[Washington Post] Condoleezza Rice - The United States has insisted that a truly effective cease-fire requires a decisive change from the status quo that produced this war. UN Resolution 1701 clearly lays out the political principles to secure a lasting peace: no foreign forces, no weapons, and no authority in Lebanon other than that of the sovereign Lebanese government. Now, for the first time, the international community has put its full weight behind a practical political framework to help the Lebanese government realize these principles, including the disarmament of all militias operating on its territory. Once implemented, this will be a strategic setback for the Syrian and Iranian regimes. Already, we hear Hizballah trying to claim victory. But others, in Lebanon and across the region, are asking themselves what Hizballah's extremism has really achieved: the blame of the world for causing this war.
2006-08-16 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive