By Louis Charbonneau BERLIN, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Wednesday he wanted Germany to help arm and train Lebanon's army so that it is able to protect the country from militant groups that threaten its stability. Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Siniora said a key lesson to be learned from Lebanon's 15-week battle against al Qaeda-linked militants of Fatah al-Islam at a Palestinian refugee camp was that an effective Lebanese army was crucial. "It is very important to support the Lebanese army with the necessary equipment, training, methods and ammunition so that it can ... be a deterrent force in the real sense of the word to any group that may think of playing with law and order in the country," he said after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Siniora reiterated that Lebanon was committed to rebuilding the refugee camp and asked donor countries, including Germany, for help in relief and reconstruction efforts. Merkel did not specifically say Berlin would help supply the Lebanese military. However, she said it was necessary to rebuild the camp and promised German support. German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul also met Siniora and promised him 4 million euros ($5.4 million) to ease the plight of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Syrian intelligence has been accused of backing the militants but Damascus and Fatah al-Islam reject the charge. Neither Merkel nor Siniora mentioned this, although Merkel called on Syria not to undermine the Lebanese government. "I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to Syria to recognise Lebanon and play a constructive role," she said. "Unfortunately that has not been the case so far." Although the Lebanese army has traditionally stayed out of the Palestinian refugee camps, the recent battle at the Nahr al-Bared camp has changed that policy. Siniora said it was "important to rebuild the camp and get it under the authority of the Lebanese government." Under a 1969 Arab agreement, the Lebanese army was banned from entering Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps. While the agreement was later annulled, it remained largely in place until the Nahr al-Bared battle began. The German government last month decided to extend for another year its participation in the German-led U.N. maritime task force in Lebanon, but cut the maximum number of personnel earmarked for the mission. The United Nations peacekeeping force was sent to Lebanon last summer to monitor a ceasefire after a July war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.
