Handover of command from Italy to Germany
1. Wide of Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi warship
2. Medium of colours (flags) on ship
3. Medium of Italian navy officer blowing whistle then others standing to attention
4. Various of procession with naval troops carrying colours
5. Sailors standing at attention
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Paolo La Rosa, Italian Navy Admiral:
"The level of co-operation established among the Lebanese navy and the maritime task forces have been excellent, greatly enhancing the operational effectiveness of the forces at sea. The growing role of the Lebanese navy is a strategic objective that we have to preserve and continue to sustain for the success of the operation."
7. Cutaway of German officers
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Andreas Krause, German Rear Admiral:
"Our mission in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 is to support the Lebanese government in securing its maritime border against the illegal inflow of arms and related materials."
9. Wide of procession
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Alain Pellegrini, UNIFIL commanding officer:
"Among its (UNIFIL, the international peacekeeping force in Lebanon) new tasks, there was a real challenge. For the first time UNIFIL must include a naval component and this has to be done very rapidly...(inaudible)."
11. Medium of naval band
12. Medium of Pelligrini and Krause saluting troops
STORYLINE:
A German frigate docked at Beirut port on Sunday to take charge of the multi-national naval force tasked with patrolling Lebanon's coastline to prevent arms shipments from reaching Hezbollah guerrillas.
German ships replaced an Italian naval force that has been patrolling the Lebanese coast in the Mediterranean in line with a United Nations-brokered ceasefire resolution that ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas on 14 August.
A handover ceremony was held at Beirut port aboard the Italian aircraft carrier, Giuseppe Garibaldi, which was anchored off the Lebanese capital.
"Our mission in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 is to support the Lebanese government in securing its maritime border against the illegal inflow of arms and related materials," Andreas Krause, the German Navy Rear Admiral said at the ceremony, after the command of the international maritime force was passed to him by Italian Rear Admiral Giuseppe de Giorgi, commanding officer of the maritime task force.
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