WASHINGTON - The Bush administration tried Wednesday to put the most positive spin on a deal among feuding factions in Lebanon that gives the militant Hezbollah group more power.

The top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, David Welch, welcomed the agreement that ends Lebanon's 18-month political stalemate, but also gives the Iran- and Syria-backed Hezbollah veto power over any government decision.

"It's a necessary and positive step," Welch said at a State Department briefing. "It's not for us to decide how Lebanon does this."

Welch, an assistant secretary of state, noted the United States supports the majority in the Lebanese government even though there were Hezbollah members in the previous government and the U.S. had no dealings with them. He said the same principle would apply now, although under the deal the militant group would get 11 seats in the Cabinet out of 30.

On another Mideast development, Welch said that Israel and Turkey informed the U.S. of Israel peace talks with Syria and that the U.S. has no direct role. He offered tepid endorsement, saying "we think the expansion of the circle of peace would be a good thing."

Welch noted that the Israel-Palestinian peace talks, brokered by the U.S., involved direct negotiations and are proceeding.

"Of course that would be very helpful if that included an agreement with Syria," he said. "That said, President Bush as recently as this trip to the region declared that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians offer special promise and we're working to conclude an agreement by the end of the year on this. Those parties are in direct negotiation." -AP