Blair: No Lebanon ceasefire without international force

Chron

President Bush inadvertently dropped the facade of carefully scripted summit diplomacy today when his lunchtime conversation with other world leaders was picked up by Russian television.

... A transcript of the remarks also show the two leaders talking about the Middle East, and Bush seems to indicate that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be visiting the region, a matter not yet announced by the White House.

"She's going," Bush told Blair. "Condi's going to go pretty soon."

Shortly after, Blair remarked, "See if she goes out there she's got to succeed as it were, whereas I can just go out and talk."

Much of the leaders' conversation was without context so it's hard to say with certainty what they refer to specifically. Other times, it's evident.

"What about Kofi?" Bush said, of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "I don't like the sequence of it. His attitude is basically cease-fire and everything else happens."

Blair responded, "I think the thing that is really difficult is you can't stop this unless you get this international presence agreed."

Bush, seen on television buttering a roll and eating it while talking, also thanks Blair for the gift of a sweater.

"I know you picked it our yourself," Bush said. "Oh, absolutely," Blair responded. Read more

db: Blair wants an international force in Lebanon. Oh dear. In the meantime Israel can go on bombing bridges and killing women and kids. Canada has already seen eight of its nationals killed in an Israeli strike. How long before Israel also slaughters some Brits or Americans. In the game being played by Bush and Blair the safety of civilians - even their own - appears to have little importance. The priority is to give Israel as much time as possible to carry out a near impossible mission - the destruction of Hezbollah - via the destruction of Lebanon itself.