The Lebanon UN mission is one of very few cases here blue-helmted guys are going to deploy main battle tanks (Leclerc):
French roll out tanks for U.N. force in Lebanon
60-ton armored vehicles have never been deployed outside of Europe
Updated: 2:29 p.m. PT Sept 12, 2006
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Thirteen French tanks, the most powerful armor ever deployed by a U.N. peacekeeping force, rolled ashore Tuesday, beefing up a mission aimed at helping cement an uneasy cease-fire in Lebanon.
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IMO the MBTs are there to show that the UN mission has "teeth" and will bite if provoked.
French roll out tanks for U.N. force in Lebanon
60-ton armored vehicles have never been deployed outside of Europe
Updated: 2:29 p.m. PT Sept 12, 2006
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Thirteen French tanks, the most powerful armor ever deployed by a U.N. peacekeeping force, rolled ashore Tuesday, beefing up a mission aimed at helping cement an uneasy cease-fire in Lebanon.
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IMO the MBTs are there to show that the UN mission has "teeth" and will bite if provoked.