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Rice ceasefire plan 'rejected'
LEBANESE parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri today rejected a ceasefire proposal by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice aimed at ending Israel's war on Hezbollah, an aide to the Lebanese official said.A meeting between Ms Rice and Mr Berri, who is acting as an intermediary for the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group, was marked by "differences," a source close to Mr Berri said after the surprise visit to Beirut by the top US diplomat. "There was no agreement because Rice insisted on a mechanism on a global settlement before a ceasefire," the source said on condition of anonymity. "Rice set, as conditions for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Hezbollah to the Litani river and the deployment of an international force in the area which would, she said, allow the return of displaced people." The Litani river is about 20km from the border with Israel, marking an area that is largely under the control of Hezbollah. Mr Berri, a veteran Shiite politician, had called for a ceasefire to be followed by a prisoner exchange and for Israel to allow the return of Lebanese who had fled the south "before discussing a complete plan to resolve the conflict." Ms Rice had refused to discuss an exchange of prisoners, the source said. But US Middle East envoy David Welch, said suggestions that the meeting was not a success were unfair. "This gentleman is the ranking Shia of the Lebanese Government," he said as Ms Rice flew to Israel after her five-hour stop in Beirut. "He spoke with much more emotion about the problem, (than other Lebanese leaders)" he said, adding that many of Mr Berri's fellow Shiite Muslims were facing difficult conditions in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has demanded the release of Arab prisoners held in Israeli jails in return for two soldiers it captured in a deadly border raid on July 12 that triggered Israel's massive offensive on Lebanon. Asked by reporters travelling with Rice about the reported plan for some sort of buffer zone, Mr Welch said: "I am not going to go into that." In an earlier meeting, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora angrily attacked Israel for its relentless bombing campaign which has claimed mainly civilian victims. "Israeli aggression is not only targeting Hezbollah but Lebanon itself, sending it back 50 years with its bombardment," he told Ms Rice. Mr Siniora cited more than 350 deaths in Lebanon since the start of the campaign and some 1500 wounded, a statement issued by his office said. Ms Rice's visit came as Washington appeared increasingly estranged from many European and Arab allies over Israel's massive onslaught that has set off fears of a humanitarian disaster as thousands of foreigners and Lebanese flee. Washington had faced calls for bold action amid criticism it was stalling to allow Israel time to attempt to wipe out the Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which provoked the conflict after seizing two soldiers on July 12. Israel is struggling to knock out Hezbollah despite its vastly superior military might and has now suggested it would accept some form of international force in southern Lebanon, currently in the grip of the Shiite militia. In the latest fighting least eight civilians were killed, including children, when Israeli fighter jets pounded southern Lebanon, turning homes to rubble, while troops were locked in pitched battles with Hezbollah guerrillas near the border. Two soldiers were killed in the fighting with Shiite Muslim militiamen as troops in tanks and bulldozers pushed even deeper into Lebanon although the Israeli government says it has no plans for an all-out invasion -- for now. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Washington's closest ally, called the conflict a "catastrophe" that was damaging fledgling democracy in Lebanon, a country that had gradually been rebuilding since the 1975-90 civil war and the end of Syria's long military and political dominance last year. He said he hoped a plan would be announced in the next few days to bring about an end to the worst cross-border conflict since Israel invaded its northern neighbour in 1982. But clashes erupted again as Israeli forces moved towards Bint Jbeil, the largest town in the border zone and a Hezbollah stronghold, after taking control of the nearby strategic village of Marun al-Ras. Two soldiers were killed in the fighting and another two died in a helicopter crash, bringing to 41 the number of Israelis killed since July 12. The army said a barrage of about 20 rockets landed in towns across northern Israel, slightly wounding one person. At least eight civilians including two children were also killed in a new round of air strikes largely around the port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, which has borne the brunt of Israel's devastating bombardments. Streams of people have been making a desperate trek from the area after Israel ordered them to leave their homes and massed troops on the border. The offensive has left Lebanon virtually cut off from the world, made hundreds of thousands of people refugees in their own country and destroyed billions of dollars of infrastructure. Despite Israeli claims it would quickly hobble Hezbollah, a minister said it was time for the government to re-evaluate its goals. "We raised hopes too high by promising to disarm Hezbollah's armed wing and decapitate its leadership. There is no question of us losing this campaign but we will have to set ourselves realistic goals." Israel also launched a public relations offensive led by its best-known elder statesman Shimon Peres to tell the world why it was not yet silencing its guns. "The free world is facing a threat, the goal of Hezbollah is to set the world aflame and we will not let them succeed," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said after talks with Ms Rice. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah remained defiant, vowing that deeper incursions would not stop the rocket fire, and ruling out any efforts for a negotiated settlement unless it involved a prisoner swap. "We are truly in a state of war and Hezbollah's priority is to stop the savage Zionist aggression on Lebanon," he told As-Safir newspaper. UN chief Kofi Annan said he would press for a truce and establishment of a buffer force at a crisis meeting on Lebanon in Rome on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is to meet Rice today, has said would accept a peacekeeping force in Lebanon made up of troops from EU nations. In the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli army is fighting a second offensive aimed at retrieving a captive soldier and halting rocket attacks, six Palestinians including two children were killed by Israeli fire. The deaths bring to 113 the number of Palestinians killed since Israel began a massive military operation there late last month which has targeted the ruling Hamas movement. As the bombardments continued, foreign governments have laid on ferries, warships and cruise liners to evacuate stranded nationals, mainly to the nearby resort island of Cyprus which has been battling to find temporary accommodation and flights for the estimated 70,000 evacuees at peak summer holiday season. Posted by: Oztralian 2006-07-24 |
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