Indonesia says troops could join UN force in Oct

JAKARTA, Sep 1 (Reuters) Indonesian troops are almost certain to take part in a UN peacekeeping mission to Lebanon and could be dispatched next month, Indonesia's defence minister said today.

''Maybe in mid-October,'' Juwono Sudarsono said when asked when Indonesian forces could be sent, adding that Indonesia had a 90 percent chance of taking part in the UN force.

He said the United Nations would announce the make-up of the force from Asian countries tomorrow.

Asked if Israel had agreed to Indonesia's participation in the UN force, he said: ''Regardless of that, we abide by any UN decision and it's the UN that has to convince Israel.'' Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, has offered 1,000 troops including a company of engineers as part of the UN mission to police a ceasefire in southern Lebanon after a month of war between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas.

The Indonesian troop deployment offer had faced opposition from Israel, which had said it wanted peacekeepers only from nations recognising the Jewish state, but UN sources have said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was now expected to relax that stance.

Indonesia has no diplomatic ties with Israel.

REUTERS BDP PM1625