A top European official says international troops could start deploying to southern Lebanon within days. On Thursday France agreed to send 2,000 soldiers. French Prime Minister Jacque Chirac urged all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to contribute troops. But the United States and Britain have already ruled out sending troops. Foreign Ministers from the European Union are meeting today in Brussels to discuss the size of the European troop deployment. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan spoke to reporters before the meeting.

• Kofi Annan: “I am very confident that we will have a successful meeting this afternoon and Europe will assume its responsibility and show its solidarity with the people of Lebanon and that region (question: will you get 15,000 troops?) not today but I will have a very good start today. But I will get the 15,000.”