Lebanese president seeks French help to prevent security vacuum after UNIFIL mandate ends

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun sought French support on Saturday for maintaining an international presence in Southern Lebanon after the planned withdrawal of U.N. peacekeepers, AFP reported.In an meeting with visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in Baabda, Aoun called for extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Failing that, he said Beirut would welcome an arrangement that prevents a security vacuum and avoids direct contact between Lebanese and Israeli troops.UNIFIL’s mandate expires on Dec. 31. France and Italy announced in June that they intended to establish a multinational force to support the Lebanese army in the south.Aoun also said a Lebanese military delegation would meet Israeli and U.S. representatives in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday to press Beirut’s demands for an end to what he called "Israeli escalation." The June framework agreement calls for the Hezbollah terrorist group's disarmament, a phased Israeli withdrawal and the deployment…

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