Jiri Paroubek asks ministers for proposal regarding Lebanon

Outgoing prime minister Jiri Paroubek has asked the ministers of defense and foreign affairs to prepare a proposal regarding Czech military involvement in Lebanon. The ministers have been asked to have the proposal ready in time for the next cabinet meeting, and Mr. Paroubek says that the size of a possible Czech military unit and its strategic focus should become public next week. Mr. Paroubek first spoke about an active role for Czech forces in Lebanon within the framework of the U.N. mission earlier in the week, though Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda was far more cautious about the possibility, stressing that such a move warrants serious considerations. After more than a month of fighting, a U.N. resolution has secured a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.