Finland's government on Friday formally decided to send up to 250 peacekeepers to Lebanon, but said they would not be deployed until November, AP REPORTED. It was not immediately clear what kind of troops would be deployed under the government's plan, which needs parliamentary approval. Lawmakers convene after their summer break Sept. 5, and were expected to vote on the plan immediately. Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said it would take another two months to prepare the battalion for deployment. The U.N. resolution that led to Monday's cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah after a brutal 34-day war authorized up to 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers to help 15,000 Lebanese troops extend their authority throughout south Lebanon, which Hezbollah controls, as Israeli troops withdraw.
