Posted on 07/28/2006 7:02:08 PM PDT by blam
Blair and Bush launch peace plan
By George Jones and Alec Russell in Washington
(Filed: 29/07/2006)
Tony Blair and President George W Bush last night launched a fresh diplomatic initiative to try to end the conflict in the Middle East as they shrugged off criticism of their record in the crisis.
At an emergency summit in the White House, they agreed that Condoleezza Rice, the United States secretary of state, would fly back to the region today in an attempt to persuade the Lebanese and Israeli governments to agree on a peace plan and the deployment of an international force on their border.
Tony Blair and George Bush at the White House
Mr Blair said that leaders of world powers would meet at the United Nations on Monday to thrash out a resolution authorising a "stabilisation force". The announcement came on the 17th day of the crisis that has claimed the lives of more than 400 people, mainly civilians, in Lebanon, and 51 Israelis, mainly soldiers.
America and Britain have faced widespread criticism in Europe and the Middle East for their refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire. The Israelis interpreted that as a green light to continue their offensive in southern Lebanon.
Following the failure of the peace talks in Rome on Wednesday, Mr Blair and President Bush emerged from a 90-minute meeting in the White House keen to show their determination to breathe life into the diplomacy option.
They made it clear that they wanted a force dispatched to the region "quickly", although they added that any deal must also bring a long-term solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Mr Bush said that tackling terrorists intent on stopping the spread of democracy and freedom in the Middle East was the "calling of the 21st century". He delivered a blunt warning to Iran that it would not be allowed to use the crisis as a cover for developing its ambitions for a nuclear bomb. There was also a put down for Syria, another Hizbollah sponsor.
Mr Blair, who has faced mounting criticism for his pro-American stance, was equally unrepentant. He said it was time for countries such as America and Britain to "stop apologising for their actions".
Adopting one of Mr Bush's trademark phrases, he insisted that Britain would "stay the course", even though he said it was "going to be tough". Standing side by side, both leaders expressed regret over the loss of civilian life in Israel and Lebanon.
Mr Blair said the conflict which had been started by Hizbollah guerrillas was a "tragedy and a catastrophe" for the people of the region.
But the leaders insisted they wanted to turn that tragedy into an opportunity and tackle once and for all the threat of armed groups such as Hizbollah, which were threatening peace and stability and a long-term solution.
Mr Blair flew to Washington under mounting pressure from within his Cabinet, the Labour Party and opinion polls to call for a ceasefire.
Although he has argued that any deal must lay the conditions for a sustainable end to violence, there were signs of a new urgency.
Mr Bush announced that he had asked Miss Rice to go back to the region to work on the basis of a deal that could be agreed by Israel and Lebanon.
Asked when he believed a ceasefire could be in place, Mr Blair said it could happen soon if a UN resolution was agreed next week. "We want to see it happen as quickly as possible."
But diplomats said serious questions remained about the nature, mandate and composition of the force.
So, is lebanon going to negotiate for Hizbullah?
Peace plan -- that does not sound good -- a false peace is unacceptable, as it has been for about forty years now.
I think the Israelis are the only people on the globe that can determine when the conditions for a PERMANENT PEACE are at hand...and they are not at this time. Too many Hezbollah still breathing.
Bush and Blair should stay out of it, until the Israelis want them involved.
First we negotiate the shape of the conference table.
Then we negotiate the color of the curtains on the windows.
Then the color of the carpet.
After that, the lunch menu.
While we're negotiating all that we can speed up the delivery of JDAMs to Israel.
L
There will b no lasting peace as long as Hizballah exists.
Bush and Blair have to know this. they are bowing to pressure from the islamic panderers.
The only peace plan that will work: all Muzziefascists dead.
The forces of good under mounting criticism from everyone else again. Film at 11.
I hate to say it but Bush is becoming a bigger and bigger disappointment day by day.....
Seriously. His statement should have said something like:
"We support our Israeli allies in the global fight on terror whose battlefield is now Lebanon. In accordance with the Bush Doctrine and UN Resolution 1559, we demand that the Lebanese government assist the Israelis in the dismantling and destruction of Hezbollah. There will be no negotiations and no peace until such conditions are met.
The plan they have put together is a plan that there is no way Hezbollah or the Europeans can accept. Hezbollah has to disarm and stop fighting. And a European force would there to see that they do.
This is the same old Bush deal they've been pushing from day one.. Instead of the Isralis disarming Hezbollah the Europeans will have to do it. Fat chance.
Hezbollah will refuse to disarm.. that would be a massive defeat for them. If the Europeans have to disarm Hezbollah they have to fight Israels battles for them. They will not do that.
Back to square one... Nothing has changed since the war started and Bush has stalled at least 4 more days. It is just a way to keep the British voters off Tony's back with out giving up anything.
Why? Because he's going to let Israel decide the terms of the negotiations? And that, if they're unacceptable, the campaign continues?
One suspects you weren't much of a Bush fan in the first place.
Post of the day.
Well thanks!
I wish I didn't have to say "obviously" but obviously, we will never hear that speech. Sad, isn't it? That is the way diplomacy should be handled. With straightforward "This is what we are going to do" statements...and then the will to back them up!
What he SHOULD have said is that the US fully supports one of our closest allies and will defer the situation to them, not to the cowardly French, the psycotic Germans or the re-establishing USSR.
Can I be any clearer?
Bush is saying that Lebanon and Israel must agree to conditions prior to any cease-fire. Given that Hezbollah is pulling Lebanon's strings, do you think that will happen?
Meanwhile, as the talks go on, Israel continues to destroy the Hezzie infrastructure.
A victory plan is the only peace plan.
Funny, we stopped talking this way once Hitlet had a grip on most of the world. Before that, the West was oozing about peace instead of total victory. All our diplomacy (of the West) handed Hitler swaths of territory with no real battles.
I'll read his (and Blair's) comments again.
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