Was it too good to be true, or maybe just wishful thinking that France would be stepping to to help Lebanon with troops?   You know the old adage: actions speak louder than words. In laymans terms: if you talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk. This report tells of a mere 200 engineers.  http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/751798.html 

France is considering providing only a symbolic force for the United Nations contingent in Lebanon, and not the thousands of troops UN officials had hoped, Le Monde newspaper said on Thursday.

If true, such a move could seriously delay the UN mission, seen as vital to securing peace between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas, or even scupper the whole operation.

Quoting UN and diplomatic sources, Le Monde said France might send just a dozen officers and around 200 personnel from an engineering division for the beefed-up UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

President Jacques Chirac’s office said the military options “were still under review.”

          (hat tip: lgf).

Later in the day, around 2pm pacific standard time, headlines actually had France up that number to 400! Hey they've had a change on heart. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060817/ap_on_re_mi_ea/un_mideast_force_8

 
 Jacques Chirac announced Thursday that France will immediately double to 400 troops its contingent in the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon........................

From the Washington Post, August 18th, now we learn how disheartened the UN is over the France decision to limit participation. Maybe someone is sipping too much French wine. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/17/AR2006081700813.html?nav=rss_world/asia

THE WASHINGTON POSTBy Colum Lynch

Friday, August 18, 2006

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 17 -- France on Thursday rebuffed pleas by U.N. officials to make a major contribution to a peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, setting back efforts to deploy an international military force to help police a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, according to U.N. and French officials.


Hey wait a minute, we haven't finished the wine, and we still

have more talking to do.