Posted on 07/24/2006 7:01:07 AM PDT by SJackson
“Urgent” need for a ceasefire in Lebanon, says Rice
But conditions have to be right to be sustainable. US Secretary of State is to meet Olmert and Abbas today. She might stop in Beirut where Patriarch Sfeir urges the Lebanese to “close ranks” in the face of the crisis and calls on God to help Siniora and his government.
Beirut (AsiaNews/Agencies) – For Condoleezza Rice, there is an “urgent” need for a ceasefire in southern Lebanon but conditions have to be right. In saying so the US Secretary of State joins the many voices that have called for an end to the fighting in the land of the cedar tree.
She made the statement on the plane that is taking her to Israel to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and to the Palestinian Territories, where she is scheduled to talk with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas. According to some sources, she might also travel to Beirut. She will then be en route to Rome for an international conference on the Lebanon crisis that is set to start on Wednesday.
The US chief diplomat has already indicated the conditions for a ceasefire. “It is very important,” she said, “to establish conditions under which a ceasefire can take place. [. . .] It is important to have conditions that will make it also sustainable.”
The reference here is to Washington’s position that any truce is feasible only if the root causes of the conflict are dealt with, including Hezbollah’s threat to Israel and Syria’s and Iran’s support for the “terrorist” group.
Meanwhile in Lebanon the violence seems to be intensifying. Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir yesterday urged the Lebanese to “close ranks” to overcome the crisis and has called on God to help Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and his government.
During mass at the Patriarch’s residence in Bkerke he said that “it is necessary to forget what can divide. It is necessary close ranks to face the crisis with a pure heart, good intentions and an alert spirit so that we can protect our country, which must remain a place of peaceful coexistence of people of different religions”.
“May God help our government and its leader, that they be able to bring together Lebanese of all confessions so that Lebanon can remain a land of liberty, love and peace.”
In Lebanon people are looking forward with hope to the Wednesday conference in Rome between the members of the Lebanon contact group, namely the United States, Lebanon, Italy, as well as France, the United Kingdom, Russia, the European Union, the United Nations, the World Bank, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and possibly China.
Diplomacy is already in high gear with meetings already taking place in the Italian capital as of tomorrow.
Iran, Syria and Israel are not attending, but some low-level Israeli representative might attend.
Before leaving Washington, Rice met US President Bush, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, and Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the [Saudi] National Security Council.
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Rice: Temporary ceasefire futile
Ahead of her visit to Israel, US secretary of state says that while truce between Israel, Lebanon is important goal, temporary cessation of fighting will not resolve Hizbullah threat to Israel Yitzhak Benhorin
The time has come for diplomacy: In preparation for US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice's arrival in Israel, the US has accelerated political efforts to bring about a cessation of fighting in the region, but emphasizes that there is no point in negotiating a ceasefire without uprooting the source of the problem – Hizbullah.
Rice is scheduled to arrive Monday afternoon. She will meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and, later in the week, will attend an international conference in Rome, regarding the situation in Lebanon. "We all want to urgently end the fighting. We have absolutely the same goal," Rice told reporters traveling with her to the region.
Nonetheless, she said that it would be futile to achieve a temporary ceasefire, which would only postpone the conflict for a few weeks and easily allow a renewal of "all of the carnage that Hizbullah launched by its illegal activities - abducting the soldiers and then launching rocket attacks."
Rice also addressed the idea of Syria as a diplomatic channel to crisis resolution. According to her, the Washington-Damascus relationship is still relevant, albeit with reservations. "The problem isn't that people haven't talked to the Syrians. It's that the Syrians haven't acted," she said.
Saudis seek ceasefire
Ahead of Rice's trip ton the Mideast, the secretary of state and President George W. Bush met with top Saudi Arabian officials Bush on Sunday who urged the US to agree to seek a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah guerrillas in southern Lebanon.
“We requested a ceasefire to allow for the cessation of hostilities, to allow for the rebuilding of the forces of Lebanon,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters in English after a meeting of more than an hour with Bush and Rice.
Bush has resisted calling for an immediate ceasefire, saying Israel has the right to defend itself and a cessation of hostilities must address the root causes of the conflict, including Hizbullah’s attacks on Israel and abduction of Israeli soldiers.
Ronny Sofer and news agencies contributed to the report
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Saudis urge Bush to seek Lebanon ceasefire
Saudi Foreign Minister following White House meeting with US president, secretary of state: We requested a ceasefire to allow the cessation of hostilities, rebuilding of the forces in Lebanon. Rice departs for region, set to meet with Olmert, Abbas Reuters
Top Saudi Arabian officials pressed President George W. Bush on Sunday to agree to seek a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah guerrillas in southern Lebanon.
“We requested a ceasefire to allow for the cessation of hostilities, to allow for the rebuilding of the forces of Lebanon,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters in English after a meeting of more than an hour with Bush and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Bush has resisted calling for an immediate ceasefire, saying Israel has the right to defend itself and a cessation of hostilities must address the root causes of the conflict, including Hizbullah’s attacks on Israel and abduction of Israeli soldiers.
Accused by some Democrats of moving too slowly on the crisis, Rice departed Sunday evening for Israel and the Palestinian territories and will go to Rome on Wednesday to discuss the crisis with European and Arab officials, including officials from Lebanon.
Speaking in Arabic, Saud said he brought a letter to Bush from Saudi King Abdullah seeking ways to end the bloodshed in Lebanon. The Saudis had requested the meeting with Bush.
Saud said the letter called for an immediate ceasefire, the start of a prisoner exchange between Hizbullah and Israel and delaying the dismantling of Hizbullah for now. The Saudis did not object to an international force deployed in southern Lebanon.
Saudis troubled by Israeli attacks on Lebanon
Saud said a ceasefire would allow time for Lebanon to build up its forces and establish its sovereignty over all of Lebanon. He said he found Bush “Very conscious of the destruction and the bloodshed that the Lebanese are suffering, and his anxiety to see a cessation of hostilities.”
Seeking end to violence. White House meeting (Photo: AP)
“There is only one problem, and that is Lebanon, the inability of Lebanon to exercise its sovereignty over its territory. This is what we both agreed is the primary concern of everybody,” Saud said in English.
He declined to go into further details. “I’m not going to say anything or be pushed into saying anything to prejudice the secretary’s trip and the negotiations she is going to undertake,” he said.
International calls for a cease-fire have increased as fighting between Israel and Hizbullah guerrillas has intensified, but Washington has rejected that approach. Rice has said she is seeking a sustainable end to violence.
'Immediate ceasefire without political solution useless'
US ally Saudi Arabia has criticized Hizbullah and its backer Iran, saying “Elements” and “Those behind them” were responsible for the Israeli offensive. But the Saudis have also been troubled by the Israeli attacks on Lebanon and their toll on civilians.
Bush and Rice met at the White House with Saud, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, head of Saudi Arabia’s national security council, and Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Turki al-Faisal.
Rice is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas but has no plans to meet officials from either Hizbullah or its backer Syria.
Anxious not to raise expectations, Rice has made clear her diplomatic work in the Middle East will not be easy and has stressed the United States sees an immediate ceasefire without a political solution as useless.
“What I won’t do is go to some place and try to get a cease-fire that I know isn’t going to last,” Rice said on Friday when she announced her visit.
After talks with Olmert and Abbas, Rice will leave for Rome where the so-called Lebanon core group is holding talks to try and resolve the crisis between Hizbullah guerrillas, Lebanon and Israel.
Rice said the United States endorsed an international force for southern Lebanon but she said it would have to be “Robust” and would exclude US forces.
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Read the headline you like.
Sounds like the "Journalist" here is projecting what they want to happen onto what she actually said. Another case of the Junk Media reporting what they WANT the story to be instead of the facts.
Exactly....From everything Rice has said, she has never called for a cease-fire...
But conditions have to be right to be sustainable.
Well said Condi!
"Rice: Urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon--Rice: Temporary ceasefire futile-Saudis urge ceasefire"
The headline directly contricits itself. This is more wishful thinking by the Junk Media. The President has made it clear, we will support a "Cease Fire" when Hizbolla is dead and gone.
Nutty stuff.
"The headline directly contricits itself. This is more wishful thinking by the Junk Media. The President has made it clear, we will support a "Cease Fire" when Hizbolla is dead and gone."I do agree!!!Thank you America!!
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How right you are!
Thank you Israel. You are killing terrorists now so we will not have to later. The least we can do is keep the Leftist Surrender Monkeys in the UN and Europe off your backs while you do it!
Hizbollah Hamas Iran "Psychopaths" is Izrael enemy!!!!!this is war!!!!thank you all be strong Izrael!!!!be strong America!!!!
I'm all for a cease fire too. When Hezbollah is destroyed they will cease firing.
"Thank you Israel. You are killing terrorists now so we will not have to later. The least we can do is keep the Leftist Surrender Monkeys in the UN and Europe off your backs while you do it!"Amen!!!!!!!!!!thank you
What is nedded from Hezbollah is a "cease respiring"..
I don't see how they move forward without forcing Hezbollah out of the Lebanese government and arresting the leader with the black turban.
Islamospeak:
"Cease Fire"
1. A state or condition where the Moslem terrorists are running low or are out of ammunition and wish the Jewish Oppressors(tm) to stop killing them long enough to rearm and reload.
2. A one-sided state of affairs where the non-muslim stops defending themselves so that the Islamic Holy Warriors can claim victory and kill more Jooos.
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