 |
France Wants UNFIL to Be Authorized to Use Force
France said Thursday that a reinforced United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) should be authorized to use force in self-defense when it is deployed in southern Lebanon.
The chief of staff of the French armed forces, General Jean-Pierre Kelche said the UNFIL should also be given "rules of robust engagement" by the U.N. Security Council, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
The UNFIL should be authorized to use force "in case of legitimate defense" to attain the goal of its mission, he was quoted as saying.
The general said the number of French soldiers to be sent to Lebanon as a reinforcement of the UNFIL has not been decided yet. Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin said Wednesday that France is ready to join the U.N. peacekeeping in southern Lebanon, with the precondition that the security of peacekeepers must be guaranteed.
France has 250 soldiers participating in the UNFIL which has been deployed in Lebanon since 1978.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has suggested an expansion of the UNFIL men from 4,500 to 7,900.
The UNFIL is expected to be redeployed in the former Israeli-imposed security zone in southern Lebanon in the coming weeks, after Israel completed its pullout from southern Lebanon on Wednesday.
In This Section
|
