Special report: Israel-Lebanon
Conflicts [Gallery]
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) is
accompanied by Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora (L). Rice is in
Beirut at the start of a high-stakes mission to try to end the devastating
conflict in Lebanon, even as Israeli troops were locked in deadly combat
with Hezbollah guerrillas.(Xinhua
Photo) |
BEIRUT, July 24
(Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid a surprise visit to
Lebanon on Monday in a diplomatic move to push for a "sustainable" peace,
well-informed sources said.
The top U.S. diplomat, on her first visit to Mideast
since violence between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah erupted on July 12, held
separate meetings with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
During the meetings, Rice insisted that Washington
would only work toward a "sustainable" truce although a ceasefire was urgent,
said the sources.
She also said that Hezbollah must release two Israeli
soldier sit took hostage and pull back from the border with Israel before any
ceasefire, the sources added.
Rice also told the media that she was "deeply
concerned" about the Lebanese people's sufferings and the humanitarian
situation. Siniora, on his part, told Rice that 750,000 people in Lebanon had
been displaced due to the Israeli assault and that the country had suffered
multi-billion U.S. dollar losses, according to a statement issued by his office.
The United States has so far justified Israeli
attacks on Lebanon, refusing to push for an immediate ceasefire which it said
would only lead back to the status quo.
The Lebanese side has repeatedly called for a
ceasefire as soon as possible, warning of a possible humanitarian disaster.
After the brief visit to Lebanon, Rice started her visit to Israel, during which
she is planned to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
She will also hold talks with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas before heading to Rome for a multi-party meeting over the
situation in the Middle East region on Wednesday.
Israel has kept up a 13-day-old onslaught against the
Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah since Hezbollah guerillas captured two Israeli
soldiers and killed eight others during cross-border attacks on July 12.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army continued a massive air
and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip launched almost a month ago aimed to free
another Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants and halt Palestinian
rocket attacks. Enditem
