French "peacekeeping" forces in southern Lebanon were "within two seconds" of firing antiaircraft missiles at Israeli fighter jets that overflew French positions.

In the most serious confrontation, French troops were said by sources in Paris to have been "just two seconds" from launching an anti- aircraft missile at two Israeli F-15 fighters carrying out mock low-level attack runs over one outpost. As this was happening, a pair of Israeli reconnaissance aircraft circled over the headquarters of the French battalion in the Jabal Maroun area, possibly taking aerial photographs there.

However, the French general in charge of UN forces in southern Lebanon will be replaced next month by an Italian. The Israelis are happy about that.

I wrote last month about an incident of the IAF intercepting a Continental Airlines flight and coming close to shooting it down.

In other news, the sentiment against Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is mounting rapidly. One hundred thousand people demonstrated against Olmert in Tel Aviv today.