France said it would require a "precise mandate" from the United Nations to send troops, and Germany took a similar position and has already turned down a Polish request to join an Iraq peacekeeping unit.

Let me understand this.
If the issue is troops in a country where the US/UK is involved, then we absolutely need full UN participation with > 80 resolutions, etc.
But if it's say an African country like Liberia, then France's stated position is that the US should just go ahead send troops in there, without full UN participation, because France said so. Interesting. Sorta like the position that "Tax cuts are OK for EU countries to stimulate THEIR economies but a US Bush led tax cut is a BAD THING and not needed to stimulate the economy." Interesting.