Chirac stresses political dimension

Last time Mr Chirac questioned use of the word 'war'

French President Jacques Chirac has held talks with President George W Bush in Washington, in their second meeting since the 11 September attacks.

In a joint news conference at the White House, Mr Chirac said France already had 2,000 troops committed to the conflict, and said the military action was an important part of the US's legitimate efforts to protect its population.

But Mr Chirac said his talks with Mr Bush had also covered the need for urgent humanitarian assistance, the transformation of Afghanistan into a modern state, and the restoration of the Middle East peace process.

We must avoid mixing things up, and avoid the trap that Mr Bin Laden wants to lay for us by widening the terms of this conflict

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin

In Paris, meanwhile, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin said France would boost its commitment to the force if necessary, and said that proposals for providing air support and special forces had been drawn up.

"We are ready to bolster out support, notably and in a short time-frame our naval contribution, if we are asked to," he said.

But he warned against widening the terms of the current conflict, and called for an urgent resumption of the Middle East peace talks.

Jospin: France will bolster force if necessary

"We must avoid mixing things up, and avoid the trap that Mr Bin Laden wants to lay for us by widening the terms of this conflict," Mr Jospin told the National Assembly.

In Washington, Mr Chirac was the first world leader to set foot on US soil after the attacks, and at the time he pledged solidarity and as much military support as Mr Bush required.

The BBC's Paris correspondent, James Coomarasamy, said Mr Chirac's message then was that France was not going to be a fickle ally, but several weeks later the situation is rather more complex.

Although the French Government has not wavered in its public support for the overall American campaign, it is taking a more nuanced stance, in common with other European countries, concerning events on the ground in Afghanistan.

Poll pessimism

Mr Chirac has been stressing that the military battle is just a small part of the war on terrorism, reflecting Europe's preoccupation with finding a workable post-Taleban regime in Afghanistan and the dwindling public confidence in France in a current American-led military action.

According to the most recent opinion poll in France, just 17% of the population believe that the Enduring Freedom campaign is succeeding. Almost half think it is going to fail.

However, correspondents say there is as yet no strong anti-war movement in France.

If anything, the authorities in France are being criticised for not playing an active enough role in events, says James Coomarasamy, and specifically for letting the UK's Tony Blair make much of the diplomatic running in the Arab world, with which France has long had privileged ties.