Special report: Israel-Lebanon conflicts

    

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice waves off reporters as she leaves a press briefing at the State Department in Washington, July 21, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said on Saturday that he has directed Secretary of State Rice to travel to the Middle East to discuss the "best ways" to resolve the crisis between Israel and Lebanon with leaders in the region.

    In his weekly radio address, Bush said Rice would make it clear in her trip to the region that "resolving the crisis demands confronting the terrorist group that launched the attacks and the nations that support it."

    Rice was scheduled to leave for the Middle East after meeting with Bush and Saudi officials at the White House on Sunday.

    She was expected to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and attend a meeting in Rome, Italy, with representatives of European and moderate Arab governments.

    Bush repeated his position that the crisis was triggered by the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah, which the United States has designated as a terrorist group, and the launch of rockets against Israeli cities.

    He said Israel had "the right to defend their people from terrorist attack, and to take the necessary action to prevent those attacks."

    In his radio address, Bush also accused Syria as a "primary sponsor" of Hezbollah and of helping provide Hezbollah with shipments of Iranian made weapons. Enditem