For the complete report in the globeandmail.com click on this link
France boosts Mideast force - by Susan Sachs
PARIS -- France broke the international deadlock over a peacekeeping force for Lebanon, pledging 2,000 troops yesterday to reinforce the jittery ceasefire, a decision likely to persuade other Western countries to join in the biggest United Nations deployment in the Middle East in decades. The French commitment, along with an offer from Italy to send up to 3,000 soldiers, puts the UN well on its way to the goal of a 15,000-strong force to help the weak Lebanese government create a weapons-free buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
At the same time, questions remain about how the force would deal with ceasefire violations by either Israel or the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. The peacekeepers' job, according to the UN resolution that brought about the Aug. 14 ceasefire, is to respond to requests for help from the Lebanese government, which includes Hezbollah representatives.
"This is a high-risk mission," French Defence Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie said. "That's why there can be nothing vague in its implementation." French President Jacques Chirac said he was satisfied that the mission of the Lebanon force was clearly defined and that it would operate with forceful rules of engagement. Those were two of France's preconditions for sending soldiers into the volatile area.
No comments:
Post a Comment