Given genuine concerns over the UN mandate and the fear that French forces might come under fire in their peace keeping role in Lebanon, French military authorities have opted to use an alternate uniform for the 200 or so engineers they will be deploying in Lebanon.
The new uniform is said to be more clearly identifiable as a UN force due to its incorporation of the traditional UN blue and white.
While some critics argue the new uniforms make it difficult to determine whether French troops are actually advancing forward, or retreating to the rear, French President Jacques Chirac responded, "How is that different from the impression French forces usually impart?"
Some 50 French military engineers have landed on the Lebanese coast, as part of the 200-strong contingent that Paris has pledged for the new UN peacekeeping force.
France has been asked to send more soldiers but it argues the troops' mandate is not clear enough.
During one of their numerous wars, a French officer was taken prisoner by the British. As the officer corps treated each other with great curtesy, the British had the French prisoner to tea.
In the conversation, the Frenchman said, "We have always wondered why the British officers wear red coats. It makes you easy targets."
The Brit answered, "We wear redcoats so that in case we are wounded our men will not see the blood and panic with concern they have lost their leader. We have wondered why French officers wear brown pants."
Note that the French sent military engineers - who better to do surveys on the destroyed infrastructure and get the French companies a head-start on the rebuilding bids. Of course they expect that US taxpayers will foot a major portion of the bill. We did supply the Israelis with those weapons, don't ya know.
Why are we still surprised at what they do?
Posted by: larwyn | Sunday, August 20, 2006 at 02:40 AM