[New York Times] Jim Rutenberg and Thom Shanker - The U.S. firmly reiterated its position on Tuesday that there can be no cease-fire in Lebanon until there is a solid plan in place to disarm Hizballah. "The United States is working for a cease-fire, for an end to the hostilities that will not allow a return to the status quo ante," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday. U.S. officials have said anything short of a plan to ensure the disarming of Hizballah before Israel halted fighting would leave the group in a position to lob missiles at Israel, and perhaps solidify the gains it has made in the Arab imagination for standing up to the regional superpower and surviving.
2006-08-02 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive