The Minister for Defence has repeated the Government's commitment to keep Irish troops in Lebanon until the end of 2001 amid a growing expectation that the UN force there will be reduced or withdrawn about that time.
In an interview in the Beirut newspaper, the Daily Star, Mr Smith confirmed there would be two more contingents of Irish troops sent, but made no commitment to sending troops after that. This would mean the full Irish contingent of 650 troops would remain until October next year.
The ending of the UNIFIL man date and the withdrawal of the Irish commitment would make it easy for the Government to commit troops to the planned European rapid reaction force. EU defence ministers meet next month to agree on the numbers of troops each member-state is likely to commit. While no Irish position has been announced, the Government is considered likely to commit a number roughly equivalent to the size of the UNIFIL Irish battalion.
The prospect of the ending of the UNIFIL mandate - set up in 1987 - follows the withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon in May. Since then, the UNIFIL area of operations has been very peaceful. It is hoped the Lebanese army will take over in the coming months, paving the way for a withdrawal of the international force.
In his Daily Star interview, Mr Smith would not be drawn on whether Ireland would continue to send troops to Lebanon if the force there was reduced to an observer mission rather than being entirely withdrawn. "It's early days to say what the UN will do with the mandate", he said. "We won't stay here forever but we need to see the response of the Lebanese army" in taking over the security of the border.
Mr Smith was speaking after a medal parade at the Irish headquarters in Tibnin. The parade marked the first official function for the Army's new chief of staff, Lieut Gen Colm Mangan.