AP: France Bows Out of U.N. Meeting

[Eugene]

France Bows Out of U.N. Meeting

By NICK WADHAMS
The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 2, 2006; 3:43 AM

UNITED NATIONS -- Dealing a blow to a U.S.-backed strategy for Lebanon, France has
refused to participate in a meeting of nations that could send troops to help monitor
a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, even though it may join _ and possibly even
lead _ such a force.

The French refusal to take part in the meeting, set to take place at the U.N. on Thursday,
reflects a wide divergence in views between Washington and Paris about how to impose a
lasting peace after three weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah.

France doesn't even want to talk about sending peacekeepers until fighting halts and the
U.N. Security Council agrees to a wider framework for lasting peace. The U.S., which had
sought the troop-contributor meeting in the first place, wants an end to the fighting
to come only as part of a larger series of simultaneous moves that would include the
peacekeepers.

France's decision seemed to contradict Bush administration claims Tuesday that diplomats
were making progress toward establishing an international peacekeeping force for Lebanon.
Officials said no quick cease-fire seemed likely, but that the Security Council could come
to a deal soon.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/02/AR2006080200266.html

[Vidar]

1. The French still know the meaning of honor, something we have sadly lost.

[ShortnFiery]

2. Vive la France!

That's for my best friend, and perhaps, my future sponsor and language coach. :blush:

[w4rma]

3. Israel already bombed and killed 4 UN observers I don't see why they

wouldn't bomb and kill UN peacekeeping troops also.

[Amonester]

15. Especially if they'd refuse to murder defenseless and poor...

women and their kids.

It seems the Neo-Con Croissant can't buy La France to act like their private mercenaries do in Iraq...

[Nimrod2005]

4. Good bless the French...Decent people are few these days...

[tanyev]

5. Oh, dear. The fries in the congressional cafeteria just went back

to being French fries. They may have been too hasty with that.


Hill fries free to be French again
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2429911

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. While I can see why they refuse to send in peacekeepers before a ceasefire

(because otherwise, they'd inevitably come under fire, and I can see they're not sending in troops to get into a war with Israel, or become suicide bomb targets), I'd have thought discussions about what can be done are a good idea now. That way, if Israel does eventually agree to a ceasefire, there won't be a period with nothing to discourage Israel or Hizbollah starting the fighting up again. If there was a plan, there might even be a bit of pressure on the US to tell Israel to stop fighting - "the international force is all ready to go, but you're holdiong it up, Israel".

[newyorican]

7. Thats because..

..the French realize that the proposed force (which I have dubbed, Taskforce Bolton) is being formed to continue the work of the Israeli Military. No doubt, with Israeli intel coordination (and possibly military coordination).

The mission of this proposed force is nothing more than a poorly hidden escalation.

[saigon68]

8. dubbed, Taskforce Bolton

The Walrus War Criminal

LOL

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. But France earlier said they could particiapte under the UN

Annan has therefore decided to hold a potential troop contributors meeting on Monday afternoon, and he will be inviting countries that might offer troops, the U.N. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement has been made.
The invitation list is expected to include contributors to the current 2,000-member U.N. force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, and the 25 members of the European Union which has publicly offered to help.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has said that "France could very well participate ... under the mandate of the U.N." Italy, Germany, Ireland and Turkey have already said they are considering joining a U.N.-run multinational force, and diplomats in the continent's other capitals are discussing whether to add their countries to the roster ahead of a hastily arranged EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.

http://www.easybourse.com/Website/dynamic/News.php?NewsID=32870&lang=fra&NewsRubrique=2

Sure, they shouldn't let the US dictate the mandate of the force; but I agree with Annan - the earlier the talks about the force start, the better.

[mom cat]

9. French refuse to send soldiers on suicide mission!

[goclark]

10. Go France!!!!!

[Canuckistanian]

12. Good. Even more pressure for a ceasefire

All this talk about a UN peacekeeping force was just a stalling tactic. Israel and the US knew it would be tied up in details for weeks, giving the IDF freedom to move on with their "mission".

Ceasefire first, then we talk.

Good for France, the only grownups in this scenario.

[jsamuel]

13. So does the US want to FORCE a ceasefire by using more FORCE?

(more bombs/guns in the region?)

[bemildred]

14. The idea is to have the ceasefire take effect EXACTLY when you have "won".

Thereby locking your "gains" in place.

[Drum]

16. Bingo! nt

[uppityperson]

18. US wants to set up Peace first, then have ceasefire.

seems backwards to me, seems to me like stopping shooting and bombing each other would then make it more possible to talk about a more permanent peace thing.

[Igel]

17. France is hedging its bets.

If there's a ceasefire, then there's a chance that everything can be returned to normal. The ideal, for France, is exactly the status quo ante.

France wants to be seen as friendly to Arabs, and is very paternalistic with its former territories. It also has to deal with its own immigrant population. Being involved in a ground force that would disarm Hezbollah is contrary to what much Arab popular opinion, and would at some point entail both the risk of having Hezbollah kill more French troops as well as French troops' killing of Hezbollites, and possibly bystanders. This is bad.

Forcing a ceasefire, with the likely outcome that Hezbollah will continue to "resist" the consequences of its resistance, is a morally positive outcome that is completely neutral. But is also sharply on Hezbollah's side, and will curry French favor in the region.

Such is the difference in perception, that the Christian/liberal, morally virtuous and politically neutral action aids a group whose purpose is provoking Israel and struggling for its destruction, and the triumph of Islam.