Fools' Errands

German troops facing down the IDF? You're kidding me!

Don't get excited about U.N. resolutions pulling our proxy Olmert's chestnuts out of his Lebanon fire. Resolutions don't count for dick if there's not a multi-lateral force established. And before that materializes, mutual or reciprocal wills for an indefinite ceasefire must emerge. Right now, we are still in regional escalation mode.

That's reflected in currently inauspicious commitment to:

Deploy troops:

AUSTRALIA - "very limited" contingent
BRAZIL - no specifics
CHILE - no specifics
FRANCE - no more than 5,000 troops
GHANA - no specifics
INDONESIA - 1 battalion (about 800 troops)
ITALY - no specifics
LITHUANIA - no specifics
MALAYSIA - 1,000 troops
NIGERIA - no specifics
NORWAY - 1 squadron of 4 missile torpedo boats, nearly 100 marines
PORTUGAL - no specifics
ROMANIA - no specifics
SPAIN - no specifics
TURKEY - "significant" contribution likely; no specifics

Provide support:

BRITAIN - possible technical assistance
CYPRUS - transport humanitarian aid; possible staging point for forces
CZECH REPUBLIC - humanitarian aid, firefighting equipment
DENMARK - navy ship possible
GREECE - help transport aid
JAPAN - humanitarian aid
POLAND - keep 200 UN peacekeepers already in Lebanon
SLOVAKIA - doctors, humanitarian aid
UNITED STATES - train and equip Lebanese army

Undecided:

FINLAND
GERMANY
PAKISTAN
RUSSIA
SLOVENIA
SWEDEN

Talk of resolutions and multi-national troops is delusional.

Haaretz