| US envoy urges Beirut to restrain Hizbullah Nicholas Blanford
Daily Star staff
A United States Middle East envoy urged Lebanon on Tuesday
to restrain Hizbullah from carrying out attacks against Israel to help achieve a
breakthrough in resuming regional peace talks.
William Burns, assistant US secretary of state, emphasized Washington’s “strong
concern” for maintaining calm along the United Nations-delineated Blue Line. But he
praised the government’s cooperation against Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden’s
Al-Qaeda network.
“I had an opportunity to express our appreciation for the cooperation of the Lebanese
government against individual groups connected with the Al-Qaeda network and expressed our
continuing concern about Hizbullah activities,” Burns told reporters following a
meeting with President Emile Lahoud at Baabda.
Burns said the US was strongly committed to a comprehensive Middle East peace based on the
Madrid principle of land-for-peace. He added that US President George W. Bush was
determined to press ahead with a three-track strategy to achieve peace between Israel and
the Palestinians.
Washington’s three-track strategy calls for starting a political process toward a
two-state solution, supporting Palestinian efforts to build strong institutions in
preparation for statehood, and ensuring effective Palestinian performance on security
matters.
Burns also met with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Earlier in Damascus, Burns was told that Syria held out
little hope that a mooted Middle East peace conference would achieve anything worthwhile.
With agencies
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