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'No green light for bombing'
28/07/2006 14:26 - (SA)
Kuala Lumpur - The United States views as 'outrageous' the Israeli justice minister's remark that the Rome conference had given Israel a green light to continue bombing Lebanon, a senior state department official said on Friday.
"Any such statement is outrageous," said state department
spokesperson Adam Ereli.
"The United States is sparing no effort to bring a durable
and lasting end to this conflict," said Ereli, accompanying
secretary of state Condoleezza Rice who has been taking part in
a global security forum in Malaysia.
The US is sensitive to suggestions that its decision not
to call for an immediate ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel
has essentially given the go-ahead to Israel to continue its
offensive against Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon,
resulting in more civilian deaths.
The death toll since July 12, when Hezbollah killed eight Israeli soldiers and abducted two in a cross-border raid, provoking massive Israeli retaliation, is at least 456 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 51 Israelis, including 18
civilians, according to a Reuters tally.
Goal of crushing Hezbollah
Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja expressed concern on
Thursday about justice minister Haim Ramon's remark that the
outcome of Wednesday's Rome conference on Lebanon was a green
light for continued Israeli bombing of Lebanese targets.
"I raised this with Prime Minister (Ehud) Olmert and he said
this was not the government position," Tuomioja told Reuters by
phone from Tel Aviv.
Tuomioja said he believed the Israelis intended to go on
bombing Lebanon until they had achieved their goal of crushing
Hezbollah.
"I'm afraid it could go on for weeks. That seems to
be the Israeli reading of the situation," he added.
- Reuters
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