Rice lands in war-torn Beirut

source

Secretary of State Rice has landed in Beirut. A cease fire is urgent she states.

Rice is scheduled to visit Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. She will also attend an international conference in Rome, Italy, on crafting a peace agreement and shoring up Lebanon's government.

Rice does not plan to meet with Hezbollah or with Syrian leaders.

One would think that to get a cease fire, wouldn't Hezbollah have to agree too?! Kinda strange to only speak to one side and not the other.

I think the Hezbollah cold shoulder is purposeful.
"I won't negotiate with terrorists"

So rice is going to discuss the possiblitly of a cease fire with israel, but not syria or hizbollah.

imoh, she is just there as a pr stunt, as Irsael has no intenion of signing a cease fire yet, as they have the perfect excuse to flex their muscle to show the rest of the middle east, that they better not get any ideas about how israel has gone soft and is easy pickering.

And without talking to hizbollah or even hamas or syira what the point, then she is going on to rome, where the arab world is meeting, the most they will do is go "well we condem hizbollah actions, but also condem israel for hitting civllians", and basically do nothing about it, as they are making a mint from the increase in oil prices. so they are laughing, and when rice returns to the US empty handed, but with a framework (what they building a shed) for a ceasefire, and she will say they will meet again to discuss this framework, which let israel carry one doing what it is doing.

Irsael has always acted like the kid who was bullied at school, now is able to get one back. regardless of if they get there soliders back or not. irsael looks around it borders and see counties that want to kick the snot of it and make sure they hurt dearly for just being there. iran, syria wouldnt say no to taking a pop shot at israel. but as they both know that if they did, they would be asking for trouble as the US would back it little brother israel.

She has to meet with Syria, they have a strong influence in Hizballoh and they are needed to be brought into talks if peace is going to prevail in the area.

she is just there to discuss whats going to happen after the israeli's believe they have done there job, when ever that is.

I don't see a US brokered cease fire coming into effect until Israel has reached it's objectives in South Lebanon and taken land up to the Litani river. That has long been an objective of Israel. Lebanon has a lot of water and Israel needs it, this is nothing new.

So, the Rice visit to Beirut is nothing more than a PR stunt to give the impression the US is doing something. I bet the bombing stops for the day

This is not a surprise visit. She has publicly stated she is NOT there to broker a peace deal or a cease-fire. She is there to assess the situation first hand, talk to leaders and gather info. Thats all.

Originally posted by Britguy
So, the Rice visit to Beirut is nothing more than a PR stunt to give the impression the US is doing something. I bet the bombing stops for the day

Possible, but imo there is much more to "it" than simple PR.

Rice is “cutting to the chase” about getting a sizeable NATO/international force in the UNIFIL buffer zone area for “regional influence” purposes.

Originally posted by princeofpeace
She is there to assess the situation first hand, talk to leaders and gather info. Thats all.

Apparently not...ceasfire was a topic of discussion:

Rice was referring to the day Hizbollah captured the two Israeli soldiers. The source quoted her as saying there would be no ceasefire before Hizbollah freed the pair unconditionally and pulled its forces back about 20 km (13 miles) from the border.

"The tone of the meeting was very negative," the source said.

Another source said Rice had also proposed deployment of the Lebanese army on the border, backed by an international force.

Reuters

The US is opportunistically positioning for influence and offering international influence in Lebanon. The terms for a ceasefire are apparently conditional on the release of the prisoners…fairly cut and dry.. “Lebanon you facilitate the ceasefire terms on your end and we/the international community will back you-up …if not…well, this just continues…pick your poison”.

Unfortunately, this is not a very hopeful turn of events for the Lebanese people.


mg

Originally posted by Britguy
So, the Rice visit to Beirut is nothing more than a PR stunt to give the impression the US is doing something. I bet the bombing stops for the day

Originally posted by princeofpeace
She is there to assess the situation first hand, talk to leaders and gather info. Thats all.

quite right, a PR move by Condi...meeting with Lebanon PM Faud Saniori
and Nabih Berri.

i think she was also delivering a warning,

If you'll check out this information;

"Israel to get U.S. 'Bunker Buster' Bombs via Qatar"
www.asharqalawsat.com...

betcha Condi was telling the westernized part of Labanon that the US was
going to give Israel the munitions needed to do away with all those reinforced underground bunkers that Hezbollah has built up in 6 years and to
help rid the cave systems where the militant Hezbollah in S. Lebanon
(an occupation militia, in some eyes) is launching missiles into Israel from.