France demands strong mandate if it is to lead UN peacekeeping force

The UN was struggling last night to put together its peacekeeping mission for Lebanon, as France haggled over the mandate and rules of engagement of the force it has offered to lead.

Senior officials were meeting last night in New York to try to finalise the remit of the mission and identify military demands.

The French President, Jacques Chirac, announced that France was doubling to 400 the number of troops to be made available immediately for the force, after receiving a telephone call from the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan.

The announcement came after the daily newspaper Le Monde reported that Paris intended to send only 200 engineers and a dozen officers, prompting a wave of alarm in New York.

French officials admit there are concerns in Paris that the operation could involve a direct confrontation with Hizbollah, and say that the final French deployment will depend on guarantees secured from the UN.

Michèle Alliot-Marie, the French Defence minister, said on Wednesday that France is ready to lead the UN force until February, but wanted more precise instructions about its task.

Yesterday, one French source said the intention was to send a "significant" force, but added: "This is not an easy mission, and the discussions in New York will define the task, the means and the rules of engagement."

Diplomats had been hoping that France would contribute about 2,000-5,000 troops in an expanded UN force which is supposed to number 15,000 in total.

Turkish news reports say Ankara may contribute as many as 5,000 troops to the force, though officials stress no final decision has been made. Morocco is another potential contributor, although the Israeli government has rejected offers from Malaysia and Indonesia because they do not have diplomatic relations.

This week, in Brussels, Italy and Spain made clear their readiness to play a key role - with 2,000 to 3,000 and 800 soldiers respectively - while the UK said it may offer naval and air support but not ground troops.

Most EU countries were also awaiting the outcome of the discussions at the UN, which is drawing up a schedule of its military requirements, before making concrete pledges.

In Germany, party leaders in the ruling coalition said they had agreed in principle on contributing to the force. Ireland and Portugal have also said they will play a role.