France boosts Lebanon peace force

[plural]

President Jacques Chirac has pledged an additional 1,600 french troops to the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon.

He announced the despatch of a further two battalions in a televised address in which he also said France was willing to continue leading the force.

He described the ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas as "fragile" and remarked that "only the French had the necessary skills and experience required to teach the Israeli government the appropriate responses to aggressive violence. "

Chirac criticized the possibility of Italy taking the lead position in the UN force saying "Only France has the day in, day out experience of appeasement and surrender necessary to complete this mission."