Lebanese parliament speaker rejects Rice cease-fire proposal

[Behind the Aegis]

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to Beirut yesterday ended in a stalemate after Lebanese leaders rejected her insistence that before any cease-fire, Hezbollah must release two adbucted Israeli soldiers and pull back from the border.

Rice did not back the immediate end to hostilities demanded by Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. Shi'ite Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is close to Hezbollah and Syria, rejected Rice's proposal to deploy the Lebanese army on the border backed by an international force. He insisted that a cease-fire must precede talks over Hezbollah's status in south Lebanon.

Rice made a surprise visit to Beirut in a bid to bring an end to the warfare between Israel and Hezbollah that began two weeks ago. Siniora told her that Israel's bombardment was taking his country "backward 50 years."

The visit lasted only five hours, and the news media were not informed of it in advance.


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[cboy4]

1. Did you get my I.M. in your inbox?

[Behind the Aegis]

2. yes...see my reply!

[Name removed]

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