Bush defends Israel actions, Russia condemns attacks
Reuters ^
By Kerstin Gehmlich
PARIS (Reuters) - Russia and France condemned Israel's strikes in Lebanon on Thursday as a dangerous escalation of the Middle East conflict but the United States said Israel had the right to defend itself.
President Bush defended Israel's attack on Beirut airport, but warned the Israelis they should be careful not to weaken the fragile Lebanese government.
"Israel has the right to defend herself," Bush told a news conference after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "Secondly, whatever Israel does should not weaken the ... government in Lebanon."
Bush and Merkel made clear at a joint news conference they felt Israel's actions in seeking kidnapped soldiers and responding to Hizbollah rocket attacks were justified.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced both Israel's attack on Lebanon and its operations against the Palestinian territories.
"This is a disproportionate response to what has happened and if both sides are going to drive each other into a tight corner then I think that all this will develop in a very dramatic and tragic way," he told reporters on a flight from Paris to Moscow, Interfax news agency reported.
Israel struck Beirut airport and began enforcing a naval blockade of Lebanon on Thursday, intensifying reprisals after Hizbollah seized two Israeli soldiers and killed eight in cross-border attacks on Wednesday.
The Israeli attacks have killed 52 Lebanese civilians.
"DISPROPORTIONATE"
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy called Israel's bombardment of Beirut airport "a disproportionate act of war", saying there was a real risk of a regional war.
Douste-Blazy also condemned Hizbollah's firing of rockets into northern Israel and the seizure of the soldiers, telling Europe 1 radio these were "irresponsible acts".
"The only solution is a return to reason by both sides," he said. "We are calling for a lowering of tensions."
Hizbollah fired barrages of rockets into towns across northern Israel on Thursday, killing one civilian and wounding 29 others in their heaviest bombardment in a decade.
The violence is the worst between Israel and Lebanon since 1996 when Israeli troops still occupied part of the south.
Bush said there was concern that any activities by Israel to protect herself would weaken the Lebanese government.
"Having said all that, people need to protect themselves. There are terrorists who will blow up innocent people in order to achieve tactical objectives. In this case, the objective is to stop the advance of peace," he added.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair called on all sides in the Middle East crisis to exercise restraint, act proportionately and get back to the negotiating table as soon as possible. Continued...
"Overall, let us remember how these problems have arisen which is first and foremost the kidnappings. We condemn these kidnappings and call for the soldiers involved to be released," Blair's official spokesman said. |
