The French on the defensive

French troops in Lebanon have permission to shoot at Israeli planes if they feel threatened according to the JPost. An officer is quoted as saying:

"The orders that the [French] soldiers have is that their weapons are for self-defense and if a commander will feel threatened, as it was about to happen on the 31st of October, he would have the right to use force."

Surely if they feel threatened the appropriate thing to do would be the tried and trusted French tactic of raising a white flag?

Gilly