Europeans The New Big Player in Lebanon

Hmm it seems that they are going to be forced into a greater role in the Middle East if a large force of peacekeepers are needed after the inevitable cease fire between Hezbollah and Israel.

Italy, Germany, Ireland, France and Turkey have said they are considering
joining a U.N.-run multinational force. Britain and the Netherlands appear
unenthusiastic.
Foreign ministers from across the continent will discuss
their options next week at a hastily arranged gathering in Brussels,
Belgium.

Of course Europe has those Old Colonial Blues when it comes to intervening in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Tony Blair office says that Britain is unlikely to contribute
troops because of its colonial history in the region, and its extensive military
commitments elsewhere. Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman Dirk-Jan Vermeij said
his country also had no plans to participate.

And there is nothing like a Israel vs. Germany showdown that is just 60 years in the making.

For Germany, the legacy of World War II presents troubling complications: What
if German men in uniform find themselves confronting Israelis?