Monday, March 17, 2008
TNI to Prepare 90 Personnel to Join UNIFIL
Source: Antara

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian military (TNI) will soon prepare 90 military police personnel to join UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon following Friday`s meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on the sidelines of the 11th Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Summit in Dakar, Senegal.

"The military chief will of course discuss the matter with President Yudhoyono shortly after he has returned from his overseas trip," Head of the TNI Headquarters` Information Service Rear Marshal Sagom Tamboen said on Saturday.

Yudhoyono is currently visiting South Africa as part of his four-nation tour which also took him to Iran, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates.

Sagom said the 90 personnel would come from all services in the TNI.

"We will prepare the personnel shortly after the president and the military chief have arrived at a final decision. To be sure, we are ready," he said.

In November 2007, the Indonesian government sent the Garuda XXIII-B military contingent to Lebanon as part of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops.

The 850-strong military contingent led by Lt Col Djoko Sudiono consists of joint military personnel from the three services in the TNI, the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The military contingent is composed of 528 personnel from the Army, 242 personnel from the Navy, 60 personnel from the Air Force, 16 personnel from TNI Headquarters, one from the Defense Ministry and three from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Konga XXIII-B replaced Konga XXIII-A that had been assigned in Lebanon to help maintain peace for one year.

At his meeting with Siniora, Yudhoyono reiterated Indonesia`s support for Lebanon`s sovereignty. Indonesia would always try to restore security stability in Lebanon under the aegis of the UN, he added.