Democrats call for Bush to send Mideast envoy | US News | Reuters.com
Democrats call for Bush to send Mideast envoy
Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:29pm ET172
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic leaders on Friday called on President George W. Bush to send a high-level special envoy to the Middle East to work with allies and negotiate an end to the fighting between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Joseph Biden, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said in a letter to Bush they were "surprised" that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice planned only a brief stop in the region next week.
"The United States needs to step forward and do the hard diplomatic work required to put in place a sustainable settlement and prevent a return to the status quo ante where Hizbollah attacked Israel at will," they wrote.
"Unfortunately, the architecture that you have constructed to deal with the Middle East is not adequate, as it does not allow for the kind of high level and sustained involvement that is required," they added.
They urged Bush to appoint a high-level envoy "without further delay," adding Israel had the right to defend itself and that they supported Israel's efforts to eliminate the threat posed by Hizbollah.
Rice announced on Friday plans to travel to the region on Sunday and attend an international meeting in Rome next week, saying she hoped to help create conditions for a lasting Middle East peace. Rice reiterated the U.S. position that an immediate ceasefire would not help achieve that peace.
Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:29pm ET172
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic leaders on Friday called on President George W. Bush to send a high-level special envoy to the Middle East to work with allies and negotiate an end to the fighting between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Joseph Biden, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said in a letter to Bush they were "surprised" that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice planned only a brief stop in the region next week.
"The United States needs to step forward and do the hard diplomatic work required to put in place a sustainable settlement and prevent a return to the status quo ante where Hizbollah attacked Israel at will," they wrote.
"Unfortunately, the architecture that you have constructed to deal with the Middle East is not adequate, as it does not allow for the kind of high level and sustained involvement that is required," they added.
They urged Bush to appoint a high-level envoy "without further delay," adding Israel had the right to defend itself and that they supported Israel's efforts to eliminate the threat posed by Hizbollah.
Rice announced on Friday plans to travel to the region on Sunday and attend an international meeting in Rome next week, saying she hoped to help create conditions for a lasting Middle East peace. Rice reiterated the U.S. position that an immediate ceasefire would not help achieve that peace.
posted by Joseph Khoury at 11:44 PM
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