The UN was struggling last night to put together its peacekeeping mission for Lebanon, as France haggled over the mandate and rules of engagement of the force it has offered to lead.
Senior officials were meeting last night in New York to try to finalise the remit of the mission and identify military demands.
The French President, Jacques Chirac, announced that France wasdoubling to 400 the number of troops to be made available immediatelyfor the force, after receiving a telephone call from the UN secretarygeneral, Kofi Annan.
The announcement came after the daily newspaper Le Monde reported that Paris intended to send only 200 engineers and a dozen officers, prompting a wave of alarm in New York.
French officials admit there are concerns in Paris that the operation could involve a direct confrontation with Hizbollah, and say that the final French deployment will depend on guarantees secured from the UN.
Michèle Alliot-Marie, the French Defence minister, said on Wednesday that France is ready to lead the UN force until February, but wanted more precise instructions about its task.
Yesterday, one French source said the intention was to send a “significant” force, but added: “This is not an easy mission, and the discussions in New York will define the task, the means and the rules of engagement.”