged that putting any interposition force on the ground would be extremely difficult and take time, given the complexity and history of the conflict.

Israel has bombarded Lebanon for 13 days since Hizbollah fighters killed eight of its soldiers and abducted two others in a July 12 cross-border raid. The Iranian-backed militia has fired an estimated 1,200 rockets into northern Israel during the conflict, inflicting many casualties.

''It's going to be very difficult. Any oversimplication is going to be a tremendous mistake,'' Solana said.

He declined to say which European states might take part in a buffer force, but EU officials said France, Germany and Spain, all members of NATO's rapid reaction force, could play a role.

NATO ROLE? Asked whether the US-led NATO alliance could play a part, either directly or in assisting a peace force, Solana said the West should look at how best to gain political acceptance of a force among the Arab population.

''We have to be very careful with the perceptions of people since we want to gain the people on our side. And therefore we have to give the sentiment that whatever is the force, it's a force that's going to help the people, it's going to help the Lebanese government,'' he said.

NATO's official spokesman has said no request has been made to the alliance and there have been no political consultations on any role for it in Lebanon. The alliance is engaged in a risky expansion of its peacekeeping role in Afghanistan and has no appetite for a dangerous West Asian mission, aides say.

Other EU countries that have said they may join the force include current president Finland, Greece and now Sweden.

Sweden's TT news agency quoted International Development Minister Carin Jamtin as saying Stockholm was prepared to take part in an expanded international force in Lebanon but wanted to know exactly what the force was intended to do.

Solana said the Lebanese army, which has been too weak to take control of southern Lebanon since the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces in 2000 and Syrian troops last year, should co-exist alongside an international force.

Asked how Hizbollah would be disarmed -- a key Israeli demand -- he said a political solution could remove the reasons why the Shit'ite militant group felt a need for arms.

''I think Hizbollah partly will be dissolved by the Lebanese, part will be dissolved by the obligations of (UN Security Council resolution) 1559 ... and thirdly I hope it will be dissolved also because it will end up not having a cause that requires to have arms.

''I'd like to see Hizbollah eventually being a political party ... playing an important part in the political life of the country of Lebanon, but not to be part of any other thing.'' REUTERS MQA ND2104