washingtonpost
By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 18, 2006; Page A16
...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...
...France would contribute only 200 additional troops to the U.N. operation in southern Lebanon...
...several governments, including Indonesia, Nepal and Bangladesh, committed to send a total of nearly 4,000 troops, while Britain, Denmark and Germany agreed to send warships to patrol Lebanon's Mediterranean coast for arms smuggling. The United States pledged to provide logistical support, but not ground troops...
...Germany's ... would also provide customs officers and specialized police to help Lebanon monitor its border with Syria, a key transit point for Hezbollah's arms supplies....
...no firm commitments to contribute personnel for a crucial, well-equipped spearhead force of 3,500 troops that the United Nations is trying to get into southern Lebanon within the next 10 days...
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