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U.S. European Command relieves Centcom in Lebanon

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Sunday, August 20, 2006

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has shifted command for forces operating off the coast of Lebanon and the eastern Mediterranean. Officials said the military's European Command would take over for Central Command in Lebanon.

"The idea of letting Centcom focus on certainly its two major operations that are ongoing in Iraq and Afghanistan also made sense," Eucom commander Gen. James Jones said. "And with Eucom's ease of discussions with and location and experience with European countries, that seemed to be some good logic for doing that. And that's why it was done."

Jones, who also commands NATO forces in Europe, said Eucom would take over Lebanon and the eastern Mediterranean on Aug. 23. Until now, Eucom supported Centcom in the evacuation of 15,000 Americans from Lebanon, Middle East Newsline reported.

Officials said Centcom had been allocated the mission because its area of command included Lebanon. But they said the burden of the operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa led to a Pentagon decision to shift commands.

Officials said another factor was that Israel was in Eucom's area of operations. They said having Israel communicate with Eucom, which would then notify Centcom was regarded as cumbersome.

"The mission continues to be unchanged, and that is to assure the assisted departure of American citizens and, if need be, the U.S. embassy and to assist in humanitarian activities within the means and capabilities that we currently have," Jones said in an Aug. 17 briefing.

In 2004, the U.S. military transferred responsibility for Jordan and Lebanon from Eucom to Centcom. The two commands have been cooperating in Turkey, which has helped the logistics effort in the war in Afghanistan. Turkey is under Eucom's area of responsibility while Afghanistan is under Centcom.

"If we didn't go for one unified commander, you'd have two unified commands, one for Israel, one for Lebanon, and a seam between the two, and it just doesn't work very well that way," Jones said.

Officials said Eucom could also be granted a role in the formation and deployment of a UN peace-keeping force along the Israeli-Lebanese border. They said the U.S. military would not contribute forces, but could help airlift soldiers and equipment from NATO countries to Lebanon.

"We've had close contact with the Israelis, who have been very open and forthcoming with us about what their plans are and what their activities are," Jones said. "And we've obviously, in the early days, deconflicted a lot of things with regard to their naval operations, and that helped us a great deal. So we've had good open communications."


Copyright © 2006 East West Services, Inc.

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