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Source: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L13880934.htm
Rice Urges Israel to Exercise Restraint
[Reuters] Steve Holland - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday, "It is extremely important that Israel exercise restraint in its acts of self-defense" in Lebanon, and demanded that Syria press Hizballah to stop attacking Israel. Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Daniel Ayalon, said: "I think they (Hizballah) misinterpreted our restraint for the last six years....If we do not want to see further escalation, deterioration, violence, this is the time to stop Hizballah and what we are doing is the most effective (way) to stop them." National security adviser Stephen Hadley said he and Rice had received assurances Israel's focus was on Hizballah, not the Lebanese government. He added that Israeli officials said "the actions they are going to take are going to deal with Hizballah and will be done in such a way as to try and minimize collateral and civilian casualties, recognizing this is difficult because Hizballah has put targets in civilian areas."