‘FALSE:’ Brahimi’s spokesman dismisses report of force deployment in Syria

A report that U.N.-Arab peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is drafting a resolution for deploying a strong force of 3,000 international peacekeepers in Syria is “FALSE,” his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi has told Al Arabiya.

“As you know, the Telegraph has claimed that LB [Lakhdar Brahimi]”...is drawing up plans for a 3,000-strong peacekeeping force that is likely to involve European troops in policing any future truce.” FALSE,” Fawzi wrote in an email sent to Talal Alhaj, Al Arabiya correspondent in New York.

According to the Telegraph’s report, Brahimi is looking for countries to take part in the mission, particularly the countries that are currently contributing to Unifil, the 15,000 mission policing the Lebanese-Israeli border.

British and American forces are unlikely to take part in the mission, the Telegraph reported, because of their involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and because of the existence of Islamist radicals among Syrian opposition forces.

But Brahimi’s spokesman denied as “FALSE” this report as well.

“That Brahimi “...has spent recent weeks sounding out which countries would be willing to contribute soldiers.” FALSE,” Fawzi wrote in his e-mail to Al Arabiya correspondent.

“That he “...is thought to be looking at nations that currently contribute to Unifil...” FALSE… He has done none of the above.” Fawzi added.

He explained that the Department of Peace Keeping Operations at the United Nations (DPKO) “came to LB with their contingency planning ideas with several options.”

Fawzi wrote that Brahimi “narrowed down DPKO’s options [and] during the course of DPKO's research they must have sounded out TCCs [Troops Contributing Countries.]”