Standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as they prepared to meet in his office, Rice reiterated the United States position that a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon must come with conditions that make an enduring peace. She said she has “no desire” to be back in weeks or months after terrorists find another way to disrupt any potential cease fire.

“It is time for a new Middle East,” she said. “It is time to say to those that don’t want a different kind of Middle East that we will prevail. They will not.”

In a meeting that appeared tense, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora told Rice on Monday that Israel’s bombardment had taken his country “backwards 50 years,” the prime minister’s office said. Nabih Berri, a veteran Lebanese politician who is Lebanon’s parliament speaker and Hezbollah’s de facto negotiator, rejected proposals brought by Rice almost as soon as she left. (He was the Prime-Minister under the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. PJ)

Rice had proposed that the fighting stop at the same time that an international force deployed in southern Lebanon, an official close to the speaker said. Rice also proposed that Hezbollah weapons be removed from a buffer zone extending about 18 miles from the Israeli border, said the official. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

The Bush administration has said it wants to address the overall threat from Hezbollah, a Shiite militia in Lebanon, by creating conditions that will give the weak Lebanese government control over its entire territory, including south Lebanon, which is under Hezbollah control.

In a brazen July 12 raid into northern Israel, Hezbollah killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two others, provoking Israel’s biggest military campaign against Lebanon in 24 years. Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets at northern Israeli communities.

Israeli forces have been hammering Gaza to the south since shortly after the June 25 capture of an Israeli soldier by militants linked to Hamas group. The subsequent turmoil has highlighted the weakness of Abbas, a moderate whose Fatah party lost parliamentary elections to Hamas in January.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah have said the two attacks were not connected. Israel has responded with force on both fronts. The U.S. has insisted it will not support an immediate cease fire if the conditions behind the fighting aren’t addressed.

“If we have learned anything, it is that any peace is going to have to be based on enduring principles and not on temporary solutions,” Rice said Monday night, appearing with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

Calling it a war of “life or death,” Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres echoed Olmert’s tone in addressing a session of parliament Tuesday. “It is either us or Hezbollah.” Peres challenged Lebanon’s citizens to rid themselves of Hezbollah: “You proved that you could throw the Syrians out of the country, and you can rid your country of the weapons of Hezbollah,” Peres said. “This could be your great opportunity.”

Despite many calls for an immediate cease-fire, Rice on Tuesday reiterated the U.S. stance that conditions must be right for such a declaration; any cease-fire that “returns us to the status quo” will be a false promise, Rice has said. Hezbollah is the source of the problem, she has said, and must be disarmed.

“The international community has hard work ahead of it,” according to Rice, who said it is important to “begin to really lay the groundwork for an enduring peace in this region.”

Regarding the Palestinians, The State Department, which lists Hamas as a terrorist organization, has said it will resume foreign aid if Hamas drops its commitment to Israel’s destruction and terrorist activities. With the recent tensions, hopes that Palestinians would begin building their own state following Israel’s historic withdrawal from the impoverished Gaza last year have given way to escalating bloodshed.

So, in a nut-shell: The Israelis have welcomed Rice’s message that a long-term solution is essential to dealing with their conflict with guerrilla fighters from the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas. However, the Palestinians are among those pushing for a quick cease-fire to end what they see as the suffering of the Lebanese people. The Bush administration has said it wants to address the overall threat from Hezbollah, a Shiite militia in Lebanon, by creating conditions that will give the weak Lebanese government control over its entire territory, including south Lebanon, which is under Hezbollah control. Hezbollah is under Iran’s control and its lines of supply go through Syria. Stopping the fighting without having decreased the potential for their re-incandescence, even because of the good intent of a humanitarian approach, is counterproductive. The US agrees. AS BUSH SAID IN SAINT PETERSBURG: WE MUST “STOP THIS SHIT.” We believed that Mr. Kofi Annan also understood this when he said “NO MORE EXORTATIONS.”

(Please look at www.SustainabiliTank.info article of July 17, 2006 “No more ‘Exortations’ when Dealing With a ‘Prime Minsiter’?”)

In the latest fighting: The Israeli military believes Bint Jbeil, near the border, is an important weapons storage area for Hezbollah, with tunnels, bunkers and caves holding large supplies of missiles, rockets and launchers, military sources said. “There are large numbers of explosive devices and mines in the area, and heavy fire is being exchanged,” said Miri Regev,IDF spokeswoman. “We intend to clean out the area in order to avoid firing at Israel. We intend to reach the central towns from which Katyushas [rockets] are being fired, dismantle terror infrastructure, to hit the terrorists and then to leave.”

In addition, the IDF said it had seized two Hezbollah guerrillas “suspected in involvement in terror activities” in Maroun Al-Ras. The guerrillas were captured Sunday and are being held in Israel. On Sunday, Hezbollah conceded that Israel had gained control of Maroun Al-Ras. The IDF called the village its “first foothold” in southern Lebanon in an effort to create a security buffer zone. Over the weekend, Israeli officials said they would not oppose a multinational force in a buffer zone along Lebanon’s southern border to guarantee against further incursions by Hezbollah.

The UN refused - twice - to explain what the Secretary-General meant by “No More Exortations.” So now we allow ourselves to follow up on our previous articles on the subject by saying that yesterday we listened at the UN to quite a few exortations coming from those that believe that taking a one sided humanitarian approach they do anything else then plainly continue on the old path of Israel-bashing at the UN. How else can you explain Mr. Egeland, the UN relief coordinator, standing on top of rubbles in Lebanon, in the glare of world TV to show what Israel has done and say nothing of what caused this. He launched there an appeal for $150 million to help an estimated 800,000 Lebanese displaced by the conflict. The U.S. military said, it would assist with the shipping of humanitarian supplies to the Port of Beirut for distribution by non-governmental organizations, and Washington pledged $30 million. But Egeland said Monday his team does not have safe access to those trapped in the south of Lebanon and that the bombing had rendered many roads impassable, pushing for a cease-fire as if he were working in a vacuum.

July 24, 2006, Margaretta Wahlstrom, the Deputy Emergency Relief coordinator, or number 2 to Mr. Egeland came to the press room to provide the journalists with information about the needs of the humanitarian appeal. It turned out that in Beirut there is no need yet, and the problem is how to get a distribution system into Southern Lebanon - that is right to the area were active warfare is going on. She reported on points of delivery of aid material via three ports, but explained that there is all the material they need stored in Damascus - so what they need is the Israelis to stop bombarding the road from Damascus to Beirut. I listened in disbelief, as it seemed never to cross her mind that no Israeli government is in a position to allow this, because it could mean also their agreement to let Hezbollah resupply with missiles from Syria. Asked if there was any talk of a flash appeal for the suffering on the Israeli side, including the loss of life, injuries, etc reminding her that resolution 1559 (2004)was not fully implemented. She answered that the Israelis did not ask for help.

Ms. Wahlstrom told us of Mr. Egeland, who after having been for two days in Lebanon, will now spend 24 hours to go to the Gaza strip via Israel - but she did not know of any plans for Israel. There was much more to her material that left some of us shaking our heads. To allow our readers to get some of that flavor, I am including here the Media Advisory about Mr. Egeland’s 24 hours in Israel as they evolved :

So let us see - the gentleman went to the Occupied Palestinian Territory of what ? - GAZA STRIP? Where was he this last year, has he not heard that the Gazans had their own Hamas led government that mishandles them now - not Israel? No occupation there Mr. Egeland. Then he went to Ramallah to meet the Palestinian President in what could have been the Palestinian capital. Then surprise, the following morning he was going to be a tourist to see those areas in North Israel that were under Hezballah attack, and thus fortified with rectitude scheduled a press conference in East Jerusalem - you understand that this is more acceptable to the Palestinians then West Jerusalem.

UNIFIL - or the United Nations 28 year old Interim Force in Lebanon, is another interesting case. This force has really done nothing but create a security curtain so that behind it Hezbollah could easily dig into, and under, the non-combatant local population of Southern Lebanon. Their mandate is up for renewal July 31, 2006, and the Lebanese government asked for a six month extension. Mr. Kofi Annan is ready to grant them one month under his expressed hope that by that time it will be decided what new force will be established as a buffer between israel and Lebanon. SustainabiliTank asked the French Ambassador, Mr. De La Sabliere, “What is the Future Of UNIFIL?” and he answered that their mandate will be extended by one month. UNIFIL, having done absolutely nothing in the past for the security of Israel, also behaves now as if they have anything to say to Israel. They report to the Press now daily from their headquarters at Ras Naqura about the area of the fighting at the southern border. I was flabbergasted reading in their July 25th Press Release:

“UNIFIL is still facing serious restrictions in its freedom of movement due to the ongoing hostilities and the extensive destruction of roads and bridges throughout the area of operation. Yesterday, a UNIFIL engineering contingent from China managed to do some repairs on a key road artery between Tyre and Naqura, and the road is now usable for traffic. However, more road destruction was reported in various areas in the south.” Does this not sound to you like a UNIFIL belief that they are combatants on the side of Hezbollah? Listen - those roads are broken because Israel believes that it helps their war goals by hindering the movement of the terrorists. Israel does not want the roads repaired yet - and how long will they be able to avoid hitting the UNIFIL intruders? Do several officers or engineers want to increase the chances for WWIII ? Ok, Today’s news tell us that four UNIFIL people were hit indeed - was it a mistake or an intentional hit - really it does not matter - those or other UNIFIL guys deserved it, and those that dispatched them deserve a price from any organization that fights for UN Reformation. Will the UN Secretary-General take notice - I itch for the chance to ask him this question.

On July 20, 2006, the UNSG said to the Security Council: “The Israeli people, who had hoped that Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon - certified by this Council six years ago - would bring security along their northern border, find themselves under constant Hezbollah rocket attacks, which every day reach further into Israeli territory.” He also said then that the attacks by Hezballah hold hostage the entire nation of Lebanon. He did not quibble with the right of Israel to defend itself but then did an EXORTATION - “the excessive use of force is to be condemned.”

Does the UNSG believe that the “RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT” does not apply to Israel? Above principle leaves clearly in the hands of the Israeli Government the evaluation of how much force is needed to protect its citizens - that is the government’s obligation. Sending there, ahead of the appropriate time, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and the fossilized UNIFIL and making above statement, can only be interpreted as a show of the disrespect for the Israeli Government and for the life of the Israeli people. One more sign of the UN having been highjacked by the Palestinian issue.

July 20 - 21, 2006, the Security Council had as its topic “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.” On the one hand this was supposed to be a session leading to a resolution on the crisis between Israel and Lebanon, but the Exorting UN Member States from that region, by including also the Palestinian issue, got actually much closer to the roots of the problem - but not close enough. Eventually, the US Ambassador and the israeli Ambassador pointed their finger at the UNSG’s introductory speech from which three crucial words were missing - Terrorism, Iran, Syria. His EXORTATION, and that of the great majority of Arab and Muslim States, will not make the sun rise from the East. No resolution was possible at the Security Council and the discussion there will have to wait for at least a week. We will be lucky if this warfare will get noted in the history of the Middle East as the Six-Week War.

Next effort to come up with a better effort to stop the present warfare will be made on July 26 in Rome. The idea is to establish a clear path for a long-term solution before stopping Israel from doing the right thing in the short term. The Secretary-General expects Iran and Syria to be part of the solution. He is talking to those countries and is right that there must be a political settlement. The UNSG said on CNNTV, with Larry King, “We have to be careful not to confuse the short-term of stopping the violence, and the long-term when everybody agrees.” Watching him I was not totally convinced that he has indeed the intent to take the time to build towards the long-term in this situation when a precipitous short-term attempt will only lead to a resupplied Hezballah and more fighting in the future.

The following is the map of Lebanon as per the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that shows the three maritime ports of entry for aid materials and an additional entry on the ground from Syria - but this one is in the North of the country where there is no fighting, rather then the direct line from Damascus. Further, as per the UN, a convoy with aid has been dispatched to Tyre which is close to the Israel border, deep inside the area where Israel is trying to uproot the Hezballah - problems are thus predictable here.