France's President Jacques Chirac. - Reuters

BEIRUT, (Reuters):

France said yesterday it was ready to send an extra 1,600 troops to bolster a revamped U.N. force for Lebanon, bringing the total French contingent to 2,000 and making it easier to recruit other nations.

France initially offered only to double its force in Lebanon to 400, disappointing many U.N. diplomats who had expected Paris to provide the backbone of the mission.

However, President Jacques Chirac said France decided to dispatch many more troops after winning U.N. assurances that the troops would be able to defend themselves fully if they came under attack and could use force to protect civilians.

"Two thousand French troops will thus be placed under the United Nations in Lebanon. France is ready, if the United Nations wishes, to continue commanding this force," Chirac said in a televised address.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said France's General Alain Pellegrini would indeed continue to lead the UNIFIL force in south Lebanon, with the secretary-general's strong support.

Italy, which had promised 2,000 to 3,000 troops, earlier said it had won U.S. blessing for its leadership of the force.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi said President George W. Bush had told him by telephone of his "positive" view of Italy's offer to lead the force.

But the Italian government has said repeatedly its pledge of troops would not be affected by a U.N. decision to entrust the command of the mission to someone else, and that it would go ahead with a major commitment to Lebanon whoever was in charge.

Washington welcomed Chirac's offer of more troops.

"The president welcomes the decision by the French, as he has said an international force needs to be deployed urgently," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

"CLOSE ALLIANCE"

Prodi, who has been pushing for other European Union nations to match Italy's commitment, said he was "very satisfied" that France was boosting its contingent and had spoken to Chirac.

"This is part of a strong and close alliance between Italy and France and we will work together in Lebanon in the interests of peace," Prodi told reporters after talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni about the Lebanon mission.

Prodi said U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan would announce "the details of the command of the operation" at a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Friday.

The United Nations says a strengthened U.N. force in south Lebanon is urgently needed to preserve the fragile truce which came into effect on Aug. 14 after a month of fighting which killed more than 1,300 people, mostly Lebanese civilians.

The force will help the Lebanese army control south Lebanon after the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.

But wrangling over the mandate and the participants had made it hard for the United Nations to muster support for the mission. Syria and Israel are also at odds over whether it should deploy on the Syrian border to prevent arms smuggling.

France sent 200 soldiers last week to join the 2,000-strong UNIFIL force which has been in south Lebanon since 1978. The United Nations has approved an expanded force of up to 15,000.

In response to the dispute between Syria and Israel over deploying the U.N. force along the Syrian border, Lebanon undertook on Thursday to prevent smuggling.

The government decided to seek technical assistance from Germany to help control the border with Syria but Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said the cabinet had not discussed requesting U.N. troops to deploy there.

Syria threatened on Wednesday to close the border if the U.N. troops deploy there. Israel says it will not lift a sea and air blockade of Lebanon unless the U.N. force helps the Lebanese army ensure that no new weapons reach Hezbollah in the south.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised more than $2 billion in reconstruction funds on Thursday for areas in northern Israel that were damaged during the war with Hebollah.

The war erupted after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12.

Israeli forces are also engaged in conflict with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is trying to free another captured soldier. On Thursday, Israelis killed three Palestinians and seized a senior member of the Hamas movement, Younis Abu Daqqa. One of those killed was Abu Daqqa's brother.