There is "speculation" that France did so because Italy offered so many troops and really made France look bad.
> As an update to this issue, from Reuters: > http://www.antiwrap.com/?1052 > > France pledges 1,600 more troops for Lebanon > Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:27 PM ET > > By Alaa Shahine > > BEIRUT (Reuters) - France said on Thursday it was ready to send an extra > 1,600 troops to bolster a revamped United Nations force for Lebanon, > bringing the total French contingent to 2,000 and making it easier to > recruit other nations. > > France initially offered only to double its force in Lebanon to 400, > disappointing many United Nations' diplomats who had expected Paris to > provide the backbone of the mission. > > However, President Jacques Chirac said France decided to dispatch many > more troops after winning assurances from the U.N. that the troops would > be able to defend themselves fully if they came under attack and could use > force to protect civilians. > > "Two thousand French troops will thus be placed under the United Nations > in Lebanon. France is ready, if the United Nations wishes, to continue > commanding this force," Chirac said in a televised address. > > Italy, which had promised 2,000 to 3,000 troops, earlier said it had won > U.S. blessing for its leadership of the force and that it was confident > Europe, especially France, would firm up its so far limited military > commitment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:214162 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
