Yahoo News/AFP - EU enters new era of Middle East influence with UN mission:

European support for the UN force in Lebanon has thrust Europe into a major new political role in the Middle East, a region where it has traditionally been better known as a rich aid donor. With nearly 7,000 soldiers pledged for the UN force in Lebanon, Europe's commitment marks an "historic opportunity", said Spanish Foreign Minister Miquel Angel Moratinos, himself a former special EU envoy to the region. […]"Europeans are gaining more in credibility, in presence and engagement in the future of this region, which is our region," he said Saturday.