LAPPEENRANTA, Finland, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Italy's foreign minister taunted France on Saturday over its World Cup soccer final defeat, joking that the French would come second behind Italy in sending peacekeepers to Lebanon too.
More than 250 Italian troops landed in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the advance party of Italy's contingent in a U.N. force expanded to keep the peace between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas.
"Yes we are the first like in the football World Cup, but the French are coming second, very soon I think," Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema told reporters after EU foreign ministers discussed the Middle East at a meeting in Finland.
The Italians will make up the largest contingent in the new Lebanon force, which will deploy along the Israeli-Lebanese border after a one-month war between Israel and Hizbollah, the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim guerrilla movement.
France lost the World Cup final to Italy on July 9 in Berlin on penalties after star player Zinedine Zidane was sent off for head-butting an Italian defender.
1 comment:
first again... eheheh I'm getting used of it... eheheh
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