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Article: French Effort to Play Peace-Keeping Role In Mideast Misfires
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- April 14, 1989
- Author:
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France's controversial effort to play a major peace-keeping role
in Lebanon and the Middle East appeared today to have collapsed amid
charges of miscalculation and Syrian threats.
An attempt to supply humanitarian aid to Lebanon and thus gain
leverage for a superpower-style role in the region foundered after
Syria and its Moslem allies condemned the plan as a move to help only
the Christians. A special French envoy sent to Beirut further
undercut the initiative by promptly adopting the views of the
Christian leader, Gen. Michel Aoun.
The missteps-resulting largely from pressure of French public
opinion and domestic political considerations on an initially
reluctant government-appeared to ...