Fwance Wusses Out, As Usual

France: Int'l fleet won't employ force

HERB KEINON, YAAKOV KATZ and AP, THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 7, 2006

France announced on Friday that the international naval force designated to

patrol Lebanon's territorial waters would not be authorized to employ force

to stop ships from entering or leaving Lebanon.

A spokesman for the French defense ministry said that the international

craft would only provide assistance for Lebanese ships, and would not

interfere with other nations' boats, Israel Radio reported.

Earlier Friday, Israel began to remove its naval blockade of Lebanon,

imposed almost two months after Hizbullah launched its cross-border raid and

kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.

Maj.-Gen. Alain Pellegrini, the French commander of UNIFIL, said government

officials informed him Friday afternoon that the blockade was being lifted.

Government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said she didn't have immediate

confirmation that the final order had been given to lift the siege, but said

earlier Friday that the blockade would be ended within hours.

Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, meeting with Foreign Minister

Tzipi Livni, announced that a multinational task force, commanded by an

Italian admiral, had begun patrolling Lebanese territorial waters.

The Italian Admiral, aboard an Italian aircraft carrier, received command of

the patrols off the Lebanese coast and Israeli Naval ships began returning

back to Israeli waters.