I "fixed" the original misleading wimpy title:
Troop Pledge Vexes Europe
Hesitation on Lebanon Forces Tests Ability as Peacemaker
Europe's difficulties in raising enough troops to enforce the cease-fire in Lebanon have exposed some hard truths that are testing the Continent's ability to serve as a global military power and Middle East peacemaker.
Europe was expected to take the lead in manning a 15,000-strong force called for in the French-U.S.-brokered resolution to police the Aug. 11 truce between the Hezbollah militia and Israel. But France has since hesitated to commit a significant number of troops for the force amid concerns that they will end up fighting Hezbollah; so far Paris has offered only 400 soldiers, and Europe is having trouble raising as many ground troops as the U.N. says it needs to create a balanced force of troops from European and Muslim countries.
Yesterday, European diplomats struggled again to drum up a significant contribution to the United Nations contingent. Today, French President Jacques Chirac is expected to convene a cabinet meeting during which he could commit more troops to Lebanon beyond the 400. Tomorrow, European Union foreign ministers meet with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to firm up their contributions to the peacekeeping force.
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