Rice flies back to Middle East crisis talks

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today welcomed the Lebanese Cabinet’s new proposal to end the fighting with Israel.

As she flew back to the Middle East for diplomatic discussions aimed at ending the violence there, Ms Rice told reporters: “The most important thing that this does for the process is that it shows a Lebanese government that is functioning as a Lebanese government.

“That is in and of itself extremely important.”

After Ms Rice’s arrival in Jerusalem today, she was expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

In Beirut, Hezbollah politicians signed a proposed peace package that includes strengthening an international force in south Lebanon and disarming the guerrillas, the government said.

The agreement, reached at a Cabinet meeting, was the first time Hezbollah had agreed to a proposal for ending the crisis that includes the deploying of international forces.

Meanwhile, however, Hezbollah fighters said they were now using a new, more powerful rocket in their attacks. And Israel rejected a UN request for a three-day ceasefire to deliver humanitarian supplies to Lebanon and allow civilians to leave the war zone.

The Lebanese proposal falls short of US and Israeli demands in that it calls for an immediate ceasefire before working out details of a peacekeeping force and includes other conditions.

“Everybody knows this is a complicated coalition,” said Ms Rice, praising Lebanese Foreign Minister Fuad Saniora. “That he is able to go back and bring his government together around a way forward is very encouraging.”

The Lebanese plan overlaps agreements reached in Rome by foreign policy leaders gathered to address the violence between Israel and the Hezbollah militia, Ms Rice said. Hundreds, mostly Lebanese civilians, have died in the fighting.

The US and Israel say any agreement must try to resolve regional disputes that have flared for decades. The position conflicts with many US allies.

Ms Rice has said that other governments agreed with her during the closed session of diplomats in Rome, but she declined to name them.

The Rome conference of Arab, European and North American diplomats earlier in the week helped Mr Saniora achieve the agreement within his government, Ms Rice said. “He knows he has some backing from the international community.”

Fighting between Hezbollah’s guerillas and Israel exploded after Hezbollah’s July 12 raid into Israeli territory. Two Israeli soldiers were killed. Israel says the release of kidnapped Israeli soldiers is pivotal to ending the current crisis.

Ms Rice renewed her call for their release.

She said she would not set deadlines for reaching any international agreements or say how close Israel is to achieving its strategic goals for dismantling Hezbollah, its leading justification for the recent fighting.

The area controlled by Hezbollah has borne the brunt of some three weeks of fighting.

Ms Rice has not offered details publicly on what the international force should look like. Privately, numbers discussed for its size range from 15,000 to 20,000 troops.

Without offering a timeline, Ms Rice said countries with “ready forces” that have their own logistical support could be quickly deployed to Lebanon. Various states could be asked to contribute forces, which would operate under a mandate from the United Nations.

She said a UN force – with the iconic blue helmets – often takes more time to assemble and deploy.

Ms Rice said she pressed for a troop contribution meeting on Monday at the UN, which Secretary-General Kofi Annan has scheduled. France, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Turkey have said they are considering joining a UN-run multinational force.

It wouldn’t be known whether a UN force or a multinational force would be deployed until the meeting at the United Nations.

Speaking broadly of the situation in the Middle East, Ms Rice said, “these are really hard and emotional decisions – under extreme pressure – with an emotional set of circumstances.”

“Obviously, we are all trying to get to a cease-fire as quickly as possible,” she added.