Tue, Jul 25, 2006 - Page 1 News List

Rice makes surprise trip to Beirut

DROPPING IN The US' top diplomat praised the Lebanese Prime Minister for his courage, even as the US insists that any ceasefire deal must remove the threat from Hezbollah

AGENCIES , BEIRUT AND THE ISRAEL-LEBANON BORDER

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who wants to swap the two soldiers for Lebanese and Palestinians in Israeli jails, said Israel's assaults would not stop cross-border rocket fire.

"I assure you that this goal will not be achieved," he said.

Israel, after initially dismissing the idea, now says it would be willing for an international force to dislodge Hezbollah from south Lebanon and take control of Lebanon's border with Syria to stop the guerrillas from re-arming.

"It doesn't matter who runs the mission, it's just important that the mission is accomplished," Israeli Vice-Premier Shimon Peres told Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper.

But just as Hezbollah has fought Israeli attempts to drive it from the south, it would surely resist military coercion by any international force, assuming one could be assembled.

Several EU countries are ready to contribute to a force for Lebanon but problems remain in ensuring it can fulfil its mission, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said.

"It's a real possibility. It is not an easy force to deploy but we have been working since Wednesday to try to construct a concept that would make it possible to deploy under the umbrella of the UN Security Council," Solana said in Brussels.

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