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Anxious France Hesitates Over U.N. Force
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French officials have been very careful not to comment on how many troops Paris would commit to UNIFIL, which is expected to consist of 15,000 soldiers, up from 2,000 at present.
The United Nations hopes France will lead advance contingents of up to 3,500 troops to south Lebanon which the world body wants to field within two weeks.
Other potential troop-contributing nations are due to meet U.N. peacekeeping officials on Thursday to discuss the operation ground rules. Many have not firmly committed any soldiers to UNIFIL before they see what France will do.
A military source told Le Monde that the French hesitation was caused by the "traumatism of Bosnia" and "fears of reprisals from Syria or Iran".
French officials earlier this week expressed concern over who was going to disarm Hizbollah guerrillas -- and when.
The guerrilla movement is backed by Syria and Iran, two countries locked in an increasingly bitter diplomatic battle with France. Paris is worried French troops in Lebanon could unwittingly find themselves caught up in the row.
(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Pineau in Paris and Irwin Arieff in New York)
REUTERS Reut15:52 08-17-06
