USA: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says ceasefire in conflict between Israel and Hizbollah in Lebanon depends on conducive conditions

The United States believes there should be a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and militant group Hizbollah in Lebanon as soon as possible, but only "when conditions are conducive," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday (July 18). "We have to make certain that anything that we do is going to be of lasting value. The Middle East has been through too many spasms of violence, and we have to deal with underlying conditions so that we can create sustainable conditions for political progress there," Rice said, during a news conference she co-hosted with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul. "When it is appropriate and when it is necessary and will be helpful to the situation I am more than pleased to go to the region," said Rice of her plans to visit the area to try to help curb the violence. Aboul Gheit said a ceasefire is "imperative." "We have to keep working to reach that objective. It is imperative. We have to bring it to an end as soon as possible," he said before leaving the room with Rice who added: "We all agree that it should happen as soon as possible, when conditions are conducive to do so," as she left. The United States has pressed Iran and Syria to exert their influence over Lebanon's Hizbollah guerrillas to halt rocket fire into Israel and return two captured soldiers to help end a week-old crisis. Washington stuck to its position that its ally Israel was acting in self-defence and voiced reluctance to back calls for an immediate cease-fire while Hizbollah kept up cross-border rocket attacks that have drawn a wave of Israeli air strikes.

ITN Source | July 19, 2006

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