 |
|
|
 News from Around the Americas | July 2006 
U.S. Won't Push for Immediate Cease-Fire
 Nedra Pickler - Associated Press
| | Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Saud al-Faisal speaks to the press outside the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, DC. Prince Saud al-Faisal on Sunday pressed President George W. Bush to support calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon, during talks at the White House with the US leader and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. (AFP/Brendan Smialowski) |
Nail al-Jubeir, a Saudi embassy spokesman, said the Saudis would not release the letter or get into other details of the proposal because it was a private communication between Abdullah and Bush. Asked whether the Saudis requested that Bush directly pressure Israeli leaders for a cease-fire, al-Jubeir said they cannot tell the president whom to telephone. But he noted Bush has a unique influence to negotiate with Israel.
"The U.S. has the authority, it has the clout with Israel," he said. "For us to go and talk to the Israelis isn't going to do anything."
A White House spokeswoman, Eryn Witcher, would not comment on the Saudi proposal. She said Bush and the Saudis have "shared goals of helping the people of Lebanon and restoring sovereignty of the government of Lebanon and building stronger Lebanese armed forces."
"They discussed the humanitarian situation and reconstruction and putting conditions in place for an end to violence," Witcher said.
Witcher said participants in the meeting including Saud; Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the secretary general of the Saudi national security council; Prince Turki al-Faisal, the Saudi ambassador to the United States; Adil al-Jubayr, the counselor to Abdullah; and Rihab Massoud, the deputy secretary general of the Saudi national security council.
Rice plans meetings in Jerusalem and the West Bank with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In addition, she will go to Rome for sessions with representatives of European and moderate Arab governments, including Saudi Arabia, with the goal of shoring up the weak democratic government in Lebanon. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us