Bush, Blair call for multinational force

Washington: US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair say a multinational force should be dispatched quickly to help Lebanon regain control of the southern part of its country from the Hezbollah militia.

The two leaders again stopped short, however, of supporting an immediate cease-fire in the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, which Arab and European leaders have been urging.

As West Asia violence raged for a 17th day, Bush and Blair said Friday at a White House news conference that the makeup of the multinational force would be discussed at a UN meeting Monday called by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The force would both lead to stability and help speed the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, they said.

Bush said he was sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice back to the West Asia this weekend to help negotiate terms for such a force with Lebanese and Israeli leaders.

“This is a moment of intense conflict in the Middle East,” Bush said, standing alongside Blair in the East Room of the White House. ''Yet our aim is to turn it into a moment of opportunity and a chance for broader change in the region.''

''We agree that a multinational force must be dispatched to Lebanon quickly to augment a Lebanese army as it moves to the south of that country,'' Bush said.

Israel's punishing campaign of airstrikes, artillery shelling and clashes, which began after Hezbollah crossed the border and captured two Israeli soldiers, has killed an estimated 600 Lebanese. More than 50 Israelis have died, mostly soldiers.

Even so, ''the stakes are larger than just Lebanon,'' Bush said.

Blair called the fighting ''a complete tragedy for Lebanon, for Israel and for the wider region.''

PAGE_BREAK

The president said his and Blair's goal was a UN resolution ''setting out a clear framework for cessation of hostilities on an urgent basis and mandating the multinational force.''

But many issues surrounding the makeup of such a force and its mandate remained to be defined. Blair indicated its authority would clearly be limited.

International forces could go in only after a suitable cease-fire and not have ''to fight their way in,'' Blair said.

Furthermore, he said, ''This can only work if Hezbollah are prepared to allow it to work.''

Both leaders said the force would work in conjunction with the Lebanese army.