France and Israel are on a collision course in south Lebanon following incidents involving Israeli warplanes over- flying the positions of the French military contingent serving with the UN peacekeeping force there.
In the most serious confrontation, French troops were said by sources in Paris to have been "just two seconds" from launching an anti- aircraft missile at two Israeli F-15 fighters carrying out mock low-level attack runs over one outpost.
As this was happening, a pair of Israeli reconnaissance aircraft circled over the headquarters of the French battalion in the Jabal Maroun area, possibly taking aerial photographs there.
Even before these incidents occurred, French diplomatic sources had let it be known that President Jacques Chirac was urging Israel through diplomatic channels to halt |
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There is little entente cordial between Israel and French troops in south Lebanon, writes philip jacobson |
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their regular incursions into Lebanese air space.
The French officer in command of the 11,500-strong UN contingent, Major General Alain Pellegrini, made it clear that he considered these incursions violated the UN Security Council resolution that brought an end to last summer’s brief but bloody war between Israel and Hezbollah.
If diplomatic efforts should prove inadequate to resolve this issue, Pellegrini added, "maybe other means would have to be considered." In private, French officials contend that the over-flights are designed to provoke Hezbollah into renewing its attacks on Israeli targets, opening the way for massive retaliation.
In response, Israeli sources accuse the French contingent of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah's stealthy rearmament in breach of the UN resolution and doing little to  |
