Posted on 09/09/2006 4:06:11 AM PDT by John Carey
A French ship docked in Beirut Saturday carrying 200 troops and some 100 military vehicles bound for the U.N. peacekeeping force monitoring the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.
Their arrival marked the first major French deployment of soldiers to Lebanon since French President Jacques Chirac announced last month that France would increase its contribution to the U.N. force to 2,000 troops.
The amphibious ship La Foudre arrived around 8:30 a.m. and soldiers began filing out shortly afterward. They will stay in Beirut until the arrival of more soldiers next week, when they will begin deploying to southern Lebanon, French officials said.
The ship, which sailed from the Mediterranean port of Toulon on Sept. 4, also carried some 100 armored personnel carriers, trucks, weaponry and equipment for the troops. France, which is leading the peacekeeping mission, is contributing Leclerc tanks, surface-to-surface artillery, short-range anti-aircraft missiles and radar.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
A French ship docked in Beirut Saturday carrying 200 troops and some 100 military vehicles, two tons of Brie and Cambert cheeses, 1,000 cases of Bordeaux and Beaujolais wine, bound for the U.N. peacekeeping force monitoring the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.
Well sure...They need this stuff to control the Hizbollah Air Force??? NOT...These weapons are for use against Israel to protect Hizbollah during the next Hizbollah attack on Israel...
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