Khalil Fleihan
Daily Star correspondent

US envoy William Burns, wrapping up his regional tour on Wednesday, asserted that violence and the use of force would never solve the Middle East conflict.
After meeting Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, Burns said he had emphasized during his talks with government officials “the obligation that all of us, that all parties will have to show our commitment to the political path.”
All parties should “make it equally clear that there can be no military solution to the problems that face the region, and the violence and the manipulation of violence and the use of force will not produce that kind of an outcome,” he added.
Burns, assistant US secretary of state for Near East affairs, said he had stressed the “strong commitment” of US President George W. Bush to “renewing a political process between the Palestinians and Israelis aimed at a two-state solution.”
He declined to respond when reporters asked for a reaction to a car bomb claimed by the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad and which killed at least 16 people and wounded 40 in northern Israel earlier Wednesday.
While here, Burns held talks with President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri.
Burns called for calm on Lebanon’s border with Israel and for support of Washington’s “three-track” strategy for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, which 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.
An official source said Lahoud had stressed to Burns that “all parties” ­ implying Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinians ­ should be invited to a proposed regional peace conference.
On the situation in the Palestinian territories, Lahoud reportedly expressed belief that the present relative calm would not last long unless the peace process proceeded on “clear, acceptable and just bases,” the source said.
According to the source, Burns provided no answers on the date or venue for the proposed gathering, which the envoy said was still under discussion with the countries concerned.
Hammoud drew Burns’ attention to the recent calm in the South, and urged him to help end Israeli violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Burns also visited Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia and Syria during his one-week tour. ­ With agencies

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