From Deseret News archives:
Time to take 'firm' action on Lebanon?
Bush and Blair call for an urgent U.N. resolution
Both stopped short of endorsing an immediate cease-fire, however, insisting that Hezbollah militias must be prevented from controlling southern Lebanon if the most intensive Arab-Israeli warfare since 1982 is to end.
"Now's the time to be firm," said Bush. "Hezbollah and its Iranian and Syrian sponsors are willing to kill and to use violence to stop the spread of peace and democracy. And they're not going to succeed."
Blair, standing beside Bush in a White House news conference after an Oval Office meeting on the conflict, echoed the essence of the president's position, even as he stressed the need to end fighting that has killed nearly 500 people in the past 16 days.
"We want it to stop, and we want it to stop now," said Blair. "But the brutal reality of the situation is that we're only going to get violence stopped and stability introduced on the basis of clear principles."
Bush said that quickly setting a clear framework for ending hostilities and mandating a multinational force "will make possible what so many around the world want to see: the end of Hezbollah's attacks on Israel, the return of Israeli soldiers taken hostage by the terrorists, the suspension of Israel's operations in Lebanon, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces."
At the U.N. headquarters in New York, Jan Egeland, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, called for a three-day cease-fire to allow aid workers to deliver food and medical supplies to thousands of civilians in Lebanon who have been stranded by the fighting.
On the ground, though, the conflict raged. Hezbollah militia units claimed to have launched a rocket the Khaibar-1 more powerful than any of the more than 1,500 the militants have launched into Israel since the conflict began. Israeli officials said the rocket was likely an Iranian weapon with a range of 45 miles, capable of threatening the Tel Aviv suburbs and other areas far deeper into Israel than the shorter-range Katyusha rockets Hezbollah has previously relied on.
Comments
- SLCC athletics winning with locals 8:19 p.m.
- Bronco, Kyle rubber match 8:16 p.m.
- Palin invited to dine with Graham 8:07 p.m.
- RSL trails 1-0 at half 7:53 p.m.
- Plenty on line for rivalry game 7:51 p.m.
- Grand Canyon permit changing 7:48 p.m.
- Astronaut's daughter is born 7:47 p.m.
- Investors look to data-heavy week 7:36 p.m.
- Bird, Magic inducted into college hall 7:21 p.m.
- Haslem's jumper gets Heat win 7:19 p.m.
- Glenn Beck to enter politics?
- BYU records with win
- Jazz outlast Pistons in overtime
- Cougars turn focus to dreaded rivals
- Cougars put the fun back in football
- Former BYU professor remembered
- Kirilenko heating up for the Jazz
- Police link alcohol to murder
- Wendover airfield's legacy lost?
- Florida No. 1, TCU 4 in AP Top 25
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
201 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
183 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
178 - BYU records with win
127 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
125 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
100 - Jazz finally win in San Antonio
98 - Utes knock off rival Aggies
93 - Huntsman pleased with Obama
87
I don't pretend to be an expert on global warming. I've met with...
Then you did not play basketball or you would have remembered that very...
Such stupidity. I know not all Utah fans are stupid. Come on rational ute...
For all yewt fans out there saying max is gonna fold under pressure...he has...
Aaahhhh, we're down 1-0 at half time. Come on Real, get two back.
SEC is the most overrated conference in football, period! They claim their...
Organized religion is mostly just big business. It has little to do with...
For those who think it's so easy, just a reminder that the amount of the...
TCU is the best team ever in the MWC and deserves a chance in the title game....
Reading these comments are hilarious. It's sad that there are so many...
If we all agree that Hatch and Bennett (and their cohorts) are correct, what...



You can be the first to comment on this story.