[Kabar-indonesia] Indonesian peacekeeper deployment to Lebanon delayed to 17 Oct

[Joyo at aol.com]

BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
October 9, 2006
Source: Detikcom website, Jakarta,
in Indonesian 8 Oct 06

Indonesian peacekeeper deployment to Lebanon delayed to 17 Oct 06

Jakarta: The departure of the TNI Mechanized Battalion Advance Team
(Garuda XXIII-A contingent) to Lebanon, scheduled for 10 October, has
been postponed several days. The contingent will now depart on 17
October.

"Following the assembling of all personnel yesterday, the [scheduled]
troop review today (Monday 9 Oct -Detikcom editors) and the deployment
of the advance team tomorrow (Tuesday 10 Oct -Detikcom editors) will
not take place," said Public Affairs Officer for Garuda XXIII-A
contingent, Maj Muhammad Irawadi on 9 October.

Irawadi advised that the troop review will be held on 16 October by
TNI Commander Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto and a number of DPR
Commission-I members. The advance team will deploy to Lebanon on the
following day, 17 October, departing from Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase.

Meanwhile, the deployment of the main body (the remainder of the
troops -Detikcom editors) which was scheduled for 24 October, has also
been postponed. The main body will depart on 4 or 5 November.

"This amendment to the deployment schedule been made following the
receipt of latest information from there (Lebanon - Detikcom
editors)," said Irawadi.

The reason for continuing delays in deployment of the TNI peacekeepers
is unknown. According to several sources, the delays are due to
technical problems in Lebanon.

Reports suggest that the current situation where thousands of
peacekeeping troops from European nations are currently in Lebanon is
making it difficult for UNIFIL to find locations to establish base
camps for the troops. Furthermore, UNIFIL must rent the land required
to house the peacekeepers.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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