FRANCE, GERMANY HAIL EU 'BACKBONE' IN MIDEAST

BERLIN September 4, 2006 (AFP) - "A major political moment during the Finnish (EU) presidency occurred two Fridays ago in Brussels," [French Foreign Minister Philippe] Douste-Blazy* told a conference in Berlin of German ambassadors.

"We began with a few hundred European soldiers and ended up with 7,300 European soldiers. The backbone of the UNIFIL force is European. This is the beginning of Europe as an entity, it is a Europe that has a face and a will to play a role."

He and [German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter] Steinmeier rejected the accusation that the EU's reaction to the conflict between Israel and Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah was belated and poorly coordinated.

[Steinmeier] added the bolstered force in Lebanon had "a clear European signature".

SAVE LEBANON? SOITENLY!
Emergent Europa Congratulates Itself On, Ah, Emerging

Elsewhere, The Economist offers a less admiring assessment of the French stall.

JUST A MOMENT, OR POSSIBLY MORE

August 31, 2006 (Economist) - Europeans have been marginal in the Middle East for years. Too pro-Palestinian to be trusted by Israel, they have not had much power or influence over the Arabs either. For many Americans, Europe's current involvement in Lebanon continues the tradition of irrelevance. It has been rather like a “three-stooges” show in which Jacques Chirac grandiloquently announces that France will save the world, offers to send three men and a popgun, and is finally shamed by—of all nations—Italy into sending 2,000 troops [sic, Jack will send only an additional 1,800], which still won't be enough. Given an opportunity to show leadership in the region, Europe fluffs it. Again.

Is that too harsh?

* The dimmest bulb in the dark Chirac marquee™.

PFFT (What is this?): Swell job 1¼ | Rayonnement français 0