The Dail is to approve the sending of a platoon of up to 100 Irish troops to Kosovo shortly to serve with the NATO-commanded military force there, writes Mark Brennock.
The United Nations is expected to make a formal request for troops to the Government today. The Government notified the UN last week that any deployment of Irish troops had to be approved by the Dail, which rises for the summer on Friday.
While the force is commanded by NATO it is mandated by the UN, a requirement which is necessary if Irish troops are to participate.
The force is established under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, which allow for more robust "peace enforcement" rather than simply peacekeeping activities. It will be similar in mandate and structure to the Ifor force in Bosnia in which about 50 Irish troops serve in military policing.
The 80 to 100 Irish soldiers expected to go to Kosovo will provide a transport platoon similar to that which served in the UN mission in Somalia in the early 1990s. They will work in the logistics branch of the force, Kfor, transporting humanitarian supplies and equipment as well as carrying members of the force around Kosovo.
Meanwhile, three members of the Defence Forces left Dublin yesterday to begin service with the UN Mission to East Timor. Lieut Col Patrick O'Sullivan, Comdt Matthew Murray and Comdt John Fox will be assigned to the Indonesian forces in a special liaison capacity monitoring security arrangements for the coming referendum on East Timorese autonomy.