LEBANON: Blair meets Lebanese PM Siniora amidst demonstrations, also comments on 9/11 anniversary

British Prime Minister Tony Blair began a visit to Lebanon on Monday (September 11) as troops and riot police deployed in central Beirut to handle protests against his stance during Israel's 34-day war with Hizbollah. Blair, who angered many Lebanese by his refusal to call for an early ceasefire in the conflict, held talks with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on the truce in effect since August 14 and Britain's contribution to post-war reconstruction. Around one thousand people carrying anti-British banners gathered as close to Siniora's office as was possible to show their anger at the visit of the British premier. "Tony Blair is always the enemy of Islam, and he is a terrorist like the Israelis who are destroying the houses of the children. We don't want them to come here, even our children fight them," Mariam Balout, a protester, said. Security forces sealed off Beirut's central district to traffic for Blair's visit, his first to Lebanon. Pro-Syrian political parties and students have said they will stage demonstrations against the British prime minister. Troops and riot police kept the demonstrators well away from the government building in downtown Beirut where Siniora met Blair, the first British prime minister to visit Lebanon. Top Shi'ite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah said on Sunday (September 10) Blair was not welcome because of his support for Israel and Washington. He also criticised Blair for allowing U.S. arms to be shipped via Britain to Israel for use against Lebanon. Fadlallah said Blair should have been told to stay away so he would "know we are not so naive as to welcome him when he has contributed to killing us and slaughtering our children." Following talks, Siniora and Blair held a news conference. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said the two men had discussed further violations of Resolution 1701 by Israeli forces. Siniora urged the British leader to work to revive efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli dispute through the UN Security Council on the basis of an Arab plan that offers Israel peace if it withdraws from Arab land occupied in the 1967 war. He said that he wanted "to have a full Israeli withdrawal, and to declare a permanent ceasefire, and to release the Lebanese detainees with the release of the Israeli abducted soldiers." Blair opened his remarks by remembering the attacks in the U.S. in 2001. "Can I just say, on this particular day, the occasion of the anniversary of the 11th of September, 2001, in which more British citizens lost their life in a terrorist attack than at any point in time in our history, I would like once again to repeat and express my condolence and sympathy to the families of all those who lost loved ones in that terrible attack on the 11th of September 2001," he said. Turning to the subject of Lebanon, Blair pledged to help strengthen Lebanon's security forces as they deploy in the south after Israel's war with Hizbollah. "There is the Lebanese armed forces, their crucial role in the country and our support in helping make sure that it is the Lebanese armed forces that are in control of all parts of Lebanon. We again will work with you in terms of training, in terms of equipment, in terms of any help that we can give and as you know I am committing further resource to that today as well," Blair said. Blair vowed to use the rest of his time in office seeking Middle East peace. But he has been criticised at home and in Lebanon for his pro-U.S. stance during the Lebanon war and faced a flurry of resignations last week that raised questions over his hold on power. He said he would leave office within a year. Blair said Britain was ready to provide "training, equipment, any help we can give". During the news conference, a woman unfurled a banner reading "Boycott Israeli apartheid" and shouted "Shame on you" as security men grabbed the banner and hustled her away. Blair angered many Lebanese by his refusal to call for an early ceasefire in the Lebanon conflict, which saw the destruction of large parts of the country's infrastructure and the death of about 1,200 Lebanese. Blair had been due to meet Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is the leader of Amal and a Hizbollah ally, but an aide to Berri said he had left on a private visit abroad. The UN Security Council resolution adopted on August 11 led to a truce between Israel and Hizbollah that has held since August 14. Blair said Britain would commit over 40 million pounds (75 million U.S. dollars) in aid to Lebanon this year and stood ready to do more.

ITN Source | September 12, 2006

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